The Hindu : Launching of welfare schemes mark Kamaraj birth centenary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Pondicherry

Launching of welfare schemes mark Kamaraj birth centenary

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry July 15. Launching of various schemes and processions by different political parties marked the birth centenary of Kamaraj in Pondicherry today.

The Lt. Governor, Rajani Rai, the Chief Minister, N Rangasamy, Ministers, the PCC leader, V Narayanasamy, the Legislators and other dignitaries garlanded Kamaraj statue at the Pattanikadai junction.

The Janata Dal (United), led by its leader and former minister V Pethaperumal, celebrated the day by launching a series of programmes.

The Janata Dal (Secular) leader, E Ganesan, paid floral tributes to the leader. The party also distributed clothes to the poor and stationery items to the school children. Food packets were also distributed to the have-nots at the party office in Mudaliarpet. The secretary of the State-unit CPI, N Kalainathan, also garlanded the statue.

A large number of the TMC members, led by Theni C Jayakumar, MLA, paid glowing tributes to Kamaraj and garlanded the statue.

A spokesman of the party said the question of the TMC merger with the Congress would be decided only after formal talks with the grass roots level. The birth centenary of the leader would be celebrated in the Union Territory for the whole year.

The Congress party organised special programmes at the party headquarters, where the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues, party legislators and volunteers recalled the services of Kamaraj in the uplift of the poor.

The Youth Congress (I) State committee celebrated the day by launching free computer training programme in Thavalakuppam.

The Kamaraj Ilaingar Narpani Mandram, led by G.Kannan, conducted blood donation camps.

A ratha yatra, highlighting the celebration, was flagged off at Mudaliarpet by former chief minister, V Vaithilingam.

All schools, colleges, government offices and undertakings remained closed today.

Our Cuddalore Staff Reporter reports:

Flag hoisting, garlanding the statue and free distribution of food to the poor marked the celebrations in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts.

In Cuddalore, the TMC and the Congress activists organised functions. The district TMC president, P.R.S.Venkatesan, garlanded the statue on the Bharathi road. He, along with congressmen, offered floral tributes to the leader's portrait at the Nehru Bhavan, the district TMC headquarters.

According to D.K. Rajendran, town TMC president, food pockets were distributed to the poor at Manjakuppam, Bharthi road, Tiruppapuliyur, Cuddalore (O.T) and Murugesapettai. Sweets and notebooks were distributed to school students at Pathirikuppam and Arisiperiyankuppam.

The Congress leaders, including the DCC president, V. Kannan, the vice-president, A. Jayaraman, former MP, P.P. Kaliaperumal, and others garlanded the Kamaraj statue in the town.

The Congress flags were hoisted in several places in the district.

In Villupuram district, the former TNCC president, Tindivanam K.Ramamurthy distributed free notebooks to as many as 600 students at a function organised by the Kamarajar Manram.

He also unveiled the portrait of the leader and offered floral tributes.

The TMC activists garlanded the statues of Gandhiji, Kamaraj and Rajiv Gandhi and distributed sweets to children.

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