Recently I have read a new book on Dr C N Annadurai who was a great statesman of Tamil Nadu. This year marks 110th year of Annadurai and 50 years after death. In the first two decades of Independent India he had contributed immensely to strengthening the democracy in India. He was pioneer in cooperative federalism in India.
He is fondly called Anna. He is the founder of a political party and first one to defeat the Indian National Congress at regional level in 1967 in Tamil Nadu.
"Anna was a rare leader. He would have dominated the national political stage if he had chosen so. Instead, he epitomised Tamil pride, personifying honesty, simplicity and caring. He never held a bank account until his aides insisted he open one for deposit of his salary as Chief Minister. Once an old associate brought an industrialist to him for a favour. "Until yesterday you had always brought the poor," he observed, regretting the changing priorities of his follower."
He has written widely both in Tamil and English in his quest to discover the ancient heritage of Tamil language, Tamil history, Indian history and economy etc. Mr Kannan wrote a biography of Annadurai.
"Popularly known as "Anna" or elder brother, Annadurai was much loved. It is said that vendors and servicemen would refuse to accept payment from him. Barely five foot three and devoid of arresting physical features, Anna's unpretentious humanity, affection and intellect marked him out. His versatile pen delivered evocative plays (eliciting comparisons to Bernard Shaw), stories, scripts and essays. His speeches dazzled listeners as much for their kaleidoscopic alliterations, metaphors and his unorthodox syntax use, as for their content. Such was his appeal that on occasion tickets were sold for his speeches."
Dr Anna's speeches in Indian upper house of Parliament are extremely rich in knowledge and lucid understanding of various issues both domestic and international.
The following are some of the most interesting aspects of his writings related to political economics are listed below, its worth read:
MOSCOW Mob Parade
(This is the first English article written by Perarignar Anna, When he was a student of the Panchaiyappa’s College, in 1933, which was published in the College Magazine)
"Any elementary book on economic will tell us that Land, labour, Capital and Organization are the four agents of production. It is true to say that Capital is as necessary for production, as labour is. But the problem is which of these deserves more consideration. A labourer works hard but the direction comes from the Capitalist. Whether the concern gets profit or not, a labourer gets his annas and never cares for either the prosperity of the Capitalist or the comfort of the consumer, whereas, the Capitalist spends sleepless nights in devising plans, and determining the nature and quantity of the demand that is likely to arise. Failure means to him not only a risk of parting with his capital, but also a good-bye to honour. A failure means an ‘I.P.’ and it is by no means a decent degree. So when through his efforts, the Capitalist gets profit he demands a greater share in it. Or, when the Capitalist is not capable of ‘brainwork’, he hires the services of a ‘D.Com’ and shares the profit with that organizer."
"Shelly and Byron, Keats and Coleridge, Emerson and Bacon-they are not foreign to us in the strict sense of the term. Is Tiruvalluvar a mere Tamilian? They are all world citizens – world teachers. And the language enshrining their thoughts is not to be discarded just because it comes from another country. That we are not going to accord a higher status to English is borne out by the fact that we have accepted and are implementing with due caution the principle of making Tamil the medium of instruction in colleges –progressively."
his vision was
A world without the
Beggar’s out-stretched
Palm, the miser’s
Heartless, stony stare,
The piteous wail of
Want, the pallid face
Of crime, the
Livid lips of lies,
The cruel eyes
Of scorn,
A race without
Disease of flesh or
Brain, shapely and
Fair, the married
Harmony of form and
Use-where
Life lengthens, fear
Dies, joy deepens,
Love intensifies, and
Man regains his
Dignity."
PEOPLE'S POET- poetic genius of Subramania Bharathi, Dr. Arignar C.N.Annadurai, M.A. Delivered his first English Speech in All India Radio on "PEOPLE'S POET" (Year 1948)
