One person who will be missed at the 10th State conference of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) here on February 15 and 16 is Nagore E. M. Hanifa, a renowned singer and close associate of party chief M. Karunanidhi.
No major DMK party event is complete without the music concert of Hanifa, who has crossed 90. The political message delivered in songs rendered by him hailing the DMK played a vital role in popularising the party ever since it was launched in 1949.
Mr. Karunanidhi is an avid fan of Mr. Hanifa and never missed a chance to listen to his songs in rapt attention at all major events.
His “Oadi varugiran Udhayasooriyan…” [The rising sun is hastening on], a reference to the party symbol as a person that touches and transforms lives, has often been used to lift cadre morale. Over a dozen songs praising Mr.Karunanidhi and the party’s guiding light C.N.Annadurai have been popular with DMK men: “Kallakkudi konda Karunanidhi vaazhgave,” “Nee engae senrai Anna”, “Azhaikkinrar Anna”.
Hanifa’s full-throated, high bass and high energy voice brought to life these songs. A majority of the popular songs rendered by Mr. Hanifa were penned by Nagore Saleem, also from Nagore.
This is the first State conference, which Hanifa will miss. For all the singers affiliated to different political parties, Mr. Hanifa is the role model.
Of some solace for DMK men is the fact that his son Nagore E. M. Hanifa Naushad Ali is continuing his father’s tradition and performing on the second day of the Tiruchi conference. “It is a rare privilege. My father and Kalaignar [Karunanidhi] had a very close relationship which cannot be described,” says Mr. Naushad Ali.
