A statue of Tamil scholar and former Chairman of the Legislative Council, M.P. Sivagnanam (1906-1995), popularly called Ma.Po.Si, will be unveiled by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here on Wednesday. The eight-foot-tall statue, made of bronze, is coming up on Boag Road in T. Nagar, according to an official release.
Sivagnanam, Tamil scholar and writer, was originally a member of the Congress party and jailed several times during the freedom struggle. An associate of Rajaji, he left the Congress in 1954 and launched the Tamil Arasu Kazhagam to champion the cause of Tamils.
He undertook agitations for inclusion of Tirutanni, Devikulam and Peermedu.
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Affectionately known as Silambu Selvar for his exposition of the Tamil classic Silapathikaram, he won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1966.
He was elected to Theagraya Nagar assembly constituency with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam support in 1967.
Five years later, he was nominated as a member of the Legislative Council. He became Chairman of the Council in 1978 and held the post till the abolition of the Upper House in 1986.
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He returned to the Congress in 1989.