Memorial to be built for SPB: Charan

‘We want to ensure that it is a beautiful place for his fans’

S.P. Charan

A memorial will be built for singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam at his farm house in Tamaraipakkam where his mortal remains were laid to rest on Saturday, said his son S.P. Charan.

“My family and I are very keen to build a memorial here for my father. His music belongs to the people and for his fans, we wish to have a memorial here,” Mr. Charan said. “We will soon begin planning for the memorial and ensure that it is a beautiful place,” he added. He thanked the police as well as the people from the locality for their help on Saturday. “I was in awe to see so many people who stood on the roads as we made the journey from Chennai to Tamaraipakkam.”

Stating that there were many requests from people to come and visit the place, he said that they were in the process of coordinating with the local police and panchayat members to facilitate the same.

Bharat Ratna

Music composer Gangai Amaran was confident that the singer would be considered for Bharat Ratna award.

“There has been an outpouring of grief from across the country and everyone remembers his achievements. We will take all efforts to recommend his name to the selection committee for the award,” he said.

In an appeal to the Prime Minister, Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali said Mohammed Rafi and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam be considered for the posthumous Bharat Ratna awards.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Ali said Mohammed Rafi and SPB were unique and outstanding artists in the music world. “Their melodious voice had been engraved and endeared in the hearts of millions of people, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, which will be alive for a very long time to come,” he said.

“They lived a simple life and they were soft spoken persons by nature. Rafi Sahib passed away in 1980 and SPB just two days ago,” he said, asking the award for both in his appeal.

The Prince of Arcot hailed the two singers as having sung thousands of songs in many languages, which were admired and loved by their fans and many people at the national and international level.