CHENNAI: As part of the 100th birth anniversary of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday announced the state government would build a Kalaignar International Convention Centre on a 25-acre land in Chennai. The centre will have a seminar hall with a capacity to accommodate 5,000 people, exhibition halls, parks, star hotels, restaurants and multi-storey parking lot. On the occasion, Stalin also released the logo for the centenary celebrations of Karunanidhi.
Speaking on the occasion, Stalin said the world-class convention centre will be suitable for conducting global industrial exhibitions, trade conferences, technical meetings, international film festivals etc. Such utilities would take the glory of Kalaignar across the globe. “This idea struck my mind during my recent visit to Singapore and Japan,” he added.
Referring to the presence of the former Governor of West Bengal Gopalakrishna Gandhi at the event, the Chief Minister said, “The grandson of Mahatma Gandhi is here to pay encomiums to Karunanidhi who is the ‘ideological heir’ of Periyar EV Ramasamy.” Stalin said both Periyar and CN Annadurai had great respect for Mahatma Gandhi.
He said the state government has planned to celebrate the centenary of Karunanidhi for a year and recalled the contributions of the late leader for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu over several decades. Speaking on the occasion, Gopalakrishna Gandhi recalled when he joined the civil service, Karunanidhi was the chief minister and Stalin was just 15 years old.
“In public life, Kalaignar symbolised maturity. In administration and in governance, Karunanidhi symbolised balance. He knew what the word Alavu in Tamil means - Measure - When to do and what to do. Also, when not to and what should not be done. He was a skilful politician and a tremendous administrator. I would like to say this particularly to the young ministers present here and to his grandson on the stage today,” he said.
“ In the politician Karunanidhi, there was a statesman par excellence. In that statesman, there was an artiste. Kalaiganar was supremely an artiste in the administration. When the late MGR, who was the heartthrob of millions was critically ill, Kalaiganar, the artiste expressed his wish that MGR should return to political life.
“The mandate to govern is the duty to discharge not a power to flaunt. Public properties should be protected as the assets of a trust. Every moment in the office is holy,” he added. On the occasion, the chief minister also released a short film on the contributions of Karunanidhi to the state, and inaugurated a photo exhibition covering the important events in the life of the late leader.
Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan recalled the contributions of Karunanidhi to the people of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil language and its literature. Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, ministers and senior officials were among those present on the occasion.