MADURAI: The family members of great leader of Dravidian movement Mr.V.R.Nedunchezhiyan are very happy with the Tamil Nadu government’s announcement of installing his life size bronze statue at Chepauk Government Guest House Complex in Chennai and for making his birth anniversary on July 11th an important day in the State’s political history every year.
“Recognition by the government is a honour to all of us. We thank Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr.Edappadi K Palanisamy, Opposition leader Mr.M.K.Stalin, AIADMK and DMK leaders and all others on behalf of our entire family for giving a great birth centenary celebration,” Dr.Kalyani Mathivanan, former Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) and late Nedunchezhiyan’s daughter-in-law has said today.
Asked for her reaction to the Chief Minister’s announcement made yesterday, she said that it is a wonderful thing for a great person who was always humble, simple, a Tamil scholar, voracious reader, orator and above all an intellectual politician with tremendous knowledge.
“My father-in-law passed away on 12th January 2000. Till that time I learnt a lot from him and even today his life is a lesson that tells how to live. When it comes to his birthday July 11th, it is always a great occasion for all us in our family and his admirers. He is a role model intellectual politician, a scholar who was Minister for many years in Tamil Nadu,” Dr.Kalyani Mathivanan told ‘Lotus Times‘ news website over phone today – on 11th July 2020.
SIMPLE MAN WITH HIGH THINKING:
The 100th year birth celebration of VRN makes it a special day because it sends out a message about the life of a towering intellectual personality who stood for values and dignity in public life. “My father-in-law V.R. Nedunchezhiyan was an unique person, a simple man with high thinking. He was modest to the core. He always remained same person whether in power or out of power, in position or out of position, whether Minister or not, whether winning or losing. He was stable always. It was a remarkable character,” she said.
Describing late Nedunchezhiyan as a scholar par excellence, the former MKU Vice-Chancellor said that the family is particularly very happy with the government’s decision to nationalize his autobiography book. “If all of his books are nationalized and his writings reach the people in a large way, it will be very useful for people,” she felt.
The Dravidian stalwart’s son Mr.N.Mathivanan spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr.EPS over phone yesterday to thank him for bronze statue announcement.
“I watched my father-in-law from the time of my marriage. The fact is he never ran after power. I admired him a lot for this quality. He had a passion for what he was doing. I think today’s youngsters can take a leaf out of such lives of such great persons for their success,” Dr.Kalyani Mathivanan said sharing her thoughts today – 11th July 2020.
