Tamil meet: publicity blitz to kick off soon

Theme song by Karunanidhi will have music by A.R. Rahman

SPOT INSPECTION: Information Minister Parithi Ilamvazhuthi (fifth from right) and members of the Public Relations and Publicity Committee of the World Classical Tamil Conference visiting CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex, the venue for conference, in Coimbatore on Sunday. Photo: K. Ananthan

Danglers at public places and trailers of short films on the World Classical Tamil Conference are being planned to generate awareness of the conference to be held here from June 23 to 27.

The theme song penned by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with music by A.R. Rahman will also be ready soon, State Minister for Information and Public Relations and Chairman of the Public Relations and Publicity Committee for Tamil Meet Parithi Ellamvazhuthi told reporters on Sunday.

The committee, comprising the Minister, Editor-in-Chief of

The Hindu N. Ram, Congress MLA Peter Alphonse, Secretary to Government for Tamil Development, Religious Endowments and Information G. Muthusamy,

Nakkeeran Editor R.R. Gopal and television personality Ramesh Prabha, went around the venue and later discussed at a meeting the arrangements for the conference.

Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy, Collector P. Umanath, Special Duty Officer for Tamil meet S. Prabhakaran, Coimbatore Mayor R. Venkatachalam and officials of the Public Works Department also took part in the meeting.

Media centre

The committee also discussed with officials the work for the conference and the timeframe for completing them. Mr. Ilamvazhuthi said more than 400 journalists from India and other countries would take part in the conference. A 12,000 sq.ft. media centre would be established at a cost of Rs.71.25 lakh. It would have telephone connections, fax and 75 computers with Internet connection. There would be televisions and closed-circuit cameras. A special place was being earmarked for parking outdoor broadcast vans of television channels. There would be a marathon from various places to Coimbatore and a short marathon in other places all over the State. Students would participate in these, wearing T-shirts with the Tamil conference logo.

To step up awareness, all new buses and government advertisements would have the conference logo. Textbooks supplied by the Tamil Nadu Textbook Society would have details and objective of the conference on their rear wrapper. The committee exhorted the media to ensure that information on the conference reached Tamils all over the world.

Industrialist V. Rajakumar told the committee and media that the choice of Coimbatore as the venue had done good to the city in the form of infrastructure development and the project to establish a botanical garden.