#FatherOfModernTamilnadu #Kalaignar97
I used to work for a JV between GoTn and FIs. GoTN had then asked us to evolve a plan to develop an EcoPark at the Adayar Creek/Estuary in Chennai and put in place an implementable framework for it.
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A masterplan was evolved and was vetted by the bureaucracy +
CMs room in Secretariat should not be more than 20ft×20ft. When we went in to set up the systems, I saw the man for first time at close quarters
There was something special, an aura that radiated +
You can imagine my awe. Here I was in the cabin of State CM and he was there cooly working 😍
And then walked in @mkstalin and Ponmudi and other senior bureaucrats
VijayKumar then Commissioner Chennai Corporation +
Stalin being Deputy CM evinced interest that the Project be implemented as Chennai City needs a green space desparately
CM then looked at us and asked "How much money do you want?"
We gave the budgeted figure. "Athukkulla mudichchiduveengala?" +
Yes Sir.
"Fine. Then let the Finance Secretary work on making the necessary allocation"
Then someone wanted #Kalaignar to give a nice name for the Park. Till then for our internal purposes we used to call it as "Adayar EcoPark".
"Appo Adayar Poonga-nu veichchidunga" - "You can name it as Adayar Poonga"
There were muffles all around +
Instantly Kalaignar responded "Poo-na malar. Kaa-na kaadu. Poo-kaadu thaan Poonga aachchu. Neengalum adha thaane solreenga"
"Poo means flower. Kaa means forest. They both joined and became Poonga - forest of flowers.Its same"+
He took a decision to goahead. He ensured that suitable funding is made available. He warned us not to exceed budget. He gave a name that also taught us Tamil.
I never parsed that word "Poonga" till then. For me it just meant Park
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One sunny afternoon, he visited the Poonga to see the progress of works and intently listened to us
Poonga exists there. It is tucked away behind the Ambedkar Memorial - a verdant forest of 51 acres in City's heart not known to many +
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He will remain the best
His heart was clear that he got to leave a glorious legacy. And he combined it with rare empathy inherited from Anna and also hailing from a poor family+
The more they abuse, the more he will glow like d SUN
Periyar's ideology wont have lived but for #Kalaignar and it wl endure well into the future
#HBDKalaingar97