In Thanjavur, memories of MGR still hold sway

Fans, cadre celebrate his 101st birth anniversary

Fans, loyalists and cadres of the AIADMK celebrated the late Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran’s 101st birth anniversary in Thanjavur on Wednesday.

Several street corners sported the portrait of the leader, who holds sway over the masses even after his death three decades ago. Floral tributes were paid to MGR’s images, while loud speakers amplified popular numbers from his films.

AIADMK rally

The AIADMK cadres took out a rally from Abraham Pandither Road to garland the MGR statue near the Railway Junction. Thanjavur MP K. Parasuraman led the rally in which former Mayor Savithri Gopal, former District Panchayat Chairperson Amudharani Ravichandran, panchayat union secretaries and former local body elected representatives participated.

Cadres owing allegiance to R.K. Nagar MLA T.T.V. Dhinakaran also offered floral tributes to the statue of MGR by taking out a rally from the same place as the AIADMK.

In Kumbakonam, the AIADMK cadres took out a rally from Gandhi Park to Kumbeswarar Koil South Street where they garlanded the statue of MGR.

Town secretary Rama Ramanathan and others participated in the procession.

Tiruchi

In Tiruchi, AIADMK cadres celebrated the birth anniversary of the former Chief Minister and the party founder by garlanding his statue.

A large number of cadres visited his statue located near the district court. Cadres began visiting the statue since dawn.

As the day progressed, a steady stream of cadres belonging to the AIADMK Tiruchi district (urban) thronged the site in significant numbers to pay their respects to MGR.

Similarly, portraits of him were displayed in various parts of the city and district.

Cadres supporting dissident AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran and the cadres of DMDK also garlanded the MGR statue separately.