KUMILY: At the Kerala-Tamil Nadu check post here stands a tall white statue, a mute witness to the violence on both sides of the border over the Mullaperiyar dam. He was born to Malayali parents but in the hearts of thousands on the other side of the border, he is a demi-god. However, in the face of the events rocking the region, many are doubtful of the relevance of the statue of Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran aka MGR and the purpose for which it was erected 19 years ago. The statue hardly two metres away from the Kerala border was unveiled in December 1992 by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, symbolising the friendship between the two states. MGR was born to Melakkath Gopala Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama originally from Vadavannur, Palakkad. But his father migrated with his family to Ceylon and settled down in Tamil Nadu. A legendary star in Indian cinema, he ruled Tamil Nadu for 10 years from 1977 to 1987. But now many people in the bordering regions think that the statue has lost its symbolic value with people of both the states clashing with each other. A tea shop owner at the check post and a Thenni native Jayakrishnan said that MGR is a pearl gifted by Kerala to Tamil Nadu. “MGR is like god for many in Tamil Nadu. He was the greatest actor in Tamil cinema and the best politician the state has ever seen. He had initiated many development programmes for the poor. But today the statue looks irrelevant,” Jayakrishnan said.CPM activist George Thomas in Kumily believes that the people in both states should not resort to violence and the issue should be sorted out through discussions. “Both the states must be ready for compromises to seek a solution to the issue. Clashes can only disrupt the lives of the people here,” said George Thomas.
Comments
0 comment