NEW YORK: America Tamil Sangam has condoled the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and said it would be difficult to see another leader like her in the decades to come.
“Struggle was her middle name and victory was her last name. Any other leader in her place would have given up and vanished from the scene but she was a born fighter. As a propaganda secretary of her party, as Member of Parliament, as Opposition Leader and as Chief Minister her path was strewn with thorns and rocks but she overcame all with her unmatched grit and determination,” said Prakash M Swamy, president of the Sangam.
John Joseph, Chairman of America Tamil Sangam said she introduced numerous public welfare programs like giving free laptops to school children and grant to perform wedding of girls and remained a charismatic leader till she breathed her last.
Koshy O Thomas, President of US Friends of AIADMK, said Tamils all over the world have lost a true leader who was a mother to them. It is a terrible and unbearable loss and it struck like lightening making us speechless. ”
Jaya Sundaram, Vice President of America Tamil Sangam, said she was an embodiment of modern woman who rode like a colossus in male dominated society. Her concern for poor and vision for development will long be remembered in decades to come.
New Jersey Assembly issued a proclamation soon after she won the elections in 2011 at the instance of then Deputy Speaker Upendra Chivukula and it was handed over to her by Prakash M Swamy in Chennai. Thanking the gesture of NJ Assembly members and Upendra Chivukula, she said she remained grateful to the love and affection of those faceless friends who honored her. New Jersey State Assembly honored her with a joint resolution signed by the then Speaker of the House – a distinct honor not done to any Indian politician.
Tamils living in the Tristate area also offered special prayers to Lord Saneeswarar in the Saneeswarar temple in Queens for the welfare of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Party supermom J Jayalalithaa -also referred as Amma – when she was battling for life at the Apollo Hospitals in the state capital of Chennai for over two months.
AIADMK Member of Parliament from Coimbatore A.P. Nagarajan, who had come to the UN as part of the Indian delegation, joined the prayers held at Lord Saneeswarar temple in Queens. Special prayers and havan were conducted by the Tamils and Nagarajan sat through the entire puja done by the temple priest. Nagarajan said that Amma had a special place for American Tamils in her heart.
Neela Pandya
