Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President KS Alagiri on Sunday defended the DMK government’s decision to build a pen-shaped memorial for former DMK President and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. He condemned those who spoke against the verdict.
In a statement, Mr Alagiri said he was unsure what impact the proposed monument would have on the environment by building it 360 meters from the sand of the beach in the sea.
The expert group, which has been studying the proposed site for the past one month, has concluded in its report that no turtles or fish were found there. It is not acceptable that a monument to the builder of the 133 ft Thiruvalluvar statue is being opposed. Most are forgetting that all the ports in India are built in the sea.
Shri Alagiri further informed that the first underwater museum is being set up in Puducherry by the Central Government in collaboration with the Indian Navy and the National Institute of Ocean Technology. “The Indian Navy has agreed to convert its ship INS Cuddalore into a museum. One has to travel several kilometers to see the museum. But no one said that it would affect the environment.
He also told how a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji is being built 1.5 km away from Marine Drive in Mumbai city. “For a different leader who played a key role in deciding national politics for 80 years, a different kind of memorial is necessary. He reached the top through hard work and he did not stop writing till the end,” he said.
Mr Alagiri claimed critics of the memorial were vocal because they knew they would be featured in the media.