TIRUCHY: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday unveiled a nine-ft bronze statue of iconic actor Sivaji Ganesan in Puthur, ending the 14-year wait that has been marked by legal and administrative hurdles. The actor’s sons Ramkumar and Prabhu, grandson and actor Vikram Prabhu were present during the ceremony.
The statue, which was built by crowd funding by the late actor’s fans, was originally installed inside the Palakkarai roundabout in 2011. However, it could not be opened as Model Code of Conduct for the Assembly polls had been enforced and remained under wraps. In 2013, a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting installation of statues in public spaces delayed it further.
Persistent advocacy from fans and civic supporters, including fans association member S Annamalai, kept the issue alive for years. “We’re grateful the statue has finally been unveiled by the CM himself,” Annamalai said.
The turning point came after the DMK swept the local body elections in 2022, with repeated calls for action from Mayor Mu Anbalagan and other council members. With the CM scheduled to visit Tiruchy to take part in a slew of events, the DMK-led corporation included the statue’s unveiling in his itinerary.
On April 28, the statue was relocated from Palakkarai to Williams Road. However, it came to light that the site was classified as government poramboke land, and hence the statue could not be installed there. Senior DMK leaders acted swiftly and identified the current site in Puthur, which is a private plot donated to the civic body. During an emergency session on May 6, the corporation council passed a resolution approving the installation of the statue.
Senior citizen and long-time Sivaji fan, Radhakrishnan D, expressed relief and joy at the move. “It was painful to see the statue covered for 14 years. The DMK government’s support has finally given the statue a deserving place of honour,” he said.