The India's Manchester city Coimbatore is all sets to play host to the first ever edition of the World Classical Tamil Conference(WCTC), scheduled to be inaugurated by President of India Pratibha Patil today(Wednesday) amidst demand by some political parties and advocates that Tamil be made the functional language in Madras High Court.
Pratibha Patel arrived
President Pirating Patel arrived here last night by a special aircraft to inaugurate the five-day World Classical Tamil Conference.
Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin received the President at the Coimbatore airport. Senior district and police officials were also present.
After inaugurating the conference in the morning, Patel will witness a two-hour long procession of 40 floats, portraying the tradition, culture and history of the state, beginning at 4 pm.
She is expected to leave for Delhi late in the evening, officials said.
A report from Rameswaram said security has been tightened in Palk Straits, Gulf of Mannar and the coastal areas of Ramanathapuram district in view of her visit.
Coastal Security Group Additional Director General of Police Lallam Sanga and SP Mohammed Ali Jinnah today visited Dhanushkodi coast and reviewed the security arrangements.
Karunanidhi on using Tamil in High Court
After inspecting the WCTC Venue site, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has said that he had already spoken to Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on the language issue and the state Assembly has passed a resolution on it, but actions of some persons to deviate people's attention from the conference would not succeed.
Some advocates, who went on indefinite fast in the court premises demanding they may be allowed to argue in Tamil in the High Court, were removed on Friday last and remanded to judicial custody.
The five-day event, boycotted by opposition AIADMK and MDMK, is expected to attract thousands of persons from countries like the US, Switzerland and Malaysia, among others.
Musician A R Rahman has scored music to the lyrics of Karunanidhi that will be the theme song. Leading singers, including veterans T M Sounderrajan and P Suseela, present generation singers such as Shruti Hassan, Carnatic musician Soumya and Rahman’s fellow composer in Tamil cinema, Yuvan Shankar Raja among others have lent their voices.
The theme song video has been made by noted filmmaker Goutham Vasudev Menon, maker of Hindi flicm 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein.'
Finnish scholar Asko Parpola will be awarded the 'Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award' during the inauguration.
Sri Lankan Tamil Scholar
Many scholars, experts and political leaders are scheduled to participate in the event. Some prominent names include Tamil scholars K. Sivathambi (Sri Lanka), UNESCO Director Armoogam Parasuramen, MPs and political leaders including Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and many others.
A total of 23 conference halls will be used for the government sponsored event. Union Ministers Pranab Mukerjee, P Chidambaram and A Raja will participate in the valedictory session on June 27.
While Southern Railway has announced special trains for the benefit of people intending to visit Coimbatore for the conference, state government has declared a holiday for educational institutions to enable students participate in the meeting.
However, the conference is not bereft of controversy, with principal opposition AIADMK announcing boycott of the event.
Lack of Recognition by IATR
Soon after Karunanidhi announced last year that government would hold the conference AIADMK leader Jayalithaa said it lacked the recognition of the International Association for Tamil Research (IATR), forcing the government to not only postpone it from January to June, but also rechristen it as WCTC.
She has also declined to nominate a party member to one of the many committees involved in preparation leading to the event.
Cultural programmes, Tamil IT conference and a mega rally highlighting Tamil culture on the first day of the event are some of the major attractions of the WCTC.
Last year, Karunanidhi had hinted that he may quit politics after the successful conduct of the conference. He had placed two things? Construction of a new Assembly-Secretariat Complex and the successful conduct of the WCTC - as his top priority.
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