CM Edappadi K Palaniswami felicitates Tamil scholars

CHENNAI: A total of nine Tamil scholars were felicitated by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami who also gave away orders for monthly financial assistance to 92 eminent aged Tamil scholars, at a Thiruvalluvar Day function held here on Monday.

In order to felicitate the Tamil scholars for their service to the language, the state government has offered awards to nine scholars in the names of Thiruvalluvar, Periyar, CN Annadurai, Ambedkar, Kamarajar, Bharathiyar, Bharathidasan, Thiru Vi Ka and KAP Viswanatham.

Speaking at the function, Palaniswami said Tamil has the potential to function without any other language’s support. The language has a rich heritage and potential, he noted. The CM said that at present, a total of 65 awards were being offered to Tamil scholars by the state government and of them, 60  awards were introduced by the AIADMK-led government.

“Already we have offered Rs 10 crore for establishing a Tamil chair in Harvard University and I  declared in the Assembly on January 8 that the same kind of Tamil chairs would be established in other foreign universities too. And our beloved leader J Jayalalithaa-led government had helped in translating the Thirukkural to Chinese, Arabic, and Korean languages. In order to felicitate the translators who translated the various kinds of literature to Tamil and vice -versa, an award has been introduced by the Tamil Nadu government for translators and every year 10 translators are being felicitated,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu government has been constantly striving to make Tamil an additional official language in the Madras High Court. Former Chief Minister MGR established a Tamil University while J Jayalalithaa set up the Ulaga Tamil Sangam in Madurai at the cost of Rs 38 crore, he recalled.

The CM further said that the monthly assistance for the aged Tamil scholars had been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 from 2018-2019. The works are going on to erect a statue for Tholkappiar at the Marina, he said, adding that the works of Tamilkudimagan, Melanmai Ponnusamy and Pon Sowrirajan had been nationalised.

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that to nurture the ideology and concept of the Thirukkural among the younger generation former CM Jayalalithaa had offered Rs 15,000 cash award each to 50 students (every year) for best recital of Thirukkural. It was former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, who had first announced the Thiruvalluvar award to Tamil scholars, he recalled.

MG Anwar Batcha, Pazha Nedumaran, C Ponnaiyan, M Aikkan, Thiyaroo, K Ganeshan, Soolur Kalaipithan, Bharathi Sugumaran, and C Ramaguru were given Thiruvalluvar, Kamarajar, Periyar, Peraringar Anna, Bharathidasan, Thiru.Vi.Ka, KAP Viswanatham, Bharathiyar and Ambedkar awards respectively.

CM orders release of water from dam

Accepting the requests from farmers, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday ordered the release of water for irrigation, from Parappalaru dam for 13 days from January 25 till February 6.  This would benefit 1,323 acres of land in Oddanchathiram taluk in Dindigul districts.