The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Celebrate first day of Thai like Deepavali”

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Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Celebrate first day of Thai like Deepavali”

Special Correspondent

Karunanidhi says the change marks the rise and revolution of Tamils

— Photo: K. Pichumani

EXCHANGING PLEASANTRIES: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with poet Jayaraj from Sri Lanka at the function organised by the Sanga Tamil Peravai in Chennai on Saturday to felicitate him. PWD Minister Durai Murugan (second from left) and Information Minister Parithi Ilamvazhuthi (right) are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has called upon Tamils all over the world to celebrate the first day of the Tamil month Thai, which has been declared the Tamil New Year Day, like Deepavali.

Noting that he was proud and delighted to make the change, he said: “It marks the rise and revolution of Tamils.”

Thanking a large gathering of Tamil scholars who approved his Tamil New Year Day announcement, Mr. Karunanidhi said people must consider it a happy occasion and celebrate it by lighting ‘deepams’, drawing ‘kolams’ and wearing new dress.

He recalled his contribution to the introduction of a continuous calendar, in the form of Thiruvalluvar Year, for Tamils and said he had no ill-will or hatred towards the months and years based on the Sanskrit calendar.

The Chief Minister commended Minister for Public Works Department and Law Duraimurugan and former MP Jagathratchaan for having brought Tamil scholars from various parts of the State and abroad to grace the function, and said he considered their presence as recognition for Thai as the first month of the Tamil calendar.

Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan said the non-discriminatory Tamil community almost lost its identity and was on the verge of losing its language when visionary scholars restored the language. Now, though the language was there, a genuine sense of belonging was lacking.

Reminding the Tamils of their rich linguistic, ethnic and cultural heritage, Mr. Anbazhagan said the Tamils must be liberated from false beliefs that made them celebrate certain other days as New Year Day.

Earlier, the Tamil scholars said Mr. Karunanidhi had made three major contribution to the Tamil community: his success in obtaining classical language status for Tamil; his role in bringing out legislation making Tamil a compulsory language and medium of instruction in schools; and making the first day of Thai the Tamil New Year Day. This, they said, was the renaissance period of Tamil language.

Mr. Karunanidhi was treated to a song-and-dance performance.

Artists, dressed up as Tholkappiar, Ilango Adigal, Avvayar, Kambar and Tiruvalluvar, showered accolades on him.

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