Speakers, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M. Karunanidhi, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president G.K. Vasan, paid glowing tributes to M.S. Subbulakshmi, at a function where a commemorative stamp was released in her honour here on Sunday. Mr. Maran, who released the stamp, said the late Subbulakshmi, popularly known as “M.S.” had carved a niche for herself in the world of music through her inimitable style of rendering songs. She had won the appreciation of leaders including Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru. She would always be remembered by millions of music lovers. M.S. was known for her spirit of philanthropy, he said, adding that she had dedicated her entire life to music.
Mr. Karunanidhi unveiled a plaque and handed over the stamp album to veteran musician D.K. Pattammal. He recalled M.S.’s great contribution to Tamil music by rendering songs in her mother tongue. While Dravidar Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy made ideological contribution to the progress of the Tamil people, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai chose stage and cinema as the proper media to spread his ideas. All the three represented the efforts made to uphold the self-respect of Tamils and the fame of Tamil culture,
he said. He stressed the need for unity among persons adopting different policies and ideologies to ensure the progress of the Tamil community.
Mr. Karunanidhi commended Mr. Maran’s efforts to bring out a commemorative stamp to honour great personalities belonging to the State. He urged him to bring more such stamps to perpetuate the memory of Tamil scholars including the late Kirupananda Variyar. Mr. Vasan said people belonging to different sections in society were attracted to M.S.’s devotional and patriotic songs. Through her recitals in different languages, including Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada, she had contributed to national integration, he added. Lyricist Vali and ‘Kalki’ Rajendran paid tributes to M.S. A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the 42 persons, who died in a stampede at a flood relief distribution centre in the city.
The article was originally published on December 19, 2005. We're republishing it as a part of M.S. Subbulakshmi Centenary Celebrations.