Justices M. Dhandapani and M. Jothiraman was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate G. Thirumurugan of Ramanathapuram district.
Consider installing new ‘Tamil Annai’ statue in front of Tamukkam grounds after completion of road expansion works, HC tells authoritie
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed Madurai District Administration to consider installing a new ‘Tamil Annai’ statue in front of Tamukkam grounds after completion of the road expansion works. It has been proposed to shift the existing ‘Tamil Annai’ statue to World Tamil Sangam in Madurai.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Dhandapani and M. Jothiraman was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate G. Thirumurugan of Ramanathapuram district.
The petitioner said in 1965, the statue of T.T. Sankaradas Swamigal was unveiled in Madurai. In 1981, the State government unveiled several statues of Tamil poets and leaders around important places in Madurai: Thiruvalluvar statue near the Collectorate; Tholkappiar statue at K. K. Nagar; U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai statues at Tallakulam; Thaninayagam Adigal statue at Melamadai; V. Kalyanasundaram statue at Kalavasal; Navalar Somasundara Bharathiar statue at Palanganatham; Mayuram Vedanayagam Pillai statue near Madurai District Court; and Veeramamunivar and Robert De Nobili statues near Fatima College.
During the Fifth World Tamil Conference in Madurai in 1981, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unveiled the majestic statue of ‘Tamil Annai seated on a chariot’ in the presence of the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran at the entrance of the Tamukkam grounds. In 1986, a memorial pillar was installed at Tamukkam grounds commemorating Tamil scholars and poets of the Sangam period. The statues are the symbols of Madurai, he said.
However, due to traffic congestion around Goripalayam area, road expansion works are being carried out and a flyover is also being constructed. It has been proposed to relocate six statues. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer and Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai statues have been proposed to be shifted to Corporation Study Centre, ‘Tamil Annai’ and T. T. Sankaradas Swamigal statues to World Tamil Sangam. The memorial pillar will be shifted to the Corporation Office and Jawaharlal Nehru statue near the Madurai District Court, he said and sought a direction to restrain the authorities from relocating the iconic statues.
The court observed that the iconic statues were being relocated from the existing location in view of the road expansion works. It directed Madurai District Administration to consider installing a new ‘Tamil Annai’ statue in front of Tamukkam grounds after the completion of the road expansion works. The authorities submitted an undertaking in this regard. Taking note of the submission, the court disposed of the public interest litigation petition.
