Vellore Institute of Technology celebrated Chancellor Dr G Viswanathan's 80th birthday on December 23 in the university premises. M Sugumar, secretary, VIT Chancellor welcomed the gathering and said that a sum of Rs 15 lakhs was collected by various important personalities for the birthday celebration and have been donated to the Universal Higher Education Trust (UHET) – founded by Dr Viswanathan to provide financial assistance to poor students to pursue higher education. For this, J K N Palani, Gudiyatham AIADMK Town Secretary also donated Rs 25,000.
Professor Abdul Kadhar, Tamil poet presided over a `Muses Meet' – organised at the celebration with Pazha Nedumaran, president, Tamil National Movement; Nanjil Sampath, litterateur, and M Venkadasubbu, president, among others to offer their felicitations.
Panrutti S Ramachandran, former Tamil Nadu minister, who was also present at the event said, 'Dr Viswanathan should take the lead in uniting the Tamils throughout the world to protect the interests and cause of the Tamils living in different countries.'
He also said that Dr Viswanathan was one of the few persons who was personally invited by former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founder late C N Annadurai (popularly known as Anna) to involve themselves actively in politics. Also, he was among the close people to him. Dr Viswanathan was the right person to unite the Tamils of the world, transcending religious, caste and other barriers. Dr Viswanathan also had the distinction of having established in Vellore – an institution of higher education of international repute.
Apart from Ramachandran, people who spoke at the function and paid tributes to the multi-faceted personality of the Chancellor included K P Singh Deo, former Union Minister from Orissa – described the VIT Chancellor as one who dedicated his life to the empowerment of people through higher education.
Another minister, C Ponnaiyan regarded him as a thinker, intellectual, scientist, and researcher. An industrialist and chairman of the K H group of institutions – M M Hashim said that Dr Viswanathan considered education as a key to national development.
Books like 'Viyarvaiyin Vetri', `Stars and Saplings', `Vendhar 80' were also released by various guests like K C Veeramani, Tamil Nadu Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration, Ponnaiyan, among others.