Makkal Kural Editor Shanmugavel passes away

Chennai, Dec 11 (UNI) Veteran journalist and Editor and Chairman of Tamil eveninger 'Makkal Kural' M Shanmugavel, popularly known as ''MS'' died here today after a brief illness.

He was 81. A bachelor, Shanmugavel, also the Editor of English eveninger ''Trinity Mirror'', is survived by his brother M Rajamanickam and his sons Muthukumar and News Today editor T R Jawahar.

Family sources said Shanmugavel, who was unwell for a brief period, died in sleep at around 0500 hrs. The cremation will take place this evening at the Besant Nagar crematorium.

Born on July 4, 1927 at Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, Shanmugavel worked in couple of private companies before he began his career in journalism.

He joined the Salem edition of Daily Thanthi in 1947 and later worked in the now defunct Navamani and Alai Osai. He was instrumental in forming a cooperative society in 1950 to run Navamani newspapers in 1950 and later launched his own eveninger Makkal Kural in 1973.

Shanmugavel had won the Central Government's ''Best layout'' award for Navamani, Makkal Kural and News Today for five times.

While heading the Southern India Journalists Federation, he introduced pension scheme and mediclaim for journalists.

His editorials and articles won the acclaim of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao and he accompanied them during their foreign tours.

Shanmugavel launched ''Trinity Mirror'', english eveninger in 1995 and introduced many innovations in printing technology.

UNI