‘Fusion Chettinad 2008,’ the first South Zone inter-medical and dental college students’ cultural festival, got under way at Chettinad Health City at Kelambakkam on Wednesday.

Inaugurating the festival, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi said that It is nice to see college managements coming forward to support such events.  During her student days, students had to go around ‘with big vessels’ to seek sponsorship.

She said a major health problem facing the medical world was stress that manifested in many ways. Doctors and students of medicine were no exception. Such cultural festivals acted as ‘stress busters,’ Kanimozhi said.

She also urged students to be aware of life outside their college campuses and know about important issues in society, be it the problems of Sri Lankan Tamils, reservation or the price increase.

Playback singer Anuradha Sreeram and music composer D Imman were also present on the occasion. M A M Ramaswamy, chairman, Chettinad Group of Institutions, welcomed the gathering. M A M R  Muthiah, managing director, Chettinad Health City spoke on the occasion.

About 500 students from 23 medical and dental colleges in all the four southern States and the Union Territory of Puducherry are competing in the three-day festival, in which the overall winner will get Rs.1 lakh and a trophy to boot.

Rajathi Ammal, wife of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, was present.

Aishwarya Dhanush presented a Bharatanatyam recital.