CM Vijay paid tribute to Tamil scholar Professor Solomon Pappaiah, who carried the pride of Tamil and Tamil life to the world through the pattimandram stage, calling his death an irreplaceable loss. The Tamil Nadu government announced full State honours for his funeral.
CM Vijay paid tribute to Tamil scholar Professor Solomon Pappaiah, who carried the pride of Tamil and Tamil life to the world through the pattimandram stage, calling his death an irreplaceable loss. The Tamil Nadu government announced full State honours for his funeral.
Tamil Nadu lost one of its best-loved voices on Friday, September 11, 2026, with the passing of Tamil scholar Professor Solomon Pappaiah. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who was in the United Kingdom on his investment tour, expressed deep grief.
In his message, the Chief Minister said Professor Pappaiah had made the pride of Tamil and the way of life of Tamils known to the world through the pattimandram (debate) stage. With speech laced with humour and deep Tamil scholarship, he carried social ideas to ordinary people in simple words — and turned pattimandrams from mere entertainment into platforms that provoke thought.
The Chief Minister called his death an irreparable loss to the Tamil-speaking world and conveyed his condolences to the family, relatives, friends and Tamil lovers everywhere.
On September 12, the Tamil Nadu government announced that Professor Solomon Pappaiah’s final journey would be accorded full State honours.
The government’s respect for Tamil has been a steady theme this year — from making Tamil Thai Vazhthu compulsory in all institutions to the Assembly resolution seeking Tamil as the language of the Madras High Court — read more ›
Solomon Pappaiah Tamil Pattimandram Tribute Day 125