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Sivaji Ganesan memorial stuck for 13 years

Sivaji Ganesan after an illustrious cine career died on July 21, 2001

Chennai: Even 13 years after it was announced, a memorial for legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan at Raja Annamalaipuram here still remains a dream with the South Indian Artistes Association (SIAA), which had taken up the task of constructing it, evincing little interest.

Sivaji Ganesan after an illustrious cine career died on July 21, 2001. When Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa visited the actor’s house to pay her tributes, members of SIAA requested her to build a memorial for the veteran actor and also presented a memorandum to the state government a week later.

SIAA under the then presidentship, Vijayakanth, submitted a memorandum to Ms Jayalalithaa urging the government to construct the memorial. Subsequently the state government on September 26,2002, published an order accepting SIAA’s demand allotting 12 grounds (0.65 cents) of land at R.A. Puram. Later, the association announced that it would build the memorial soon but nothing happened. Every year on Sivaji Ganesan’s birth anniversary SIAA would announce that the memorial would be constructed soon.

Meanwhile, replying to a question raised by then vice-president of the association and MLA Napolean, the then information minister K.P. Anbazhagan said SIAA had to pay Rs 4.2 lakh to the government for laying the approach road; but it had paid only Rs 2 lakh.

This delayed the project. The association later paid the money and acquired the piece of land. SIAA conducted the ground-breaking ceremony on April 22, 2005. In the meantime, a new set of office-bearers under the presidentship of R. Sarathkumar assumed charge of the association, after which the memorial project did not make any headway.

Actor-director Nasser said several actors, including him, had Sivaji Ganesan as their role model in cinema.

“With a good cause to pay tribute to the late actor, CM Amma allotted 12 grounds of land in prime locality, which is worth several crores in the present market rate. But it is unfortunate that SIAA is yet to build the memorial and if they say they are short of funds, I am certain that right from super star to the latest junior artiste will take part in a fund raiser and collect money for the construction,” he said and added that if their faction wins the SIAA election they would build the memorial. Asked for his comments, the SIAA general secretary Radha Ravi said as the land was in a VVIP area where judges and other important persons resided they had raised concern about the memorial at the present site. “As far as SIAA is concerned we are ready to construct the memorial,” he said.

( Source : s. thirunavukarasu )
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