The opposition AIADMK on Saturday hailed Chief Minister M K Stalin’s announcements on the government’s decision to commemorate the death anniversary of India’s firebrand poet and freedom fighter Subramania Bharati as “Mahakavi Day” on September 11 annually.
The announcement on observing September 11 as Mahakavi Day on behalf of the government is a welcome development, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam said.
“Poet Bharati made the world realise the excellence of the Tamil language. He proved that only those who have affinity to language alone can live as a patriot,” Pannerselvam said.
In a statement here the former Chief Minister paid rich tributes to Bharati and said he was a polyglot fluent in English, French, Telugu and Hindi.
Bharati had worked as Tamil teacher at the Sethupathi Higher Secondary School in Madurai.
His works aroused patriotism. He captured the feeling of unity of the Indians by his poems, Panneerselvam said and recalled that former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa renovated the house where Bharati lived in Triplicane, here.
Various announcements by Chief Minister M K Stalin including those on observing the death anniversary as Mahakavi Day, presenting select poems and essays in book form to school students, bringing out low priced statues of the national poet through Poompuhar, conducting events like Perengum Bharati, Bharati on screen, setting up of a chair on the poet’s name at Trichy Bharathidasan University besides providing financial assistance on behalf of the government to maintain the house where Bharati lived in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh are welcome announcements, he said.
“I welcome these announcements on behalf of the AIADMK,” Panneerselvam said and conveyed his “heartfelt gratitude” to Stalin for the gesture.
On Friday, Stalin made 14 announcements in connection with the death anniversary of Mahakavi Bharati including a State level poetry competition for school and college students and giving away the 'Bharati young poet award' to honour the fiery freedom fighter.
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