Consider installing new ‘Tamil Annai’ statue in front of Tamukkam grounds after completion of road expansion works, HC tells authorities

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed Madurai District Administration to see installing a caller ‘Tamil Annai’ statue successful beforehand of Tamukkam grounds aft completion of the roadworthy enlargement works. It has been projected to displacement the existing ‘Tamil Annai’ statue to World Tamil Sangam successful Madurai.

A Division Bench of Justices M. Dhandapani and M. Jothiraman was proceeding a nationalist involvement litigation petition filed by advocator G. Thirumurugan of Ramanathapuram district.

The petitioner said successful 1965, the statue of T.T. Sankaradas Swamigal was unveiled successful Madurai. In 1981, the State authorities unveiled respective statues of Tamil poets and leaders astir important places successful Madurai. Thiruvalluvar statue adjacent the Madurai Collectorate; Tholkappiar statue astatine K. K. Nagar; U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai statues astatine Tallakulam; Thaninayagam Adigal statue astatine Melamadai; V. Kalyanasundaram statue astatine Kalavasal; Navalar Somasundara Bharathiar statue astatine Palanganatham; Mayuram Vedanayagam Pillai statue adjacent Madurai District Court, Veeramamunivar and Robert De Nobili statues adjacent Fathima College.

During the Fifth World Tamil Conference successful Madurai successful 1981, the past Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unveiled the majestic statue of ‘Tamil Annai seated connected a chariot’ successful the beingness of the past Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran astatine the entranceway of the Tamukkam grounds. In 1986, a memorial pillar was installed astatine Tamukkam grounds commemorating Tamil scholars and poets of the Sangam period. The statues are the symbols of Madurai, helium said.

However, owed to postulation congestion astir Goripalayam area, roadworthy enlargement works are being carried retired and a flyover is besides being constructed. It has been projected to relocate six statues. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer and Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai statues person been projected to beryllium shifted to Corporation Study Centre, ‘Tamil Annai’ and T. T. Sankaradas Swamigal statues to World Tamil Sangam. The memorial pillar volition beryllium shifted to the Corporation Office and Jawaharlal Nehru statue adjacent the Madurai District Court, helium said and sought a absorption to restrain the authorities from relocating the iconic statues.

The tribunal observed that the iconic statues were being relocated from the existing determination successful presumption of the roadworthy enlargement works. It directed Madurai District Administration to see installing a caller ‘Tamil Annai’ statue successful beforehand of Tamukkam grounds aft the completion of the roadworthy enlargement works. The authorities submitted an undertaking successful this regard. Taking enactment of the submission, the tribunal disposed of the nationalist involvement litigation petition.