Leaders pay homage at Anna memorial

Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and DMK Working President M K Stalin on Saturday paid rich tributes to Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai on his 49th death anniversary here.
Palaniswami, Panneerselvam and their cabinet colleagues paid obeisance to the former chief minister at his memorial on the Marina Beach. Later they also participated in samabandhi bhojanam (mass feeding programmee) organised by the state government at select temples in the city.

While chief minister launched the mass feeding programmee and had his lunch at Arulmigu Sakthi Vinayagar Thirukkoil in K K Nagar, the deputy chief minister did the honours at Arulmigu Marundheeswarar Thirukkoil in Thiruvanmiyur.

The state government held similar mass feedings programmes across Tamil Nadu. While ministers participated in such events in Chennai and elsewhere, district collectors had food with commoners at various temples in district headquarters.

Separately, DMK’s Stalin led a peaceful procession of party leaders to the Anna Samadhi and paid obeisance to the party’s founder. This is the second time in a row DMK chief M Karunanidhi has not been able to pay tributes to his mentor at his memorial. Karunanidhi is confined to him since October 2016.

In a Facebook post on the occasion of Anna’s 49th death anniversary, Stalin said state autonomy and language rights – the causes for which Annadurai stood through his life – face the biggest threat now.

“The DMK will continue its struggle for language rights and state autonomy. The voice for which Anna stood decades back finds resonance in several states in the country and this shows the farsightedness of our great leader. Let us resolve to ensure that his principles are preserved and followed,” Stalin said in the
 post.  

Annadurai, the first leader to overthrow Congress Government to install Dravidian rule in Tamil Nadu, was Chief Minister from 1967 to February 3, 1969 when he died.