As part of the ongoing birth centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister and AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran in Madurai district, a yoga demonstration by students was organised in Madurai Kamaraj University here on Tuesday in the presence of seven Ministers, a few MLAs and Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao.
Ministers K.A. Sengottaiyan, ‘Sellur’ K. Raju and R.B. Udhayakumar, who delivered felicitation address at the function, appealed to the students to take inspiration from the life of M.G.R and lead a life that would be helpful to others.
Highlighting the social and philosophical messages in the film songs of M.G.R in his speech, P.P. Chellathurai, Vice-Chancellor, began singing a few lines of the popular ‘ Nalla nalla pillaigalai nambi ’ song from M.G.R’s Petralthan Pillaya movie, resulting in loud cheers from students .
Mr. Chellathurai’s sudden breaking into a song to drive home his point also brought smiles of appreciation on the faces of Ministers, MLAs and others on the dais.
Mr. Raju’s speech also brought a lighter moment to the function when he said that MGR was a forerunner in practising yoga by citing a scene from his 1970 movie Thalaivan .
Though the university had made elaborate arrangements for the function, hundreds of students who had been brought from the constituent colleges from distant places early in the morning were slightly disappointed since only a handful of them were finally asked to perform yoga in a small space near the dais.
Similarly, though university officials had earlier announced that the Ministers, MLAs and officials would also be performing yoga, the plan was dropped at the last moment.
The arrangements had been made by the National Service Scheme of MKU and the constituent colleges. MKU Registrar V. Chinnian, N.S.S. Coordinator P. Rajkumar and other officials from the university also took part in the function.
Later the seven ministers, who were later joined by Minister for Fisheries, Finance, Personnel and Administrative Reforms D. Jayakumar reviewed the arrangements being made for the grand function planned in the district on Friday for the M.G.R’s birth centenary celebrations, in which Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is scheduled to attend.
