The Tamil Nadu government will now celebrate the birth anniversaries of actor Sivaji Ganesan and freedom fighter SS Ramasami Padayatchiyar as government functions.
Making the announcement under Rule 110 of the TN Assembly rules on Friday, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami mentioned the various awards that the actor had received - from the Kalaimamani and Dada Saheb Phalke award to the Chevalier honour from the French government - and said that this would be a fitting honour for his service to the film industry
Sivaji Ganesan was born on October 1, 1928. Making his debut in the movie Parasakthi in 1952 and became a star overnight. He acted in over 300 films and went on to become one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. He was conferred with the Dada Saheb Phalke award in 1997 by the government if India. He was also the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, which is a recognition given by the Government of France for significant contributions in the fields of arts and literature. His health gradually failed and he passed away on July 21, 2001 at the age of 73.
Hailing Ramasami Padayatchiyar as a leader who fought for social justice, the CM announced that his birth anniversary on September 16 would also be celebrated by the government.
A political contemporary of K Kamaraj and C Rajagopalachari, Ramasami Padayatchiyar was born in the South Arcot district of the then Madras Presidency. He founded the Tamil Nadu Toilers party which was the predecessor of Pattali Makkal Katchi, championing the causes of Vanniyars, a most backward community in Tamil Nadu. He was later with the Congress as well.
He was also the Minister for Local Administration and was elected to the Lok Sabha twice from Tamil Nadu.
He passed away on April 3, 1992 in Cuddalore.
Actor Prabhu, son of Sivaji Ganesan, welcomed the gesture and expressed his thanks later on Friday evening. “Though the announcement has come late, I am happy and proud that the government has finally come forward and honoured my father,” he said.