Chandigarh, January 21– Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal participated as the chief guest in the 'Pongal Festival' organized by Chandigarh Tamil Sangam on Saturday evening and inaugurated the Goddess Mother Tamil Temple and later offered floral tributes to Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar Statue.
The program's highlight was the fifteen-minute speech delivered in chaste Tamil by the Chief Minister. Sh. Manohar Lal’s penchant for languages is very well known. It was in full display as he spoke amidst thundering applause from the audience. He revered the Tamil language as one of the oldest languages in the world. He reminded the audience of the speech made by the Prime Minister in the United Nations General Assembly, where he invoked the great Tamil saint “KaniyanPoongundranar” and his adage “ Yaadumoore, YaavarumKelir.” (we belong to all places and everyone).
He said that Tamils and their people have always stood for universal brotherhood. He warned that some aspects in society are trying to wedge artificial differences based on race, religion, and region. He asked the audience to defeat such forces. He also said that the entire nation rejoiced in Lord Ram's devotion. He asked the audience to celebrate another Diwali after their Pongal celebrations were over.
The Chief Minister also conceded to the long-standing demand for the ashiana flats for the dwellers of MaheshpurMadarasi colony by announcing that all eligible beneficiaries would be allotted flats as soon as possible. He also announced a Rs. 15 lakh from his discretionary grant to enable the completion of the Bharathibhavan at the Chandigarh Tamil Sangam premises.
Sh. Madhavan, IAS (Retd), Former Chief Secretary of Haryana and President of the Chandigarh Tamil Sangam, welcomed the Chief Minister and the gathering. He warmly remembered that the Chief Minister had graciously attended the Pongal celebrations in 2019 also. More than 600 Tamil people from different parts of Haryana participated in this Pongal celebration. Cultural programs reflecting Tamil Nadu and its culture were organized in association with the South Zone Cultural Centre.
Sh. S.P. Rajasekaran, General Secretary of Tamil Sangam, profusely thanked CM for his constant support and motherly attitude towards Tamil people and Sangam. CM was felicitated with “KamakshiVilakku” with the chanting from Tamil priests.
Chandigarh Tamil Sangam, a non-profit socio-cultural organization, has been serving in this tricity for over 50 years. It has long been actively involved in various socio, cultural, charity, and humanitarian activities.
Managing Director, HAFED, Sh. J. Ganesan and Sh. Narayanan, IFS were present along with their families during the function. Members of the Chandigarh Tamil community and other socio-cultural organizations from the Tricity were also part of the function.