Remembering Karunanidhi Who Shaped Tamil Nadu Politics For 8 Decades

Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five times, commenced his remarkable public career at the age of 14 and passed away at the age of 94. Consequently, he played a significant role in shaping, influencing and impacting the politics of Tamil Nadu, and to some extent, the politics of India for a remarkable span of 80 long years.

At the time of India's independence in 1947, he was a mere 23 years old. However, he had already initiated his political magazine 'Murasoli' in 1942, five years prior to Independence.

The year 1947 held great significance in Karunanidhi's life as well. It marked the release of 'Rajakumari,' the first film for which he contributed as a dialogue writer. This early involvement in the film industry preceded that of his mentor and eminent Dravidian leader, Anna. The film brought him immense fame and served as a launching pad for a successful career in cinema.

At the age of 23, he embarked on two parallel paths: politics and film script writing. By then, he had gained the admiration of prominent leaders such as Periyar and Anna, establishing his position in the political sphere.

During a period when Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, a prominent figure in the Dravidian movement and the president of the Dravidar Kazhagam (the parent organization of all Dravidian political parties), decided to marry a much younger woman named Maniyammai, a faction led by C.N. Annadurai (affectionately known as Anna) opposed the decision, while another faction remained loyal to Periyar. In this situation, Karunanidhi staunchly sided with Anna.

As the division deepened due to Periyar's inflexibility, Anna and numerous supporters chose to part ways with Periyar and established the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on September 17, 1949.

In 1937, Rajaji, who became the premier of Madras Presidency, introduced compulsory Hindi as a subject in schools. The undivided Dravidar Kazhagam, led by Periyar, vehemently opposed this move. Protests erupted across Tamil Nadu, resulting in the death of six individuals and injuries to 72 others. Rajaji became a staunch rival of the Dravidar Kazhagam.

In line with the anti-Hindi agitation after Independence, the DMK launched a protest demanding the renaming of Dalmiapuram railway station to Kallakkudi. Karunanidhi took the lead in this protest and even laid himself across the railway tracks. The protest reverberated throughout the political landscape.

Prisons throughout the State became filled with demonstrators, as Karunanidhi and Anna were both imprisoned following their leading roles in the protest. On 17th July 1953, the court sentenced Karunanidhi to five months of rigorous imprisonment. That same year, he encountered a car accident near Tiruppathur in Sivagangai district, resulting in severe damage to his left eye. After undergoing eye surgery, he started wearing black spectacles, which eventually became a distinctive part of his identity.

Despite functioning primarily as a social reform movement, the DMK decided to venture into electoral politics and made the resolution to contest the 1957 Assembly elections. Anna fielded Karunanidhi as a candidate against the Congress aspirant K.A. Dharmalingam in the Kulithalai constituency.

In his first attempt, Karunanidhi was successfully elected to the Assembly. From that point onward, he went on to be elected as an MLA for a remarkable 13 times, representing various constituencies, including his hometown of Tiruvarur, without ever experiencing defeat or failure. He stands as one of the rare politicians who never tasted personal electoral failure.

"I had considered myself as a cadre disseminating political awareness until then. However, my election as an MLA transformed me into a statesman," Karunanidhi had once stated.

During the intra-party elections held on 25th September 1960, Karunanidhi assumed the role of party treasurer while Anna resumed his position as general secretary. The party was soon confronted with arduous struggles, particularly regarding the issue of introduction of Hindi. DMK called for protests and designated Republic Day (January 26, 1965) as a "day of mourning".

A significant number of students took to the streets, vehemently protesting against the introduction of Hindi, and the situation escalated into violence. Railway coaches were set on fire forcing the police to resort to firing. Tragically, several students resorted to self-immolation as a symbolic form of protest against introduction of Hindi.

On February 16, Karunanidhi was arrested under Section 30(1) of the National Security Act on charges of leading the protests and inciting violence. He was incarcerated in Palayamkottai Central Prison for a period of six months. Karunanidhi considered 16th February 1965 as one of the pivotal moments in his life.

However, it was not just Karunanidhi's unwavering fighting spirit that distinguished him. He also stood out for his exceptional organizational skills. As the treasurer of the party, he was tasked with raising funds amounting to Rs 10 lakh to finance the 1967 Assembly election. Remarkably, he exceeded the target and managed to raise Rs 11 lakh.

This delightful surprise brought joy to general secretary Anna. The reward came swiftly. During a public meeting held to announce the party's candidates for the election, Anna was reading out the names of constituencies and candidates. After announcing the Saidapet constituency, he paused for a moment and referred to Karunanidhi as "Mr. 11 lakh''. The crowd erupted in applause, as anticipated.

Under the leadership of the DMK, which led a six-party alliance, a resounding victory was achieved. Prominent leaders of the Congress camp like K. Kamaraj and Bhatavathsalam were defeated in their own constituencies. Anna became the Chief Minister and Karunanidhi was appointed as the Minister of Public Works.

However, Anna's tenure as Chief Minister lasted only for two more years. He succumbed to cancer on 3rd February 1969 and Karunanidhi succeeded him as Chief Minister. Karunanidhi began a practice of writing open letters to his party cadres in his daily newspaper 'Murasoli' starting with the phrase "udanpirappe" (dear brethren).

However, his tenure as CM proved to be an acid test for him. Cracks began to appear between Karunanidhi and his close friend, film star M.G. Ramachandran (MGR). Eventually, MGR, who was the treasurer of DMK at the time, was expelled from the party. Karunanidhi initially believed that MGR could be easily managed, but time proved him wrong.

On 7th October 1972, MGR announced formation of Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK). The Communist Party of India (CPI) became an ally of the AIADMK and its State leader Kalyanasundaram played a crucial role in shaping MGR's political career.

The ADMK participated in a by-election held for the Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency and the ADMK candidate Mayathevar defeated the DMK candidate Muthuramalingam. This marked the first electoral victory for MGR's ADMK. MGR effectively capitalized on this momentum and began leveling corruption charges against the DMK government.

DMK government dissolved

At that time, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of Emergency in the country, targeting leaders who opposed her. Despite being an ally of Indira Gandhi, Karunanidhi stood against Emergency, leading to souring of the DMK-Congress relationship. Gandhi decided to part ways, and Governor K.K. Shah, based on corruption charges, recommended dissolution of the DMK government under Article 356 of the Constitution. Consequently, the government was dissolved.

Ironically, just a day prior, Governor Shah had praised CM Karunanidhi for running a government akin to "Ram Rajya" in the State. Little did he know that he would become an instrument in dissolving the government the very next day. PM Gandhi established the Sarkaria Commission to investigate the corruption charges levelled against the DMK government.

Seeing opportunity, MGR gained prominence and leaned towards Gandhi. Attempts were made to completely sideline Karunanidhi and his newspaper Murasoli faced censorship. M.K. Stalin, Chittibabu and Murasoli Maran were among the DMK leaders who were imprisoned and subjected to severe torture during the Emergency. However, the Indira-MGR alliance did not last long.

Opposition parties across India got united and formed Janata Party, which defeated Gandhi in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister. However, the DMK, despite being part of the opposition alliance, did not perform well in Tamil Nadu. The party itself was shocked by the outcome and leaders like Nedunchezhiyan rebelled against Karunanidhi's leadership.

In the 1977 Assembly elections, ADMK emerged victorious and MGR became the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, Karunanidhi, who had won as a legislator from the Anna Nagar segment in Chennai, assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition. The government of Morarji Desai at the Centre was toppled and even the successive Charan Singh government also fell apart.

With Indira Gandhi again

The bitterness between DMK and Indira Gandhi gradually faded away and they joined forces once again. Karunanidhi's catchphrase, "Nehruvin Magale Varuga, Nilayana Atchi Tharuga" (Welcome daughter of Nehru, Give stable governance), caught attention. The alliance achieved a resounding victory, winning 38 out of 39 constituencies in the State.

However, Chief Minister MGR's attempt to introduce a 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections in forward castes turned out to be a political blunder. Ultimately, Gandhi dissolved MGR's government as well. Karunanidhi believed that the DMK would come back to power if a fresh election was held in the State. However, once again, he was proven wrong. The ADMK won the subsequent Assembly election and MGR became the Chief Minister once again. As long as MGR was alive, the DMK led by Karunanidhi could not regain power.

Despite MGR's electoral success, governance was not easy for him due to Karunanidhi's powerful presence as the opposition leader. Karunanidhi's "Needhi Kettu Nedum Payanam'' (long march for justice) shook the MGR government. During this time, the mysterious death of Subramania Pillai, Assistant Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, at the Thiruchendur Murugar Temple inspection bungalow sparked Karunanidhi's quest for justice.

The DMK staged a series of protests against alleged illicit liquor crimes and tax evasions during MGR's regime, establishing itself as a formidable opposition party. Despite being out of power for an extended period, Karunanidhi skillfully maintained his loyal cadre base, aided by his oratory and writing skills.

After MGR's death from a chronic illness on 24th December 1987, his widow, Janaki, assumed the role of Chief Minister. However, the party experienced a split. In the subsequent 1989 Assembly election, Karunanidhi returned to power after a gap of 13 years. The AIADMK faction led by Jayalalithaa proved to be stronger than the one led by Janaki. Consequently, Jayalalithaa took full control of the AIADMK, unifying it under her leadership.

Karunanidhi, who had previously engaged in politics alongside high profile politicians like Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai, now had to navigate the political landscape with a much younger Jayalalithaa. However, his fighting spirit remained unwavering. Despite losing his government due to a corruption charge that was later proven false, Karunanidhi's DMK fought a prolonged battle and successfully presented corruption charges against Jayalalithaa, leading to her imprisonment.