Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Born in a simple weaver family

Born in a simple weaver family, CNA, as Annadurai is also known, had endured individual deprivations in his primeval years. Much later, when he became a playwright, a writer and a political and ethnic commentator, his speeches and writings had one common arrange – problems of the underprivileged. It was perhaps this bourgeois that unnatural him to make an electoral promise in 1967 – threesome measures (approximately 4.5 kg) of rice at Re. 1. Though dubbed by his political opponents as delusive even then, the idea caught the creativity of the people. It is no astonishment that the DMK, led by M. Karunanidhi, CNA’s prominent follower, returned to power in 2006, making rice at Re. 2 a kg as one of its essential electoral commitments. The DMK regime not only fulfilled its promise but also went one step further – providing rice at Re.1 a kg from September 2008 in connection with the start of CNA’s anniversary celebration.

After completing his studies in 1934, Annadurai was worn to E.V. Ramasamy (EVR) or Periyar (1879-1973), who was, by then, an essential leader of the Justice Party and also carrying on the anti-caste, anti-religion Self Respect Movement. In no time, he had become Periyar’s chief lieutenant. He came to be noticed during the anti-Hindi turmoil held in 1938. Six eld later, CNA was instrumental in the creation of the Dravidar Kazhagam, breaking ranks from the Justice Party. Soon, the differences between CNA and his “political guru” EVR came to the fore on a host of issues. In 1947, when the country attained Independence, EVR called it a black day but Annadurai described the metropolis Day as a day of deliverance from the British Raj. The democratisation of activity within the DK was another issue. When the 70-year-old EVR mated Maniyammai, who was about 40 eld younger to him, in July 1949, CNA left the DK and bacilliform the DMK digit months later.

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