The three-day mega cultural event Maamadurai Potruvom , which, for all its fears that political parties might hijack the event, on the ultimate day fell prey to political sarcasm with double entendres.
The special address delivered by the Minister for Cooperation, Sellur K. Raju, on Sunday started off with a vivid description of the city’s history touching upon its antiquity and how it stands as an important centre of learning, cultural activities and related edifices.
However, the Minister, on seeing the huge turnout at the empty Vaigai, sarcastically mentioned that Madurai is a city which exemplifies ‘how good will always prevail over the bad’, and followed it up with how the city was in the grip of anti-social elements (rowdy rajyam) and how it was unfettered by the present regime and rule of law had been reinstated.
Showering encomiums on the late Chief Minister, M.G. Ramachandran, Mr. Raju said that most of the development works for Madurai were initiated by him during the 1981 World Tamil Conference and pointed out that it was during that year, piped drinking water was made available for households through an Rs.62-crore project.
He further said that it was during Jayalalithaa’s first tenure overhead tanks were built in many places in the city. To make Madurai a world class city by 2023, infrastructure development projects are under way in the city and for the first time, Rs.250 crore was given by the state government to Corporation to improve infrastructure, he said. It was indeed a delight to see Vasantha Mandapam decked up with colourful decorative lights.
A working model of the Vaigai, from its origin to its final destination of Periya Kanmoi at Ramanathapuram, was on display near the Mandapam. Thousands gathered and watched the scintillating display of fireworks which went for almost half an hour.
