Cultural exchanges not for vote bank, says L Murugan

Madurai: Cultural exchange programmes are conducted to promote unity in diversity among citizens, not to strengthen vote bank, said L Murugan, Union minister of state, at the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam road show organized by the ministry of culture on Kamarajar Salai in Madurai on Sunday.He said Gujarat government and the centre helped Madurai-based Saurashtra community understand and celebrate the cultural affinity between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu as part of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative under the culture ministry, on the lines of Kashi Sangamam. Eight ministers of the Gujarat cabinet attended the event and invited Saurashtrians based in Tamil Nadu to visit Gujarat. Murugan said the cultural exchange programmes helped us learn the similarities in tradition between the two states. During the roadshow in the city, officials explained the significance of a 15-day sangamam expected to commence from April 17 in Gujarat. Around 3,000 Saurashtrian Tamils from Tamil Nadu will visit Gujarat as part of the sangamam, they said. “People who can attend the sangamam at Gujarat will be selected randomly based on software developed by NIT, Trichy,” said the officials. Programme state convener A R Mahalakshmi said there are more than five lakh Saurashtian Tamils in Madurai city who practise both Tamil as well as Gujarati traditions. The Gujarat government has curated a series of roadshows to drive awareness about the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam. These will be organized in Dindigul, Paramakudi, Salem, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Trichy in the next 10 days.