Tamil Nadu: PIL Filed In Supreme Court Against Karunanidhi Pen Statue

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by fishermen from Tamil Nadu in the Supreme Court against the proposed Pen Statue to be built in memory of former chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief, M Karunanidhi.

The PIL requests the Court to order that the Pen Statue be built on land instead of the sea because it would affect the livelihood of fishermen residing in 32 villages around the area.

The proposed Pen Statue would be 42 metres tall and it would be built in the sea at a distance of 360 metres from the coast. It would be made accessible from the existing Karunanidhi memorial near Marina Beach in Chennai through a bridge.

It is expected to cost the state exchequer around Rs 80 crore.

While the total project area would cover 8,551.13 square metres, about 2,263 square metres of sea area would have to be reclaimed for building the monument.

While supporters of the DMK say that the Pen Statue would be a fitting tribute to Karunanidhi who was a cinema scriptwriter and emphasised education and rationality, many oppose the project.

Recently, at a public hearing regarding the project, MC Munusamy, who is the head of the Tamil Nadu BJP's Fishermen Cell had asked if Karunanidhi was greater than the renowned saint-poet Thiruvalluvar because while the height of the Thiruvalluvar statue (including the pedestal) in Kanyakumari is 41 metres, the height of the Pen Statue proposed for Karunanidhi is 42 metres.

During the same event, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief Seeman, had said that he would break the statue if it was built in the sea.