Today we recognize M.Karunanidhi because not only he was a writer and great politician but because he was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and he remained in power for almost 20 years. India is a democratic country and the reason that people chose M.Karunanidhi as their chief Minister must only be possible because he served people in better way and proved himself to be very much capable of taking responsibilities of people. He served as president in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party as well.
He started his journey with screenwriting. His first screenwriting was in the movie ‘Rajakumari’ and this is how he entered the Tamil film industry. ‘Parasakhti’ movie was a turning point in his life as this movie was his most appreciated work. The movie gained so much popularity and so it was hit at box office.
His style of writing consists of strong social message and mostly demanded strong reform due to which many of his plays had to face censorship and2 of his plays were banned.
M.Karunanidhi was not only profound in screenwriting but he also wrote many poems, stories, novels,historical novels, biographies, letters, stage plays etc.
Sandhya Ravishankara wrote biography on his life ‘Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics’ which was published on May 31, 2018.
During his life time he did many welfare activities like he insured
- electricity to all villages
- beggars rehabilation scheme
- road linkage to the villages
- free concrete houses for SC, STs
- created slum clearance board
- abolition of land tax on dry lands
- green revolution
- M.G.R medical university
- protected water for all villages
- Varumun Kappom’ camps, or preventive health check-up camps, were organized throughout the State in December 2006.
- The ‘Uzhavar Sandhais’ (farmers’ markets) were started to ensure farmers got fair prices for their produce, by removing the middlemen.
etc and etc the list goes on and on……
We can say M.Karunanidhi entered politics at the age of 14 when he first founded a local youth organisation in his locality and also he circulated a hand written newspaper called ‘Manavar Nesan’ to his members and later he founded student organisation ‘Tamil Nadu Tamil Manavar Mandram’ and this became a part of Dravidan Movement. Finally at the age of 33, Karunanidhi entered the Tamil Nadu assembly by winning the Kulithalai seat in elections of 1957 and since then he kept growing in field of politics.
He was awarded with many titles, Tamil University awarded him ‘Raja Rajan Award’ for his book ‘Thenpandi Singam’, In 2006 Surjit Singh Barnala who was chancellor of Madurai Kamaraja University and Governor of Tamil Nadu honered him with honorary doctorate, In 2007, the Tamil Nadu Muslim Makkal Katchi gave him the title “Friend of the Muslim Community” (Yaaran-E-Millath).
There is lot more to learn from a life of this person. He not only excelled in every field he entered but also he he became an inspiration of many. One can definitely learn how to grow from a sapling to a tree.
#One man, many lives.
