Tamil News

Final Journey Of DMK President M Karunanidhi Begins Towards Marina

By Rajeshwari Manikandan

As the High Court of Madras has allowed the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s body to be buried at Marina Beach, the mortal remains are taken for last rites.

The funeral procession begins from Rajaji hall, then goes via Periyar statue, Anna statue, Walajah road and then to Anna Square in Marina.

The HC bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S.S. Sundar dismissed the arguments of the Tamil Nadu government against the burial of Karunanidhi’s body at Marina Beach.

Following which, DMK’s working president MK Stalin, MP Kanimozhi, Durai Murugan, all the famaily members and the supporters expressed their satisfaction on the judgement.

MK Stalin at Rajaji Hall. Photo by Dani Charles

The DMK’s plea for the burial of Kalaignar’s body near Anna memorial has been accepted by the Madras HC. The court has further directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure and establish a memorial for Kalaignar Karunanidhi,” said V Kannadasan, DMK’s lawyer after the verdict.

Protests had erupted across Tamil Nadu after the Tamil Nadu government denied the DMK’s request to lay their leader M Karunanidhi to rest at Marina beach, which is also the resting place of DMK founder CN Annadurai, and AIADMK leaders MGR and Jayalalithaa. Police and Rapid Action Force have been deployed outside Anna memorial to prevent any law and order disruption.

The former Chief Minister’s tricolour-draped body has been kept at Chennai’s Rajaji Hall for people to pay their last respects.

In Pictures: Film Personalities Pay Their Last Respects To M Karunanidhi At Rajaji Hall

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

On Tuesday night, the government of Tamil Nadu had rejected the DMK’s request for permission, saying it was “unable to allot space at Marina beach owing to several pending cases in the Madras High Court and legal complications.” However, the court has nullified five petitions which were filed objecting the burial at Marina, including a memorandum filed by Traffic Ramaswamy.

The DMK filed a counter affidavit against the state government’s affidavit saying that there should be no objection in allotting place at Marina. Meanwhile, the government has instead allotted two acres of space near Guindy. The lawyer representing the state government said, “DMK is pursuing political agenda by filing this case. DK Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?”

The state government further said that Karunanidhi himself didn’t allot land for former CM Janaki Ramachandran after understanding the protocol manual, when he was the Chief Minister. It also added that the Sitting Chief Minister and Former Chief Minister cannot be treated the same. It said that the plea can be considered if M Karunanidhi was the present Chief Minister and should be decided based on the party’s policy.

The DMK lawyer’s rebuttal was, “The Tamil Nadu government has announced state mourning, why not give land for burial? There’s no prohibition under Central Government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for for Chief Ministers.”

Kamal Haasan, president of Makkal Needhi Maiam said: “When Anna was around, both Kalaignar and MG Ramachandran were his brothers who developed the party. Keeping all three at the same place is what is considered to be respectful. It is saddening that the successors of MGR don’t have the dignity to do so. If MGR were alive, he would surely bury Anna’s brother near Anna himself.”
After paying his respects to the departed leader at Rajaji Hall, Kamal added, “According to me, this is not a full stop, it is a comma. I can’t talk much louder than this. Our relationship is something beyond politics. In the industry, he is the senior and I am junior to him. This is how we see our relationship. Apart from being a leader, I look at him as someone from my family. Though he has stopped serving the film industry, the impact of his words can still be felt. I am one of those actors who thank him for that. I have come to bow in front of him.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to visit Chennai to pay their respects to Karunanidhi.
Here is a list of arrivals and departures of other VIPs.

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Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to the former chief minister.

According to ANI, two died and 33 got injured in scuffle and stampede outside Chennai’s Rajaji Hall where Karunanidhi’s body is kept for the public to pay homage.
Rajeshwari Manikandan is a Alum at Silverscreen India, and can be reached on Twitter at rajemani2 or by email at rajeshwari.manikandan@silverscreen.in