AHMEDABAD, FEB 12
Months after the Centre had organised Kashi Tamil Sangamam, the Tamil Nadu Government has celebrated Sabarmati Tamil Sangamam by laying the stone for constructing a monumental temple of knowledge – an ultra-modern school building – for Tamil migrants in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s former assembly constituency Maninagar in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Department of Industries, Tamil Official Language, Tamil Culture & Archeology Thangam Thennarasu and VGP World Tamil Sangam Chairman VGP Santhosam have laid the foundation stone of the iconic Tamil school building at its old campus in Tamil-dominated Maninagar in Ahmedabad.
- Gujarat Minister of State for Cooperation unveils the statue of Thirukkural author, Saint Thiruvalluvar and assures Gujarat Govt aid to construct the new building
- Ahmedabad Tamil Sangam hosts ‘Muthamizh Vizha’ as part of the harvest festival Thai
Courtesy: Bharat TV
After laying the stone for new school building, Minister Thangam Thennarasu said, “Our Chief Minister MK Stalin believes in laying concrete foundation for man-making education for Tamils under the Sun. Under his able guidance and with the support of all state governments in the country, we are helping the Tamil diaspora to get quality education from primary to higher secondary so as to help them stand on their own feet. If we want to make India a super economic power, then we need smart schools with excellent infrastructure. Tamil Nadu Government has been granting aid and other facilities to educational institutions run by linguistic minorities from other states and urges the Vibrant Gujarat Government led by Thiru Bhupendrabhai Patel to reciprocate this gesture. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhiji had studied Tamil only to read Tamil Saint Thiruvalluvar’s Thirukkural in the world’s oldest language. Sardar Vallbhbhai Patel had taught us the strength of unity by bringing all small princely states under Mother India. Let us tread on their path to turn India into a real AtmaNirbhar Bharat by creating better educational infrastructure.”
Gujarat Minister of State for Cooperation, Salt, Industries Jagdish Ishwarbhai Vishwakarma has unveiled the statue of Saint Thiruvalluvar, the author of Thirukkural.
Minister Vishwakarma said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the proponent of all Indian languages. In his recent ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha or discussion on examination’, he had also exhorted the students to learn as many languages as one can. The PM also quoted that Tamil was the world’s oldest language. Our government will extend all possible help to Ahmedabad Tamil Sangam in its endeavour to build a new school building in Maninagar. PM Modi had turned Maninagar into a knowledge hub by establishing medical, arts, science colleges and a technical varsity. This school will be one more feather on his cap of glory.”
Puducherry Home Minister A Namsivayam said, “Pondicherry Tamils had settled in Gujarat over a century ago and made Gujarat as their ‘Karma Bhoomi’. It is our bounden duty to help them study our Mother Tongue Tamil in their place of settlement and maintain the umbilical cord relations. We also request the State Government to join hands with us in illuminating the lives of all Tamils in Gujarat.”
Ahmedabad Tamil Sangam president Dr S Kavidass, in a lighter vein, said, Two Tamil Kings – Minister Thennarasu and AMC Commissioner Thennarasn (Thennarasu means South King)- have invaded Ahmedabad today to lay foundation for the Tamil school.
“We want to complete the school building construction by this year-end and its inauguration by next Pongal, January 2024. We will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin to dedicate this temple of knowledge so as to commence its operations from June 2024 academic session,” added Dr S Kavidass
Tamil Nadu Minister of Minorities and NRI Tamils’ Welfare KS Masthan, Ahmedabad Mayor Kiritkumar K Parmar, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner M Thennarasan and Puducherry Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister AK SAIJ Saravanakumar, former president of Ahmedabad Tamil Sangam G Sambasivam also spoke on this occasion.
MPs, MLAs from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, Gujarat cadre Tamil IAS, IRS and IPS officers (serving and retired), leading academicians and industrialists from both the states took part in these events.
Ahmedabad Tamil Sangam general secretary E Prabhakarn welcomed the gathering while joint secretary Dr R Valarivan proposed the vote of thanks.
