Leaders tweet popular verses of revolutionary poet

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and leaders cutting across party lines on Saturday paid rich tributes to ‘Mahakavi’ Bharathi on his 100th death anniversary.

Stalin, along with his Cabinet colleagues paid floral tributes to a decorated portrait of the iconic poet, placed close to his life-size statue on Kamarajar Salai here and tweeted his popular verses that emphasised fearlessness. Quoting the ‘Achamillai’ song, Stalin hailed Bharathi for arousing a passion for freedom through his writings and poems.

Pubic Works Minister EV Velu, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Health Minister, Ma Subramanian, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister, PK Sekar Babu and party MPs Kanimozhi, Tamizhachi Thangapandian, legislator JMH Hasan Moulana participated.

AIADMK co-coordinator and Leader of Opposition, K Palaniswami in his tributes said Bharathi’s songs ignited a passion for freedom, he was a crusader of women’s rights and a social reformer who created awareness against casteism.

BJP’s Mahila Morcha national president, Vanathi Srinivasan and several others from the party garlanded a statue of Bharathi at his memorial here. TNCC and PMK founder leader Dr S Ramadoss were among several others who paid their tributes to Bharathi on his death anniversary.

Subramania Bharathi (11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921), popularly known as ‘Bharathiar’ in the Tamil speaking world was a reformist poet as well and a crusader of women’s rights and his verses continue to be popular to this day like ‘Thani Oru Manthithanukku...’ (Let us destroy the world if there is no food for an individual).

Homage paid in Pondy

Lt.Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister N Rangaswamy, his Cabinet Colleagues, Assembly Speaker R Selvam, legislators and Tamil scholars are among others who paid floral tributes and garlanded the statue of the poet at Bharathi Park.

The Lt Governor said Bharathi lived in Puducherry for most of his life. Year-long programmes to encourage youths, poets and patriots will be held here in view of Bharathi’s 100th death anniversary, Soundararajan added.