Karunanidhi and his Madurai connection

Though Madurai district predominantly remained a stronghold of AIADMK ever since it was formed in 1972, late Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi, who died on Tuesday, had a strong bonding with Madurai city that dated back to the early 1960s when the anti-Hindi agitation was at its peak.

S. Mahaboobjohn, joint general secretary of Marumalarchi Liberation Front, the trade union of MDMK, who was earlier with the DMK since his teens, says that his early memory of the departed leader in Madurai was during an anti-Hindi agitation in 1963 in Madurai. “A team of DMK leaders, including S. Muthu, were to march from the party’s office near Central Theatre to Thilagar Thidal and burn the Constitution. My Tamil school teacher, a DMK supporter, encouraged us to go see the protest. I went to see the protest. Though Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) was not to participate in the burning and came to express support to the protesting leaders, he was also arrested and lodged in Palayamkottai prison,” he said.

After he became Chief Minister, it was Karunanidhi who upgraded Madurai city as a Corporation, enabling party strongman Muthu, popularly called ‘Madurai’ Muthu to become the first Mayor.

B. Thirumalai, a veteran journalist, who has published the book ‘Madurai Arasiyal (Madurai Politics)’ chronicling the city’s role in the country and the State’s political history, points out that the first Tamil Eelam Supporters’ Organisation (TESO) conference was hosted by Karunanidhi in Madurai in May 1986.

In a bid to garner pan-India support for the Eelam cause, Mr. Thirumalai said that Karunanidhi ensured participation of leaders such as A.B. Vajpayee, N.T. Rama Rao and H.N. Bahaguna.

He also credited the late leader with the construction of a memorial for P. Kakkan, veteran Congress leader, and Parithimar Kalaignar, the Tamil scholar who is reportedly the first one to demand classical status for Tamil.

He pointed out that Madurai district also received several infrastructure upgrade, including bridges, water supply schemes, and Information Technology parks during the tenure of Karunanidhi as Chief Minister. The 58-canal-scheme, which intends to address water scarcity in the arid Usilampatti and surrounding regions and yet to become a reality, was also announced during his tenure.

Mr. Karunanidhi also chose Madurai as the place to launch some of his ambitious projects such as Uzhavar Sandhai (Farmers’ market) and Samathuvapuram (Equality village).