Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s decision to fittingly honour Chola King Karikalan and British Colonel John Pennycuick - architects of the Kallanai (Grand Anicut) and Mullaiperiyar Dam respectively - by constructing a memorial for the former and naming the proposed modern Theni bus stand after the latter, has drawn widespread appreciation.
Hailing the announcement made by Jayalalithaa (during the inauguration of a statue and memorial for Pennycuick in Theni on Tuesday), the CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Farmers Association (AIKS) general secretary V Duraimanickam said it is a right move.
King Karikalan who ruled during the second century AD had built the oldest surviving and standing dam in the world called Kallanai in Tiruchy in the heart of the Cauvery Delta region. “Prior to the construction of Kallanai, river Cauvery wreaked havoc downstream during the floods. It was flowing like a jungle river then,” says Duraimanickam explaining why the Chief Minister’s decision is a fitting honour for the great king. The dam built with stones and sand with an ingenious technique has stood the test of time. Karikalan also improved the irrigation system of the Cauvery delta.
Duraimanickam also appealed to the Chief Minister to name a university or college in Karikalan’s name.
Meanwhile in Theni, local people for whom Pennycuick is a hero were excited by the announcement that a new bus stand will be named after him.
“When we heard the Chief Minister’s announcement on television channels, family members in our house hugged each other and started whistling. By naming the Theni bus terminus after Pennycuick, she has honoured our last year’s struggle for protecting the Mullaiperiyar dam,” said Durai, a farmer of Uthamapalayam.
“Theni market is popular for vegetables. Many people come here from Kerala, southern and central Tamil Nadu on a regular basis. When they alight at the bus stand, they will be introduced to the greatness of Pennycuick,” said Kannan, a trader who has a grocery shop in Theni.
“Usually public places are named after Indians. Probably for the first time in the post Independence era, the Chief Minister has fittingly named a public place in memory of a British man. It is a welcome decision,” said Saravana Kumar, a software professional hailing from Theni, who is now working in Chennai.
Theni Kammavar Sangam Polytechnic College secretary N K Rajagopalan said it would help students to learn about their past. “The officials should engrave a short history of Pennycuick and Mullaiperiyar at the bus terminus,” he suggested.