CHENNAI: Renowned Tamil Scholar and former vice-chancellor of the Tamil University, Dr Avvai Natarajan, on Friday gave away 'Lifetime Achievement' awards to four distinguished persons for their service to society at a function here on Friday to remember the late Singapore patriarch and architect Lee Kuan Yew'.
The occasion coinciding with the birth anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew and organised by the Tamil Nadu-Singapore Friendship Society here, was also a thanks-giving to the late premier for having contributed to the development of Tamil in Singapore and making Tamil an official language of Singapore.
Dr Avvai Natarajan, who delivered a special talk on the occasion, later gave away the awards to Lion. Tha.Ku. Divakaran, K.Swaminathan, president of the Thanjai Vadaseri People's Welfar Organisation, S. Manikandan and R. Rajendran, who are also associated with that welfare organisation as secretary and editor of its publication respectively.
Former Union minister and DMK MP, Dr Jagathrakshakan unveiled a portrait of Lee Kuan Yew on the occasion. Scores of Tamil enthusiasts and scholars participated in the function to underscore the important role that Lee Kuan Yew had played in giving due recognition to Tamil language in Singapore.
