The Madras High Court Bench here on Tuesday paid rich tributes to the self-respect movement leader and Dravidar Kazhagam founder, E.V. Ramasamy, equating him with Mahatma Gandhi.
The court’s observations coincide with the leader’s 135 birth anniversary falling on Wednesday.
Disposing of a writ petition on the installation of his statue at Koothappar near Tiruverambur in Tiruchi district, Justice S. Nagamuthu said Periyar was a towering personality who could be called the Mahatma Gandhi of Tamil Nadu. “E.V. Ramasamy, affectionately called as Thanthai Periyar, lived a revolutionary life and fought for social justice. Establishment of a casteless society and empowerment of women were some of the goals sought to be achieved by the great leader,” the judge said.
After going into the merits of the case, he quashed an order passed by the Public Works Department Secretary on October 28, 2011, refusing to grant a piece of land, on which a full-size bronze statue of Periyar had been installed, on a long-term lease to the Periyar Self Respect Propaganda Institution headed by K. Veeramani.
The judge said the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department had passed a Government Order (G.O.) on December 22, 2010, permitting the installation of the statue, on condition that the entire expense and maintenance be borne by the institution.
Long-term leaseHowever, subsequently, when the institution applied for a long-term lease of the land, the PWD Secretary rejected the request on the ground that the land was situated on the bund of a channel.
He also directed his subordinates to evict encroachments from the bund.
On the basis of the PWD Secretary’s letter, an Assistant Executive Engineer in Tiruchi directed the institution to hand over the land to the government.
Opposing the writ, government counsel informed the court that the government had decided to maintain the statue on its own.
Holding that it could not be done so, the judge said PWD officials had not issued any notice to the institution before deciding to take the land back.
He said the institution had every right to maintain the statue in view of the G.O. passed in its favour in 2011. The G.O. could be reversed for violations of the lease conditions only after giving the institution an opportunity to represent its case.
