A fitting memorial to acclaim the thoughts and multifaceted accomplishments of ‘Muthamizharignar Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi who toiled as an ‘untiring warrior’ for Tamil society for 80 years, will be built on the Marina sands in Chennai at a cost of Rs.39 crore, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, announced in the State Assembly.

The monument for ‘Kalaignar’ will come up on an extant of 2.21 acres within the Perarignar Anna memorial complex on Kamarajar Salai, where the former Chief Minister was laid to rest (after his demise on August 7, 2018), Mr. Stalin said in the House, making a suo motu statement under Rule 110 on August 24.

As one of the architects of modern Tamil Nadu, Kalaignar’s contributions through politics and public life, to the world of Tamil literature, arts and cinema, as writer-author-journalist among others over a period of eight decades have been so wide and stupendous that made him a visionary in the service of the people of Tamil Nadu though hailing from a nondescript village of Thirukuvalai, he said.

A “leader of leaders” of Tamil Nadu, Kalaignar was a person of immense political wisdom, also guiding the politics of the country, a leader of the Tamils world-over and a “permanent member of this House,” said Stalin. Elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1957 from Kulithalai constituency, Kalaignar was elected MLA 13 times, was five-times Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, President of the DMK (after Arignar Anna) for 50 years and had never lost an election, pointed out Stalin. Rarely has India seen such a leader, Stalin emphasized, adding, it was to such a remarkable person that this new memorial will be dedicated to. The memorial will house a modern photo gallery, depicting Kalaignar’s life and times and his achievements for the sake of the general public and for posterity, he added.