We’ll never give-up fighting spirit: Kalaignar

Former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi has called for promotion and spreading of Tamil music (Thamizhisai).
Advising the rulers not to try in anyway to obstruct or to nipout Tamil- Tamilar consciousness, Kalaignar declared ‘we will never give up our duty to induce rulers and fighting spirit for the spread of Tamil music and for the flowering of ‘Tamilan consciousness.’
Speaking at the 34th music festival organised at the T.N.Rajarathnam Pillai Auditorium by the Mutthamizh Peravai Arakkatalai in Chennai on Jan.17, 

Kalaignar said, “I have the pride of participating in the anniversaries of this Peravai every year in the last 34 years. Many elders, musical geniuses, world-renowned musical vidwans who were seated in this hall from the first to tenth anniversaries are not here now.. They had been called back by nature, I and many of you cannot get the opportunity to see them in the first and second rows and exchange love and affections. But they had developed this organization for ten years and left it in charge of us. I am committed to take the determination to endeavour and develop this forum further.”
Referring to ‘Iyal Selvam’ awardee Suba Veerapandian complaining that those who distributed sweet pongal on Pongal festival day were prevented and arrested in Coimbatore, Kalaignar sarcastically said that they might have done so according to medical advice that diabetes should not consume sweet. The incident need not be considered and criticized as against our culture, literature and customs.
Kalaignar said he had helped for getting and land for constructing this auditorium in the name of Nadaswara Chakravarthi Tiruvaduthurai T.N.Rajarathinam Pillai, which had been fulfilled. Anna was very affectionate to TNR and honoured him. TNR was not only a musical genius but also inculcated spirit of self-respect and Tamil consciousness among the section called Isai Vellalar in the field of music. Although he is no more, scientific development has helped us to preserve his music and hear and enjoy through scientific instruments.
Pointing out to the two portraits of M.S.Subbulakshmi and TNR kept there, he said this forum would for ever sing their glory.
Appealing to the rulers to help spreading of Tamil music and for the flowering of Tamil consciousness, Kalaignar said the rulers had the responsibility of protecting Tamil language. “We have the duty and fighting spirit to induce them to fulfill their responsibility. We will never give up that fighting spirit. With that fighting spirit I request the rulers not to attempt in any way to obstruct, burry and nip out the consciousness of Tamil and Tamilian. Tamil Isai mean Tamil’s glory. This forum should endeavour for further develop music.
“I do not want to speak for long lest some new danger might befall on this forum. That was why I intervened while Durai Murugan was speaking and diverted, the reason for which you (the audience) might have understood. Because he also understood, he limited his speech to the point and finished” Kalaignar said.
He said when someone tried to promote, popularise and spread Tamil music, it meant that he was trying to serve the language and sing its paeans.
The rulers should not be found wanting in this regard and should not give room for any type of allegation in this connection. “Those at the helm of affairs need not be the enemies of music in the regional language,” he added. At the same time, he said, “We have the fighting spirit to make the rulers accord due regard to Tamizhisai.”
Former Minister Durai Murugan lamented that it took decades to make musicians render Tamil songs in the sabhas of Tamil Nadu. A legendary Carnatic musician refused to sing from the platform where another sang in Tamil, he pointed out. Only the Raja Annamalai Mandram and the Mutthamizh Peravai had been rendering yeoman service to Thamizhisai for long, he added.
Earlier, Kalaignar conferred awards on various personalities for their service to various forms of “mutthamizh”. They are Suba.Veerapandian ( speech), S.R.G.K.Kalyanasundaram (nadhaswaram), Sanjay Subramaniam (vocal), Indira Rajan (Bharathanatyam), Kabilarmalai Thyagarajan (thavil), Kandathevi Vijayraraghavan (violin) and Kudanthai A.Saravanan (mridhangam).