Periyarist with 70 titles to his name

CHENNAI: The name M Nannan, to many, immediately kindles memories of his Tamil Karpom programme on Doordarshan’s Podhigai where he would teach Tamil grammar and pronunciation.
“This was a time when the visual media was still young in the country. He would recreate a classroom set up in the studio and present it in a way that it felt like a classroom to the viewer,” said V Arasu, former head of the Tamil Department of University of Madras, whose association with Nannan spans across two decades.

Nannan, a staunch Periyarist, passed away on Tuesday due to age-related illnesses in his residence at Saidapet. He was 94. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Although his love for the language and his writings were well known, only a few closest to him could offer glimpses of the man behind the words.

Said a former mayor and DMK MLA of Saidapet, M Subramanian, “I’ve personally seen him get up at 4 am when we used to share a room and he had already crossed 90 years of age around that time. He would then shave and only then proceed to take a 20 minute walk around the house. He taught Tamil to many of our former Governors,” he added.

Nannan was a professor of Tamil at the Presidency college in Chennai and the author of over 70 books. Apart from his own work, he is also known for editing and categorising Periyar’s works.
Dravida Iyakka Tamizhar Peravai leader Suba Veerapandian remembered the confidence of the 94-year-old fondly, “When he called me to invite me for his 92nd birthday two years ago, I was out of town. So, he told me ‘It’s OK, save the date next year for my 93rd birthday; you definitely have to speak.’’
A year later, on Nannan’s birthday on July 30, Suba Veerapandian addressed the gathering.

One of Veerapandian’s favourite works of Nannan is Periyar Kanini, which he said had content rich enough to make one believe it was ‘put together by five or six people.’ Born in Cuddalore, Nannan went on to receive several awards, including the State government’s Periyar, Thiru Vi-Ka and Anna awards.

Leaders condole death

Chief Minister ‘Edappadi’ K Palaniswami, in a statement, said, “Starting his career as a primary school teacher, Nannan had gone on to acquire a doctorate and teach in several institutions.”
Calling his death a personal loss, PMK founder S Ramadoss said in a statement, “He had introduced a new teaching methodology called ‘Nannan murai.”

Said VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan in a statement, “Apart from stressing the need to speak and write Tamil without mistakes, he also wrote books on how to do it.”

In a statement, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani said, “When MGR was Chief Minister, Nannan headed the committee formed for compiling Periyar’s history during the occasion of Periyar’s 100th anniversary.”

BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president S Thirunavukkarasar also condoled Nannan’s death.