Chennai: Efforts to install Saint Tiruvalluvar’s statue in Haridwar on the banks of the Ganga have fallen flat with the bust now lying abandoned at the PWD guest jouse after vociferous protests from sadhus. The incident has caused much furore in Tamil Nadu with writers, social activists and political leaders terming the incident an “insult to the entire Tamil community.”
Tamil lovers also demanded that the Union and Uttarakhand Governments install the bust immediately at the desired place and attacked former BJP MP Tarun Vijay for “going underground” after his plans to install the statue failed. They also took objection to the “rumour that is being spread that the saint was a Dalit” saying he was a person who stood for human values and he is too big to fit into any community or caste or religion.
While the ruling AIADMK hoped that the Tamil Nadu government would take steps to bring back the statue, Dravidian leader Suba Veerapandian saw a conspiracy in BJP forcing Mr Vijay take steps to install the statue to “garner votes” in the state.
“It is a great insult not just to Tiruvalluvar, but to the entire Tamil race. The Narendra Modi Government should take steps to install the statue on the banks of the Ganga,” Tamil nationalist Pazha. Nedumaran said.
Echoing his views, Tamil writer Vairamuthu said a “great insult has been done to the Tamil race” by abandoning the statue of Tiruvalluvar in Haridwar. “Don’t ever think that Tiruvalluvar, a person who explained what education is to the masses, is looking for a place. The entire world is his abode,” he said.
Mr Veerapandian said he had always suspected the motive of Mr Vijay in installing the statue of Tiruvalluvar on the banks of Ganga due to his political affiliation. “He has insulted the Tamil race by his activity. How can the statue of a great saint like Tiruvalluvar be abandoned? The BJP used its leader with the aim to garner the votes of Tamil by using Tiruvalluvar’s name,” he said.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan and CPI(M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan demanded that the statue be installed at the desired place. Efforts to reach Mr Tarun Vijay failed since his mobile phones are either switched off or not reachable.
