Coimbatore:
The first ever edition of the World Classical Tamil Conference is all set to take off in the Industrial city of Coimbatore. President Pratibha Patil is going to inaugurate the event on June 23. Also sharing the dais would be the Chief Minister of state M Karunanidhi.
While the preparations are on with gusto, some demands by certain political parties and advocates association may play the pooper. They have threatened to disturb the happenings if their demand to make Tamil the functional language in Madras High court is not heeded. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had earlier said, that he has spoken to Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on the language issue and the state Assembly has passed a resolution on it. He also assured that actions of those who want to divert attention of people from the event would not materialise .
Advocates who observed an indefinite fast in the court premises demanding they may be allowed to argue in Tamil, were removed on Friday and are remanded to judicial custody. However, the trouble is not just from the advocates. The five-day event has also been boycotted by opposition All- India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (MDMK).
But despite all opposition, the event is all set to ride. It is expected to attract thousands of people from countries like the US, Switzerland and Malaysia. The theme song is scored by music maestro A R Rahman on the lyrics of Karunanidhi himself. Veterans like T M Sounderrajan and P Suseela are the lead singers of the album. Adding the youth power and gen 'X' effect to the song are Shruti Hassan, Carnatic musician Soumya and Rahman's fellow composer in Tamil cinema, Yuvan Shankar Raja. The album has been directed by noted filmmaker Goutham Vasudev Menon of the 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein' fame.
Also in the event, Finnish scholar Asko Parpola will be awarded the'Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award' by president Pratibha Patil. Many big names are going to be a part of this mega event. Tamil scholar V Sivathambi from Sri Lanka, UNESCO Director Armoogam Parasuramen, MP and political leader Sitaram Yechury of CPI-M, D Raja of CPI, and PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss top the list of dignitaries who will adorn the function.