Ko. Si. Mani, former Minister and DMK veteran, who was fondly described by party founder C.N. Annadurai as ‘ Meikirimangalathu Pokkiri ’ (The mischievous fellow from Meikirimangalam), died at a private hospital in Kumbakonam following a brief illness on Friday. He was 87.
An old guard of the DMK, Mani, born Sivasubramaniam, was one of the promising leaders from the composite Thanjavur district, who built the party in the region and went on to become an MLA. He represented the Kumbakonam constituency for four terms. He served as a Minister in various DMK Cabinets and held the portfolios of Agriculture, Local Administration and Cooperation.
Once a strongman of the party in the delta region, Mani rose in the ranks from the level of a branch secretary, and was first elected panchayat president of Meikirimangalam, his native town. He was the district secretary of the erstwhile undivided Thanjavur district and also zonal coordinator. He maintained a low profile in recent years after he was denied a party ticket in 2011.
“At a time when communist movement dominated the Thanjavur region, he could stand up to them and mobilised the DMK among the agriculture workers. Even in the DMK general council he would not hesitate to raise various issues and sometimes came across as an opposition leader within the party,” said DMK principal secretary Duraimurugan.
After Mannai Narayanasamy, the powerful district secretary of the composite district, comprising Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, Mani kept the party organisation united and stood by DMK president M. Karunanidhi when the party went through difficult times. “When Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) kept away from the Tiruchi DMK conference, Mani also stayed away. He would always fulfil the task assigned to him to the fullest satisfaction of Kalaignar ,” said former minister Thangam Thennarasu.
Mani had a good understanding of agriculture. Once, Annadurai told him that he would have been given him the portfolio of agriculture had he won the 1967 Assembly election.
Party sources said his body is likely to be taken to his native Meikirimangalam village in Nagapattinam district for last rites.
