Tarun to embark on "Pranam" programme for Tamil poet

Taking a step forward in his "mission Tamil," BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay today said he will be embarking on a "salutation" programme for iconic Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar.
"We will be undertaking Tiruvalluvar Pranam, a salutation programme from Kanyakumari to Chennai," he said in his speech at a function here.
The function was organised by popular Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu to honour Tarun Vijay for his work in the cause of the Tamil language.
"We will offer Himalayan salutation at the feet of Thiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari and go to the house of nationalist poet Bharathi at Ettayapuram in Tuticorin District," he said.

The programme will be organised in January 2015, coinciding with the birth anniversary celebrations of Thiruvalluvar.
He said he would open a Tamil learning centre at Dehradun in his home State of Uttarkhand.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, he said the biography of Thiruvalluvar should be made compulsory in schools across the country.
Expressing his desire to celebrate the harvest festival of "Pongal" in a Tamil village with Dalits, labourers and farmers, the BJP MP said he was upset when journalists asked if there was any hidden agenda behind his love for Tamil.
"I spoke from my heart and it is my faith," he said, adding, without honouring Indian languages it was not possible to honour Mother India.

On requests made earlier by Tamil scholars that he should continue in his work which includes official language status for Tamil at the national level, he said, "We will see all these things are done... We will fight together, we will see that Thiruvalluvar's name and messages goes across all over north India."
"We will not rest until Madras High Court accepts Tamil as its language. It should have been a natural thing.. It is like demanding that sun be recognised as sun.. How ridiculous."
Tarun Vijay, in the past, has been batting for Tamil, its culture, literature and especially the demand for official language status for the language.