Referring to the protests, Yeddyurappa said: “Let us live together, let us enjoy together. Both Thiruvalluvar and Sarvagna were above caste, creed and religion. We should treat all the visionaries born in any state in the country as assets of our nation. That is true patriotism. Limiting such great personalities to one state or religion and campaigning against such achievers is unbecoming of any citizen of this country.”
“Almost all works of Sarvagna have been now translated and sold in Tamil Nadu,” said Karunanidhi.
Referring to Yeddyurappa’s visit to his house in Chennai when he was ill, Karunanidhi said: “When Yeddyurappa asked if Sarvagna’s statue could be unveiled in Chennai, my reply was – `Ayya, we were ready for it a long time ago.”’
Touching on the sequence of attempts made by Tamilians in Bangalore over the last 18 years to get the statue, Karunanidhi said: “Almost everybody, including the Prime Minister and President, were approached. But, perhaps, it was just waiting for the right time and the right people to take it forward.” (via Rise above borders: CM – Bangalore – City – NEWS – The Times of India).
This possibly was one the biggest acts of statemanship in India in the last few decades. Here was a festering the Cauvery waters issue – an intra-state problem between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which was being milked for all it was worth by politicians from both states.
After two decades, when this statue remained under cover due to political gamesmanship. It took a particularly sad lot of politicians to confine Thiruvalluvar to Tamil Nadu for two decades. It took one brave man, Yeddyurappa to make a new beginning.
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