Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M. Karunanidhi may be an atheist, but students at Tiruvarur’s V. S. Boys Higher Secondary School (VSBHSS), sought divine intervention for his speedy recovery at an inter-faith prayer on Saturday. Nearly a thousand students took part. The teachers briefed them on the political leader’s achievements.
Residents of Thirukuvalai and Tiruvarur, who received reports of Mr. Karunanidhi’s ill-health on Friday night, expressed their anxiety. The DMK patriarch hails from the Thirukuvalai in Nagapattinam district, and spent his student days in Tiruvarur. Some of his ardent supporters rushed to Chennai to get a first-hand account on his health.
Correspondent M. Vaduganathan said Mr. Karunanidhi studied at the VSBHSS for some years from Class VI. He was known for literary and oratorical skills as a student, and had brought out a signature magazine. He also formed a students club after passing out.
“We are proud that he grew up to be a social thinker and a towering leader. We were worried about his health. We want him to regain his health and visit us again,” Mr. Vaduganathan said.
Visited two years ago
Mr. Karunanidhi visited the school in 2016 to declare open an additional classroom block, built at a cost of ₹ 20 lakh, sanctioned from his MLA’s Local Area Development Fund. “We must not forget those who have contributed to our development and societal progress. The allocation from the MLA Fund is a fitting gesture of giving back to my school,” he had observed then.