DMK Patriarch D Karunanidhi passed away after battling illness in Kauvery hospital. (Express photo)
DMK stalwart and five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 94 after battling illness for a long time. His demise has left people across Tamil Nadu and hundreds of DMK cadres grieving for their leader.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Chennai today morning and paid tribute to Karunanidhi. He laid a wreath at Karunanidhi’s feet and bowed before his mortal remains and also briefly spoke to his family members. Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, HD Kumaraswamy are also expected to visit Chennai to pay their respects to late leader.
As a mark of respect for the five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned after leaders paid respect to Karunanidhi. The Madras High Court, which was hearing a plea over land for burial of M Karunanidhi, allowed Marina burial for the DMK leader.
Also read | M Karunanidhi (1924-2018): A Titan Departs | Follow LIVE Updates
DMK Patriarch M Karunanidhi passed away after battling illness in Kauvery hospital. (Express photo)
Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote to MK Stalin, expressing her condolences over the death of his father and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi. "I am deeply saddened at the passing away of your revered and beloved father, Thiru M Karunanidhi," she wrote.
Calling the DMK stalwart, 'a towering figure in the world of politics and public service', she hailed him as a leader who stood for social justice and equality.
She further said, "For me, Kalaignar's loss is very personal. He always showed me great kindness and consideration, which I can never forget. He was like a father figure to me."
The AIADMK government decided against challenging the Madras High Court order, which allowed the burial of the late veteran leader M Karunanidhi on the Marina beach.
Following the Madras HC order allowing burial of DMK leader's body on the Marina beach, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "I was unhappy yesterday, as the govt did not allow the Marina beach burial. I had called the CM but he was unavailable. I also personally called the PM in this regard."
She further said, "Yesterday, I had gone to their residence to pay tributes to Karunanidhi ji. He was the senior most leader and politician, legendary figure So, it is a great loss."
Calling it a conspiracy to deny the late DMK chief land for burial on the Marina beach, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewal said, "Huge setback for proxy callers of Delhi Durbar conspiring to deny Kalaignar his rightful Burial place. Rahulji strongly supported the idea of a memorial for Karunanidhi at Marina. Why are Central/State Govts silent? Huge victory of justice for DMK. Long live Kalaignar."
The emergence of M Karunanidhi as a top leader of the DMK, after C N Annadurai’s death in 1969, was also a time of emergence of Chennai as a metropolitan city. Within a year of Annadurai’s death, the population of Madras touched 25 lakh, with over 10 lakh people living in what the authorities called “slums”.
It was the political and social challenge of doing justice to this huge population that led to the formation of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB), a body tasked to provide quality living conditions for the city’s daily wage labourers, domestic help and working class population. And the goodwill behind constituting such a body was vividly described in the ‘motto’ drafted by the then rationalist CM Karunanidhi — “Ezhayin Sirippil Iraivane Kanbom” (We shall see God in the smile of the poor).
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M Karunanidhi, who passed away in Chennai on Tuesday, titled his autobiography, Nenjukku Neethi (justice in heart). The phrase taken from a popular song of the iconic poet, Subramania Bharati, is an apt summation of the DMK patriarch’s long and rich public life that spanned nearly eight decades. And foreshadowed the enduring faultlines of politics.
Karunanidhi’s politics engaged with a slew of ideas — secularism, caste, affirmative action, federalism, regional identity — and their role in public affairs. His demise comes when these issues are returning to the political centre stage as the nation moves towards another general election.
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This is where the late DMK chief M Karunanidhi will be laid to rest after Madras High Court granted the permission to bury the mortal remains of the leader on Marina beach.
Here's a list of dignitaries who will fly to Chennai to pay their respects to the DMK stalwart
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Justice (Retd) Sadhasivam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister of Telangana Chandrashekhar Rao, Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy, former Karnataka CM Veerappa Moily, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu
Prime Minister Modi reached Rajaji Hall to pay tribute to DMK stalwart Karunanidhi. He also met the family members and expressed his condolences. Earlier on Tuesday, Modi shared multiple pictures of him and Karunanidhi and said, "We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised. India and particularly Tamil Nadu will miss him immensely. May his soul rest in peace."
Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have been adjourned for the day as a mark for the five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi. A slew of politicians including Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal are expected to pay their tribute to the DMK chief.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a Dravidian Tamil Nationalist political party in Tamil Nadu has called for Bharat Ratna to be conferred upon Karunanidhi. "We also demand that his memorial be made near Anna Samadhi," VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan said, reported ANI
As the news of his death reached Karunanidhi's village Thirukkuvalai in Tamil Nadu, a pall of gloom descended on the district. Villagers paid floral tributes at a portrait of the DMK patriarch at his house. Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924 in the village and spent his childhood here. Situated in the heart of the village, his ancestral house -- a modest blue and white structure -- now houses a statue of his mother and two libraries named after his parents -- 'Muthuvelar Noolagam' and 'Anjugam Padippagam'.
Madras High Court's order allowing M Karunanidhi's burial on Marina beach led to emotional scenes at Rajaji Hall, as his son MK Stalin and senior leaders broke into tears.
Meanwhile, DMK cadres could be heard raising anti-AIADMK and anti-RSS slogans ahead of PM Modi's arrival at Rajaji Hall.
On the eve of his 86th birthday, Karunanidhi had donated his residence at posh Gopalapuram locality here in 2010 for setting up a hospital for the poor. The house named after his mother was donated to Annai Anjugam Trust ater his and his wife's lifetime. The hospital to come up at the place would be named Kalaignar Karunanidhi Hospital, it was announced.
Madras High Court granted the permission to bury DMK chief M Karunanidhi's mortal remains behind Anna Samadhi on Marina beach.
Karunanidhi, who was at the helm of power in Tamil Nadu for 19 years, leaves behind a legacy unparalleled in Indian politics. His death brings an era to a close in Tamil Nadu. The imprint of the five-time chief minister and legislator for over six decades is visible on almost every aspect of Tamil public life — politics, public administration, cinema, literature. Though MGR and Jayalalithaa could outsmart him in electoral politics, the ideological dynamic of their politics, too, was shaped by Karunanidhi. Read more
DMK acting president and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin paid an emotional tribute to his father. In a poem addressed to him, Stalin recounted how he addressed his father as ‘Thalaivare’ (leader) more than father. “This one time, can I call you Appa?” he asked.
“Thirty three years ago you decided the words to be written upon your headstone, ‘Here lies he who worked without any rest’. Did you leave with the satisfaction of having worked for this Tamil community?” Stalin asked, adding that Karunanidhi ran non-stop for 80 years to serve the public. “I beg for that strength and for the heart you borrowed from Aringar Anna. Will you give it to me, Thalaivare? With that charity, we will win over your unfulfilled wishes and dreams,” he wrote. Read more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Chennai airport, where he was received by Chief Minister E Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed outside Anna memorial at Marina beach in Chennai as hearing in the case against denial of burial land by Tamil Nadu Govt at Marina beach for M Karunanidhi continues at the Madras High Court.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon reach Chennai airport, from where he will be flown to INS Adyar before heading to Rajaji Hall. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will arrive at 1 pm.
The mortal remains of DMK chief M Karunanidhi being taken to his home in Chennai on Tuesday night. (PTI Photo)
Accusing the DMK of pursuing its political agenda by approaching the Court, the lawyer for Tamil Nadu government said, "DMK is pursuing political agenda by filing this case. DK Chief Periyar was the tallest leader of Dravidian movement. Was he buried at Marina beach?'
Thousands have flocked to Rajaji Hall in Chennai to pay homage to former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK leader M Karunanidhi, who died Tuesday after prolonged illness. Karunanidhi’s body was brought from his CIT Nagar residence to Rajaji Hall for the public to pay homage to their ‘Kalaignar‘. Read More
Express Cartoon by EP Unny
The lawyer presenting DMK in the case said to the state government, "You (state govt) have announced state mourning, why not give land for burial? There is no prohibition under the Central government protocol to allot land at Marina beach for ex-CMs."