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Former DMK supremo and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu ‘Kalaignar’ M. Karunanidhi’s birth centenary year begins on June 3, 2023. A political, cultural and social icon indelibly engraved in the Tamil consciousness, he is and will be remembered forever for his unflagging struggle for social justice, for implementing several social welfare schemes, for proclaiming state autonomy and rights, for taking on the union government with courage over the Emergency and for winning all Assembly elections he contested.
When the DMK party paper Murasoli was launched in Madurai in 1980s, I worked there and later in their Chennai office as a reporter. I quit the paper in 1988 and joined Dinamani, working in Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem. But I still preserve the hand written letter written by Kalaignar to his ‘udanpirappu’ (younger sibling) published in the first edition of Murasoli.
During my stint with the Murasoli, I used to accompany Kalaignar on his tours aas part of my reporting assignments. Recording his public speeches in a tape-recorder and then transcribing it into text at night, I would submit the written speech to him next morning. I would keep waiting till he was done with reading and making corrections. Sometimes it so happened that he pointed out some contexts where I seemed to have put words in his mouth. He would set right erroneous portions, mildly criticizing me. These were instances of my journalistic interactions with him, which taught me a lot. Occasions were there when he pointed out some news items published in other dailies and enquired about them. One had to be aware and well informed. I soon made it a point to read the day’s newspapers before going to meet him for he would enquire with me over this or that news.
When he did not make corrections in the transcript, he would return the typescript to me, his face beaming with joy. His sense of satisfaction and pleasure would rub off on me.
Karunanidhi is remembered for ever for his seamless struggle for social justice, for implementing several social welfare schemes, for proclaiming state autonomy and rights, for taking on the union government with courage over Emergency and for winning all Assembly elections he had contested
March for justice in 1982
During the MGR regime, Kalaignar went on a week’s march on Feb. 15, 1982 to register his protest over the issues involving disappearance of the holy spear at the Tiruchendur Murugan temple and the mysterious death of the temple officer Subramaniam. His feet developed blisters during the seven-day march and yet he kept up the pace of the protest. The walk was also marked by his bons mots, reading of newspapers and public meetings in the evening. The week’s march did not weaken the leader even a bit. The days are unforgettable for me as I had accompanied him as a Murasoli member and writer.
In 1982, M Karunanidhi went on a padayatra demanding justice in the case relating to the disappearance of the spear from Tiruchendur temple
After reaching Tiruchendur, Kalaignar met presspersons at the guest house. Though seemingly weary, he kept his cool. After the press meet, he had the grace to praise me for getting the padayatra news published neatly. His words of praise still linger in my mind.
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Once he was speaking at an election meeting in Sivagangai when he seemed to be searching for something. I took my cue from my months of being with him and immediately gave him the day’s newspaper that I had. He continued his speech without a pause but quoted some statistics from the paper. After the meeting, Kalaignar left the venue. I was stranded at the venue as all party cars had followed him and none had made room for me. However, on the way Kalaignar asked party functionaries with him about me, who told him that I was not travelling in one of the cars. Instantly he asked his vehicle to stop and sent word for me, telling the party workers that he would wait till I arrived. Some party workers returned and picked me up and took me to the leader. He welcomed me and wondered aloud why the functionaries had departed so fast that I was ignored.
When I met Kalaignar again in the afternoon next day, he deliberately enquired if conveyance for me had been arranged. The care and attention he paid to me moved me beyond measure.
During Jayalalithaa’s reign, I happened to be closeted with him in his private room at Anna Arivalayam a few days after he was released from prison following his late night arrest. Then I was working as a reporter with Dinamani. He was pacing the floor up and down as I entered. After an exchange of pleasantries, he sat on the sofa, beginning his conversation with the question “What is happening nowadays?”
Hand written letter by Kalaignar in the first edition of Murasoli
I handed him some documents he had sought from me and answered a few questions. Then a little reluctantly I asked him about the pain in hand as a result of injuries during the night arrest. “Look here,” he said, baring his shoulder, and added that the pain still persisted. That was the rarest of rare moment in my life. He had such regards for me, unabated till end. Wherever he happened to see me in any town, he would go out of his way and call out to me and talk to me.
Though there was no dearth of reporters who covered his public events, the opportunity I got to not only cover his programs but also interact with him at close quarters was quite rare and precious. It still lingers in my mind and will do so forever
Though he held the post of Chief Minister, he would often pride himself on being a journalist. So, no wonder, he knew the pain of being a journalist.
He used to ensure that the reporters got important news during his press meets and public meetings. In power or in opposition, he used to be in the headlines with the news he broke turning sensational in politics. In those days, he made it a point to finish off his evening public meetings fast so the late city editions of newspapers would carry the news and yet meet deadlines. He was a journalists’ delight for he would not avoid questions from scribes even when he was about to get into his waiting car. He would field questions with ease holding the car’s door.
There were occasions when his press releases about important developments were out and the reporters would call him at home for his responses or opinions. Kalaignar would answer the call himself and speak to the reporter; only on rare occasions asking the reporters to get his press release from the office of Murasoli where he said he had given the news.
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He was adept at the art of converting issues into sensational news even when nobody had raised them, as he had expected, at his press meets. Thus, a press meet with Kalaignar was an enriching and exciting affair for journalists. The way he fielded questions would show his quick mind and splendid gift of repartee. His crisp and cryptic one-liners and his acumen of passing off certain disclosures he made as headlines of the day were popular in those days.
Though there was no dearth of reporters who covered his public events, the opportunity I got to not only cover his programs but also interact with him at close quarters was quite rare and precious. It still lingers in my mind and will do so forever
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