Stalin unveils Karuna’s statue, recalls his deep Erode connection

COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday unveiled the statue of the late former chief minister M Karunanidhi at Kallipatti in Gobichettipalayam in Erode.

After unveiling the statue, CM Stalin said Erode was not only the birthplace of rationalist leader Periyar, but it is also a ‘gurukulam’ that moulded former chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Recollecting the links of Karunanidhi with Erode, Stalin said ‘Kalaignar’ enacted a drama, ‘Thooku Medai,’ during the Dravidar Kazhagam conference in 1948.“It was then, Kalaignar made his entry in films,” he said.

Also, ‘Thanthai’ Periyar was instrumental in installing a statue of Kalaignar on Anna Salai in 1975. “But it was vandalised in 1987 and I do not want to delve into it,” he said.

Chief Minister Stalin also inaugurated distribution of one lakh saplings to school students and an outreach programme of the party’s environment wing.

In the outreach programme, named ‘sutruchulal kakka palagu’ (learn to protect the environment), the environment wing has roped in experts to address students in schools and colleges to create awareness on environmental issues, climate crisis, zoonotic diseases, afforestation, water conservation and growing home gardens. The resource persons will address the students in both Tamil and English.