THANJAVUR: Marking the 17th anniversary of the Kumbakonam school fire tragedy, parents, relatives, elected representatives and the public on Friday paid floral tributes to the 94 children who perished in the incident. Assembling in front of the giant flex banner bearing the portraits of the children at the Sri Krishna Aided Primary School building, people also paid candlelit homage and placed offerings before it.
They also visited the memorial for the children at Palakkarai on the banks of the Cauvery and paid floral tributes. As large gatherings are prohibited owing to the Covid-19 lockdown, the police refused permission for day-long tribute in front of the school. Similarly, the yearly procession from the school to the memorial, and the evening programme on the banks of the Mahamaham tank, were also prohibited.
Among those who paid tributes was the government Chief Whip, Govi Chezhian. Parents who gathered in front of the school demanded July 16 to be declared ‘Children Safety Day’ and a local holiday. They also sought government job for the children injured in the accident who have now completed their graduation.