Karunanidhi draws inspiration from Sai Baba

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said yesterday that spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba's mission of serving humanity gives him hope and the courage to carry on with welfare measures.

Sai Baba was thanked at a massive gathering here yesterday for giving Rs2 billion for funding the concrete lining of a 150-km canal to bring the Krishna River waters from the Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh to north Tamil Nadu.

On the occasion, Karunanidhi said he drew inspiration from Sai Baba's work.

"Service to mankind is service to God," he said.

"Both of us have been on our long journeys - like the rivers Cauvery and Kollidam - for the welfare of the people," the chief minister added.

The country's top politicians attended yesterday's function, organised by the Chennai Citizens Conclave at the Nehru Indoor Stadium here to thank the spiritual leader for his funding.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. Rajashekara Reddy, Karnataka Chief Minister D. Kumaraswamy and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh also participated in the function.

Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna and Union Ministers Dayanidhi Maran and Lalu Prasad Yadav were also present.