CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday contested the oft-repeated argument of DMK president M Karunanidhi that a large congregation of Tamil scholars had, in 1935, decla- red that Tamil New Year’s day starts with the month of Thai (when Pongal is celebrated). Speaking at a grand function here organised to mark the occasion of Tamil New Year’s day on Friday, the first day of the month of Chithirai, the CM took on the DMK chief for imposing a change-during his government-in a practice that had been in vogue from time immemorial, without any valid reason.“Tamil scholar Maraimalai Adigal had only declared in that congregation the date of birth of Tamil savant Thiruvalluvar. He said Thiruvalluvar was born 30 years before Jesus Christ, and Tamil scholars, including Thiru Vi Kalyanasundaranar, came to a conclusion that Thiruvalluvar was born in Anusham nakshatra in Tamil month Vaikasi. “However, there was no report about Maraimalai Adigal saying anything about the Tamil New Year day during that event,” the Chief Minister said.She also pointed out that Karunanidhi had failed to clarify the reasons behind moving Tamil New Year’s day when CPM MLA N Nanmaran requested him to do so. “It is clear this legislation was enacted just to feed the publicity-mongering attitude of Karunanidhi. A few days after the enactment of the law, Karunanidhi was felicitated in a big way. Such publicity tactics may be suited for a business, not for the de-velopment of the Tamil language,” Jayalalithaa said.“Had the Tamil scholars demanded that the Tamil New Year should start with the Thai month, former Chief Minister Arignar Anna would have obliged immediately after he assumed office in 1967. “Even Karunanidhi had not thought about changing Tamil New Year’s day until 2008,” Jayalalithaa said. Jayalalithaa said she had reversed Karunanidhi’s decision last year as people disliked the change he had brought about.She also recalled that Karunanidhi himself had greeted people on Tamil New Year’s day in Chithirai in the past. In 1990, Karunanidhi had, on two occasions, affirmed that Tamil New Year’s day begin with Chithirai. Jayalalithaa profusely quoted from Tamil literature, scholars and astronomy to drive home her point that the Tamil New Year has indeed been celebrated on the first day of the Chithirai month for generations.
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