DMK leader M. Karunanidhi may be inactive due to his old age. But an exhibition showcasing the 75-year-old history of party organ Murasoli , which he founded as a teenager, not only bears testimony to his enviable career as a politician, writer, journalist, cartoonist, orator and five-time Chief Minister, but also to the period when the political narrative was dominated by weighty ideas and counter arguments and not just empty rhetoric.
Inaugurated at the office of Murasoli in Kodambakkam here by N. Ram, Chairman of the Kasturi and Sons Ltd., in the presence of Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani, the exhibition also reflects the history of the Dravidian movement. The laminated pages of Murasoli and its special issues offer a clear idea of the political discourse carried forward by the organ.
The special issues released on the occasion of Pongal have been exhibited.
“It is a very fine and unique exhibition. It reminds you where you started and how much labour has gone into sustaining it,” said Mr. Ram, while pointing out that Murasoli had exemplified the power of communication by a leader on a daily basis for a very long period.
He added that the section on the Emergency was proof of professional skill and political insight that helped Murasoli navigate the period.
Besides explaining to the visitor the transformation of Murasoli from a manuscript magazine to a weekly and then a daily, it also gives an idea about how it embraced modern technology — the hand machine used to print the paper is on display — in printing. Mr. Karunanidhi’s son and DMK working president M.K. Stalin was particular that the machine that first printed Murasoli in Chennai should be part of the exhibition.
It had changed a few hands and, finally, he had traced it to Kancheepuram.
Though Murasoli has weathered many a storm, hundreds of magazines published by other Dravidian leaders have folded up. The exhibition displays most of the now defunct magazines of the Dravidian movement.
“There are century-old newspapers in the country. What is special about Murasoli is that the founder is still alive to witness its platinum jubilee. The exhibition will constantly remind the new generation the meaning of hard work, and the progress of a political movement,” said former Minister E.Ve. Velu. The Murasoli Trust has produced two documentaries: one on how the party faced the Emergency and another on the history of Murasoli .
Main attractions
The attractions at the exhibition include the recreation of the scene from the Legislative Assembly when Murasoli Selvam, the editor of the paper, was sentenced to jail, and the room from which Mr. Karunanidhi worked with a wax statue of the leader. Visitors could see that Murasoli also dedicated itself to the political education of the party cadre by publishing the articles on national and international affairs. An article Kolai Kalai Endravan (The one who said murder is an art) talks about the trial and execution of Adolf Eichmann. Another by late Murasoli Maran warns about the narrow sectarian trend that had emerged in Assam. A full-page report talks about party founder C.N. Annadurai’s days in Yale University where he taught Thirukkural.
