Jayakanthan brings warring political rivals together

Chennai: Politically poles apart, Congress and Left parties in Tamil Nadu found a rallying point in Jnanpith winner Jayakanthan here as leaders of the both parties came together to pay tribute to the deceased writer in the presence of a prominent DMK face.

State Congress president E.V.K.S. Elangovan, former CPI MP Subbaraiyan, Rajya Sabha MPs T.K.S. Rangarajan (CPM) and Kanimozhi (DMK), all had their share of tribute to pay to the iconoclastic writer who had had a strong association with both national parties and who had once been one of the harshest critics of the DMK and its parent movement Dravidar Kazhagam even during the glorious days of Periyar.

While Elangovan recalled the inspiration he drew from the public speeches of  JK who had also ‘lifted’ a vexed Kamarajar then, Subbaraiyan and Rangarajan reminisced the writer’s formative years as a humble “tea boy” in the office of a united Communist party and live wire public speaker who rubber shoulders with communist legends Jeeva and Balandandayutham.