Thanjavur: Glory of M. Karunanidhi, five times Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, lies in his humble beginning. For, very rarely, such persons from scratch reach the pinnacle of glory. Even among them also, Karunanidhi, affectionately called as ‘Kalaignar’ is exceptional and extraordinary.
Sharing a moment with Indira Gandhi
Born at Thirukuvalai, a tiny village in Nagapattinam district, on June 3, 1924 to Muthuvelar and Anjugam Ammaiyar, Karunanidhi had little to boast of his early childhood, except for the poverty he shared with his family and education barely up to the tenth class. But then, as he himself recalled in many meetings he addressed on the banks of Kamalalayam tank at Tiruvarur, he was an 'active student' in public life. He would describe at the meetings, how he wrote a poem against Hindi in his school days and about his handwritten ‘Murasoli’ at that time, which has now become a party organ and celebrated its 75th year anniversary in 2017.
Kalaignar with rationalist Periyar
Whenever he addressed meetings at Tiruvarur, besides politics, he will walk down memory lane and recall how he used to swim in Kamalalayam tank along with his school friend Thennan (he passed away). The sprawling tank located on 25 acres of land with a beautiful Neeraazhi Mandapam posed challenge to student Karunanidhi when he started swimming. “When we started swimming and were halfway in the tank, my friend, Thennan took cold feet and said that we would return without crossing the tank. But I told him to move forward and cross instead of going back,” Karunanidhi would recall at the meetings.
It is the same Kamalalayam tank, he later renovated as Chief Minister and introduced boating. He also took steps as Chief Minister to revive the car festival of Sri Thyagarajaswamy temple at Tiruvarur after a long gap.
With MGR, his friend for 40 years
Whenever he comes to Tiruvarur, he used to visit Thirukuvalai and see his house, which has been made into a memorial by his family and maintained by a committee. The house, has been named as “Muthuvelar Illam” after his father and a library in it “Anjugam Padippagam” after his mother.
Receiving Rajaji’s blessings in Chennai
Besides the library, displayed in the renovated tiled house, are portraits of Karunanidhi with various leaders including foreign dignitaries. During one of his visits to the house between1996-2001, he became nostalgic and looked at the things in the house like a child. During this tenure as Chief Minister, massive desilting work of rivers and canals in the delta was taken up and he inspected the works. He also participated in the water release at Grand Anicut one year during this tenure.
He often visited his mother’s ‘Samadhi’ at Kattur near Tiruvarur and place a wreath whenever he had felt like stopping by. Karunanidhi, though son of the soil, contested from constituencies in composite Thanjavur district only three times, in his long political innings. In 1962 he contested from Thanjavur assembly constituency and won. He defeated A.Y.S. Parisutha Nadar of Congress. Again after many elections, he chose Tiruvarur assembly constituency in 2011 and 2016 and won. He is presently MLA of Tiruvarur, elected to the House 13 times since 1957.
R. Seshachalam (87), a resident of Thiruvoimoor near Thirukuvalai recalled Karunaidhi’s student days. “He (Karunanidhi) studied at Thirukuvalai school up to fifth standard and went to high school at Tiruvarur. I am eight years younger than him but a classmate of his nephew Murasoli Maran. Maran and myself studied at Thirukuvalai school.(third standard). My uncle Muthuswami Naidu was our teacher at Thirukuvalai school. Once our teacher wanted to stage a drama at school; he was searching for someone to act. Karunanidhi came to the school at that time. He was asked to act as Devendran. He acted well. I joined high school at Thiruthuraipoondi and Kalaignar joined high school at Tiruvarur. He was interested in dramas and writing since his childhood days,” Seshachalam said.
Closely associated with Cauvery issue for a very long time both as Chief Minister and as an opposition leader, KarunanidhI would say that he was born in 1924, the year the Cauvery agreement was signed between erstwhile Madras Presidency and former Mysore state.
“The issue started when I was born,” he would say at public meetings and trace the steps taken by him. S. Ranganathan, secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, fondly and emotionally recalled his family’s personal touch with Karunanidhi. “He (Karunanidhi) had very close association with my father Srinivasa Iyengar, member of ‘Mirasudhars Association’ of pre-Independence days. He (Karunanidhi) used to consult my father on various occasions and had highest regard for him. Once he made an American Ambassador to wait and meet Mirasudhars when the envoy called on the then Chief Minister Annadurai. Perhaps his association with my father helped me to continue the association with him. His joining with farmers in the court on Cauvery issue without filing a fresh case speaks volumes about his magnanimity and commitment to solve Cauvery issue. Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association organised felicitation meeting for him when Cauvery water disputes Tribunal was formed for which he was instrumental. That was held at Tiruvarur. Again another felicitation meeting was organised at Thanjavur when central government formed the Cauvery Authority with Prime Minister as Chairman and Chief Ministers as members,” Ranganathan said.
To his native village and his home district (Tiruvarur which he created as Chief Minister during 1996-2001), he brought a Central University, established a government medical college at Tiruvarur and made Thirukualai into a taluk and set up a government engineering college, affiliated, to Anna University at Thirukuvalai.
Timeline
June 3, 1924 | Born in Thiru-kkuvalai near Tiruvarur, composite Thanjavur .
August 10, 1942 | As self-styled leader of ‘Tamil Nadu Tamil Maanavar Mandram’, launches ‘Murasoli’ in Tamil as handwritten manuscript.
September 17, 1949 | Among the ‘Founding members’ of the DMK at the rally at Robinson Park in old North Madras, where DMK was launched.
July 1953 | Arrested for the ‘Kallakudi Agitation’, demanding renaming of Dalmiyapuram railway station as part of the anti-Hindi agitation, along with poet Kannadasan
April 1957 | Elected for first time to the Madras (later Tamil Nadu) Legislative Assembly from Kulittalai constituency near Tiruchy;
1959 | DMK founder C N Annadurai honours Karunanidhi for steering DMK to victory in Madras Corporation elections.
1961 | Karunanidhi made DMK Treasurer
1962 | Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Assembly on election from Thanjavur constituency.
March 1967 | PWD Minister in Annadurai-led first DMK Ministry, after elected from Saidapet Assembly constituency in Chennai that year.
February 10, 1969 | Sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after untimely demise of his leader and mentor Annadurai.
July 27, 1969 | Elected as President of DMK, a post he held till the end.
1983 | Quits Assembly membership over Sri Lankan Tamils issue.
January 27, 1989 | Comes back as CM for third time after MGR’s demise.
June 1991 | Quits Harbour Assembly seat, owning moral responsibility for DMK’s defeat in the General elections that year.
May 13, 1996 | Assumes office as CM for fourth time after leading DMK to a massive win in alliance with G.K. Moopanar-led Tamil Maanila Congress.
December 31, 1999—January 1, 2000 | Presides over unveiling of the massive 133-feet tall statue of saint-poet Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari.
May 13, 2006 | Sworn in Chief Minister for a fifth time, elected from Chepauk constituency in Chennai.
February 12, 2009 | Undergoes major spinal surgery that confined him permanently to a wheel-chair; missed the Republic Day Parade for the first time that year.
April 28, 2009 | Goes on a sudden, indefinite fast at Anna Square on the Marina in Chennai to press the SLgovernment to announce a ceasefire in its war against the Tamil militants in the Island’s North.
June 23-27,2010 | Organises first World Classical Tamil Conference, at Coimbatore.
August 10, 2017 | M K Stalin, Karunanidhi visits ‘Murasoli’ office in Chennai on occasion of its ‘Pavazha Vizha’, a rare visit outside his Gopalapuram house where he stayed put since his second bout of illness in October 2016.
