Foundation Laid for 150-Foot V.O.C. Chidambaram Pillai Statue
Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a 150-foot statue of freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai (VOC) at Amma Thidal in Vandiyur, Madurai.
The statue will be installed on a ship-structured building symbolizing VOC’s historic role in India’s indigenous shipping movement. The complex will include a library and will be developed across three acres of land. The project is expected to be completed within 18 months. Once erected, it will become the tallest statue in Tamil Nadu, surpassing the 133-foot Thiruvalluvar Statue.
Dr.M.G.R. Deemed University, Dr. A. C. Shanmugam announced that an annual guru pooja will be observed at the statue, and a dedicated mandapam will be constructed for conducting the commemorative event every year.
Addressing the gathering, the Vice-President paid rich tribute to V.O. Chidambaram Pillai’s selfless sacrifices and stated that the first seeds of India’s freedom struggle were sown in this very soil by him. Referring to VOC as “Chekkizhutha Semmal” (the great man who pulled the oil press), he remarked that many people assume he pulled a wooden oil press during his imprisonment. He emphasized that people should visit the Coimbatore prison to see the stone oil press preserved there, which stands as a powerful reminder of the hardships endured by the freedom fighter.
The event served as a solemn tribute to VOC’s courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the nation’s freedom.
