Date:08/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/08/stories/2009010857730100.htm

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Karunanidhi’s gesture for Chennai Sangamam

Staff Reporter

Chennai: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has donated Rs.1 crore from his personal finances towards the setting up of a corpus fund for the cultural festival ‘Chennai Sangamam,’ Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Kanimozhi said here on Wednesday.

She told reporters that the global economic slowdown had a negative impact on corporate sponsorship for the festival this year. “Kalaignar has always offered support for the Sangamam… He said the corpus fund would help in organising the festival without being fully dependent on sponsorship,” Ms.Kanimozhi said. India Cements has also made a donation of Rs.1 crore to the corpus fund.

Tamil Maiyam managing trustee Jegath Gaspar Raj said that raising funds was difficult this year. “We had a surplus of Rs.1 crore from last year and have managed to raise Rs.1 crore this year,” he said. Decorations at the venues would be kept simple to cut down costs, he said.

The seven-day ‘Chennai Sangamam’ will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on Sunday at the Centenary Auditorium of the University of Madras. Union Ministers Vayalar Ravi and Ambika Soni and Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister Suresh Rajan will participate. About 1,400 artistes from rural areas will display their skills in folk arts. Folk artists from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have been invited.