In a poignant speech on the floor of the Assembly that moved several members to tears, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi made an emotional appeal to all political parties to join him in the “unfinished task of making Tamil society grow and prosper in a united manner.”
Repeatedly referring to his frailty and also to a time when he would no longer be around, Mr. Karunanidhi, now 84, said that he felt the sudden urge to live long after he crossed 60.
“Since the days remaining [in my life] are fewer, the days I can serve people are restricted… It is because of this sad fact that I have wanted to want to live longer,” he said, adding that he was constantly looking after his physical well being.
One huge desire he had now is that he wanted to fade away from the scene with the satisfaction of having worked hard and untiringly; and with everyone in true camaraderie. Mr. Karunanidhi made it clear that when he referred to the allies in the process of taking the Tamil society forward, he did not merely mean the allies of the DMK: it included the parties that were in the Opposition now too. Requesting them to uphold values of humanism, he said that the greatest tribute that he could have was for everyone to work towards this end, taking to heart the “pleadings” of “this small man.”
No birthday celebrations
He chose the day his government completed two years in office to declare that he will not celebrate his 85th birthday on June 3. On Tuesday morning, after reaching the Secretariat and before entering the Assembly, he told his secretary that he would not be in Chennai in the first week of June.
He attributed his desire to stay away to his “mental and physical health.” He appealed to cadres not to come to meet him on that day.
Only after the appeal reached Murasoli, the office of the party organ, did senior Ministers come to know of it. But no one dared to ask him.
In the Assembly, Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan, replying to the debate on the demands for grants for the Tamil development and Public departments, said that even when Mr. Karunanidhi was away, he would be working. The last time he left town to take rest produced ‘Tholkappiya Poonga,’ an explanatory work on the difficult grammar text Tholkappiyam.
Sitting next to him, Electricity Minister, Arcot N.Veeraswami, gestured and said that no one could prevent people like him from celebrating the Chief Minister’s birthday.
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