Bharathiar memorial award for six researchers

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday presented 'Bharathiar Centenary Memorial' awards to six senior researchers for their research on national poet Bharathiar. The award carried a cash prize and a certificate of appreciation.
Periasamy Thooran, R A Padmanabhan, Tho Mu Si Raghunathan and Ilasai Manian were the researchers who were posthumously awarded for their contribution on research on Bharathiar. Seeni Viswanathan and Ya Manikandan, professor and head of the department of Tamil, Madras University were the ones who received the award from the chief minister.
The state government made an announcement on the hundredth death anniversary of Bharathiar (September 10) this year that the senior researchers will be honoured with a cash prize along with an appreciation certificate. The award carries a cheque for Rs 3 lakh along with the certificate.
Research scholar A R Venkatachalapathi said when the government proposed to celebrate the death centenary of Bharathiyar, the centenary death anniversary of great patriotic poet should be commemorated appropriately. When queries were raised about precedence for such commemorations, it was pointed out that 500th year of Shakespeare was celebrated with fanfare in 2016 in England. Subsequently, the government identified the researchers for presenting the awards along with the cash prize, he added.