Resolve row over Thiruvalluvar statue, says Tamil group

By Afshan Yasmeen

BANGALORE, OCT. 22. The Thiruvalluvar statue issue is in the news again. And, this time, it is not because the forest brigand, Veerappan, is seeking the immediate installation of the statue in the City.

The controversy over the statue is likely to play a vital role in the November 11 Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) polls. The ``Thiruvalluvar Statue Unveiling Movement'' is chalking out strategies to ensure that the aspirant candidates who have filed their nominations from over 47 Tamil-dominated wards, take up the issue on priority if they are elected.

``The statue, installed near the Ulsoor Lake, was supposed to have been unveiled on September 9, 1991. But, due to strong lobbying by Kannada activists and lack of unity among Tamils, it has remained covered in the past 11 years,'' the President of the group, Mr. J. Subramaniam, told The Hindu on Monday.

Tamils form 42 per cent of Bangalore's population. Several wards, such as Ulsoor, Bharatinagar, six wards in the Gandhinagar Assembly constituency, Prakashnagar, Chamarajpet, Yeshwanthpur, and Shantinagar, have segregated Tamil pockets. The issue will ``definitely'' be resolved if the corporators from these wards take up the issue, members of the group feel.

The group has appealed to voters in Tamil-dominated wards to vote for candidates who promise to get the statue unveiled at the earliest.

``Our campaign will not target only Tamils. We will take the issue to voters from the religious and linguistic minorities, and non-Kannadigas,'' Mr. Subramaniam said. ``Although Tamils in the City form a major chunk of voters, we are always looked down upon,'' he added.

``Tamils are very sentimental about the Thiruvalluvar statue. We constitute almost half of Bangalore's population, and there is no reason why we should not have the statue of our saint installed in the City,'' members of the movement say.

They say they are not happy with the contribution of the Ulsoor corporator, Mr. Shivashankar of the AIADMK, to resolving the issue. ``Although he promised us that he will do his best to get the statue unveiled, he has not raised the issue in the BMP Council even once,'' the members of the organisation allege.

``The BMP Council adopted a resolution pertaining to unveiling of the statue in February this year only because of the efforts of the Bharatinagar corporator, Mr. M. Pari,'' they say.

The file on the matter, which has been forwarded to the Government, is pending with the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, sources say.

The Thani Thamizhar Senai has appealed to political parties to provide more representation to Tamils in the civic polls.

The ``politburo'' of the Thani Thamizhar Senai, which held a meeting recently, has decided to support candidates who promise to get the statue unveiled.

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Section  : Southern States
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