Tamil saint poet Thiruvalluvar to get pride of place in Haridwar

Chennai: Come June 18, BJP MP Tarun Vijay will lead a yatra called Thiruvalluvar Ganga Payanam, from Kanyakumari to Haridwar in Uttarakhand. A float of the Tamil saint poet, believed to have lived between 3rd century BC and 1st century BC, will adorn the yatra vehicle, while a 100 ft tall Thiruvalluvar statue made by artists in Namakkal, will be sent by train from Chennai for installation on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar.
"The objective of this non-political yatra culminating in Haridwar on June 26, is to show solidarity of the North with Tamil saint poet Thiruvalluvar's message of equality and end social discrimination in society," he told TOI on Sunday.Vijay claims that apart from Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat who will be the chief guest at the Haridwar function, other Congressmen like Puducherry CM V Narayansamy and former Union minister Sudarsana Natchiappan will participate in the consecration of the Thiruvalluvar statue in Chennai on June 21. He has invited TN chief minister Jayalalithaa besides DMK, PMK and VCK leaders for the event.
Vijay said he regarded the poet who authored 'Thirukkural', the celebrated ancient treatise on ethics, as a national icon. "If India has to appreciate and safeguard national unity, there is no way but to accept Thiruvalluvar as the national icon of knowledge and civilizational wisdom. That's what makes me to bring Thiruvalluvar statue to Haridwar on the banks of the Ganga. Let the North learn how to pronounce Thiruvalluvar and understand, appreciate his message before boasting of a national integration that's driven by only North Indian symbols and narration. Thiruvalluvar on the Ganga means India recognizes and appreciates the Southern contribution to national life," he said. Thiruvalluvar's message of equality has inspired him to champion the cause of Dalit entry into temples and fight imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit, he said.