DMK MP Kanimozhi on Monday said that her father, the late DMK leader and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, had always been a friend, philosopher and guide during her political journey as she had the opportunity to observe him at close quarters as a daughter.
She was addressing the valedictory of the centenary celebrations of Karunanidhi, organised by VIT.
Be it a poll campaign or a literary event, the years she spent with the late DMK leader taught her much-needed life lessons to take her political and literary career more seriously, Ms. Kanimozhi said. “Our leader (Karunanidhi) never let down his cadre even during electoral failures. Before the winning party’s organisers thank the voters, he will lead the DMK, which might have lost that election, to thank people who voted for the party. He was always inspiring,” she said.
Referring to the former Chief Minister’s pro-poor welfare schemes, the MP said that Karunanidhi will be remembered for introducing the Public Distribution System (PDS), a separate welfare board for slum-dwellers (first in the country) and allowing women to join the police force. Farmers have always been grateful to the late DMK leader for providing free electricity for them as it not only helped to increase agricultural productivity but also drew many youngsters into farming, she said.
On the uplift of marginalised sections of society, Ms. Kanimozhi said that transpersons had been subjected to various kinds of discrimination for many years. It was Karunanidhi who envisaged special welfare schemes for them. In fact, the late DMK leader was responsible for giving a separate gender entity for transpersons, she said.
Ms. Kanimozhi requested VIT founder-chancellor G. Viswanathan to ensure that VIT sets up a new branch in her parliamentary constituency of Thoothukudi for the benefit of rural youth in southern Tamil Nadu.
In his congratulatory message, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that the Dravidian model of the Tamil Nadu government and the DMK had been organising centenary celebrations of the late DMK president and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in various ways in the State like opening of hospitals, bus terminus, libraries; conducting seminars, poetry workshops and releasing publications.
On the occasion, DMK general secretary and Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi, ‘Murasoli’ Selvam, poet and lyricist Vairamuthu, DMK MP D.M. Kathir Anand, Vellore Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar, Sankar Viswanathan and G.V. Selvam, vice-presidents (VIT), elected representatives and party cadre were present.
