Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday announced the construction of memorials for Singaravelar and Jeevarathinam and installation of a statue of Chidambaranathan.
Noting that her government attached top priority for perpetuating the memory of those who had made sacrifices for the progress of Tamil society, she told the Assembly that the memorials for Singaravelar and Jeevarathinam would be constructed at Foreshore Estate here. The statue of Chidambaranathan would be erected at Kaliyakavilai in Kanyakumari district.
Making a statement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said that Singaravelar, who was born in February 1860 in a fishing hamlet at Mylapore, Chennai, was an advocate. Inspired by Gandhian philosophy, he fought for Independence. He presided over the inaugural conference of the Communist Party of India at Kanpur.
Jeevarathinam, born in November 1911, was a leader of the Dravidian movement. He had passionately worked for the State's development and welfare of fisherfolk.
Chidambaranathan was a key figure in the movement for merger of Kanyakumari district with Tamil Nadu. Elected to the Travancore-Kochi Assembly in January 1948, he was Revenue and Forest Minister of that State government. He quit the post in support of the demand for the merger.