Thundalam Residents Seek Opening of ₹1-Crore Thiru Vi Ka Memorial Library

Residents of Thundalam village near Porur, along with hundreds of Tamil enthusiasts, have expressed disappointment after a library constructed in memory of Tamil scholar and labour leader Thiruvarur Virudhachala Kalyanasundaranar, popularly known as Thiru Vi Ka, remained unopened on his 143rd birth anniversary on Wednesday.

While the State government observed the birth anniversary by paying floral tributes at the Secretariat, the newly constructed facility in Thundalam was not inaugurated for the occasion.

The memorial library was built at a cost of ₹1 crore by the previous DMK government. The project was initiated following a writ petition filed in the Madras High Court in 2014 by R.K. Ravichandran, acting as the Secretary of the Iyyapanthangal - Baraniputtur Human Rights and Consumer Rights Protection Association.

Prior to the new construction, an older, dilapidated library building had been functioning on the same site in Thundalam in memory of the scholar. Local residents and Tamil activists had persistently petitioned authorities to demolish the damaged structure and replace it with a modern facility.

Mr. Ravichandran, a resident of Baraniputtur near Iyyapanthangal, noted that Thiru Vi Ka, who is fondly called 'Tamil Thendral', was a seminal Tamil scholar and trade union pioneer in the city. He played a key role in establishing the first trade union at the historic B and C Mills, which eventually ceased operations following labour struggles. The scholar's legacy is also commemorated through a prominent city bridge and park bearing his name.

With construction finished, villagers and activists have urged the State government to formally inaugurate the memorial library without further delay so that local readers and researchers can begin utilizing the space.