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Not inappropriate banter

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai April 24. Will the State Government stop "inappropriate" dance performances and screening of films at temple festivals?

As a few MLAs raised the question in the Assembly, the HR and CE Minister, P.C.Ramasamy, insisted that only devotional songs were being played in temples and that action would be taken if instances of "inappropriate" dance performances were brought to the notice of the Government.

During question time, C.Gnanasekaran (Congress) said "kanna pinna" (Tamil phrase for inappropriate) dances such as break dances were being performed at temple festivals.

Instead, will the Government promote Bharatanatyam and help modern-day women return to our cultural moorings, he asked.

Amid peals of laughter, the Minister triggered a debate on what "kanna pinna" meant.

When Mr. Gnanasekaran clarified that it meant "inappropriate", his party colleague, S.G.Vinayagamurthy, came up with another semantic twist.

Quoting a verse from ancient Tamil literature, he said the word had no derogatory sense and that a king was described as "kanna pinna" for, he was a follower of Karna, an epic character known for his generosity.

H.Raja (BJP) joined the banter saying films were being screened at temple festivals, in some cases leading to law and order problems.

And, the Minister's reply: "the Government would look into it an take necessary action."

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