Pondy CM pays homage to nationalist-poet Bharathi

Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Saturday paid homage to a statue of the poet-nationalist Subramania Bharathiar here on his 99th death anniversary. Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and representatives of different Tamil organisations were among those present. Bharathi had his sojourn in Puducherry during the then French rule here from 1908.

Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Saturday paid homage to a statue of the poet-nationalist Subramania Bharathiar here on his 99th death anniversary. Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and representatives of different Tamil organisations were among those present.

Bharathi had his sojourn in Puducherry during the then French rule here from 1908. He composed several of his songs, including Panchali Sabatham and Kuyil Paattu, in Puducherry.

When the then British rule in adjoining pockets wanted to arrest him, Bharathiar took shelter in the then French-ruled Puducherry. A Bharathi memorial committee was formed in the Union Territory even before the former French establishments in India merged with Indian Union.

Journalists like the late V S Mani Iyer and Venkatavaradhan, businessmen and delegates of various service outfits constituted the memorial committee and it was celebrating the birth anniversary of the poet by holding competitions for school children. The initiative of the committee resulted in an important street being named after Bharathi.

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