CHENNAI: With the demise of Kalyanasundaram Anbazhagan (97), the last voice of the first generation of Dravidian movement, has ceased. One of the close associates of Dravidian stalwarts — EV Ramasamy (Periyar), CN Annadurai (Anna) and M Karunanidhi — the veteran leader was a witness to events that shaped Tamil Nadu for around 80 years. A nine-time general secretary of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and nine-time MLA for over four decades, Anbazhagan has left a vacuum in Dravidian politics. His demise came four years after he bid adieu to electoral politics in April 2016.
Anbazhagan was born in 1922 at Kattur near Thiruvarur in a family where politics was a part of everyday life. His father Kalyanasundaram was a Congress functionary along with Periyar. When Periyar snapped ties with Congress in 1925, Kalyanasundaram was among those who left the party. Hence, Anbazhagan was enthralled by the ideals of Periyar at a very young age. He even changed his name Ramaiah to Anbazhagan in 1942 after being attracted by the ‘Pure Tamil Movement’ led by Tamil scholar Maraimalai Adigal.
Like many senior leaders of the Dravidian movement, Anbazhagan too was a good orator and had an inimitable style — that of a professor explaining lessons. Rarely did his speeches conclude without touching on Tamil pride and quotes of Periyar and Anna. For the first time, he addressed a public meeting in the presence of Anna in 1942 at Thiruvarur. When Anna was called to deliver his speech, unexpectedly, he introduced a frail youth Anbazhagan and asked him to address that meeting. Thus began the innings of Anbazhagan as an orator.
An ardent Tamil lover who preached and practised use of Tamil, this did not automatically mean Anbazhagan was against other languages. Well-versed in English, he never used it to trumpet his skills in that language. When reporters asked questions in English, he replied in that language. In the State Assembly, he spoke in English only when absolutely necessary. One of his important oratorical qualities was that he avoided personal attacks and unsavoury remarks. S Thirunavukkarasu, historian of the Dravidian movement, hails Anbazhagan as one of the ‘knowledge capitals’ of the movement. “The last voice of the Dravidian movement’s first generation has taken rest. In his professorial way, Perasiriyar, as he was popularly known, was instrumental in conceiving the principles and expounding it to the people in their language.”
Thirunavukkarasu also underscored the fact that the ‘Vanguard Circle’ of the Dravidian movement needed Anbazhagan very much when it was taking roots. He was a great teacher in professing the ideologies of Dravidian movement to its foot soldiers. “Once Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi) said: We speak for you (people); but Perasiriyar speaks for us (peers of the movement). The vacuum left by Perasiriyar cannot be filled. DMK cadre should steadfastly tread the path in the future on the way shown by him,” Thirunavukkarasu says. Anbazhagan was a leader who commanded respect even from his political adversaries and bitter critics. Former editor of Thuglak, Cho S Ramaswamy, a die-hard critic of Dravidian politics, had praised Anbazhagan’s disciplined conduct as a party functionary. “He was an example for how senior leaders of political parties should conduct themselves. He always held the party more important than personal aims,” Cho had commented.
When Dravidar Kazhagam faced tough times in 1948 and 49 due to differences of opinion between Periyar and Anna, Anbazhagan argued for formation of a separate party to further the Dravidian ideals. After many rounds of discussions, Anna made the decision to launch DMK. This was recalled by Anbazhagan himself in the DMK conference at Erode in 1980. His understanding of the ways and style of functioning of Periyar and Anna was amazing. There had been a great deal about the difference of opinion between Periyar and Anna in the late 1940s. But Anbazhagan drew a balance between by putting their thinking in perspective. “Periyar used to express his views straightaway and will have that view as his goal. But, Anna used to take a decision by consulting the colleagues since he was of the view that only democratic functioning would nurture the growth of a movement. While Periyar will give importance to his ideals, Anna will ponder how the ideal can be made successful and who can work towards that etc.,” he reasoned.
At the age of 11, Anbazhagan joined protests against the Mahamaham festival at Kumbakonam in 1933 protesting the unhygienic maintenance of the tank. Anbazhagan authored 41 books in Tamil on Dravidian ideology and the need for redeeming the glorious past of Tamils. As number two in the party and also in the State cabinet after Karunanidhi, he handled education and finance portfolios. Interestingly, there was a time Anbazhagan declared he would not accept Karunanidhi as his leader. After the death of Anna, Karunanidhi was elected party president. But speaking at a meeting to felicitate Karunanidhi as party chief, Anbazhagan said, “I will not accept him as a leader, but can accept him only as a thalapathi.” However, in the later years, Anbazhagan worked with Karunanidhi all along and remained on the right side of the latter.