CN Annadurai

CN Annadurai ( Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai; Tamil : சி. என். அண்ணாதுரை Ci. Eṉ. Aṇṇāturai [ ˈaɳːaːðuɾɛi̯ ]; born September 15, 1909 in Kanchipuram ; † February 3, 1969 in Tamil Nadu ) was a politician and writer for stage ( playwright ) and film ( screenplay ) from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was one of the central figures of the Dravidian movement that emerged in Tamil Nadu at the beginning of the 20th century and postulated an independent identity of the Tamils as " Dravids " in contrast to the " Aryans " of northern India. Annadurai founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in 1949 and led it to power in the state of Madras (later Tamil Nadu) in 1967. Until his death in 1969 he held the post of Chief Minister (heads of government) of the state. By his followers CN Annadurai briefly Anna ( அண்ணா Anna [ aɳːɑː called]) and the honorary title Arignar ( அறிஞர் Arinar [ ariɲər intent] "Weiser").

Life

Adolescent years and studies

CN Annadurai was born on September 15, 1909 in the city of Kanchipuram in the north of today's state of Tamil Nadu as the son of the writer Natarajan and his wife Bangaru Ammal. He was raised by his aunt Rajamani. The family belonged to the weaving caste of the Sengunthar Mudaliar and lived in simple circumstances. In addition to the work of Annadurai's father, the income from a small plot of land and a weaving mill contributed to the family's livelihood. Young CN Annadurai went to school in Kanchipuram. In 1928 he continued his education at Pachaiyappa's College in Madras (Chennai). In Madras, Annadurai married his wife Rani at the age of twenty-one. The marriage remained childless, but the couple later adopted the grandchildren of Annadurai's cousin. After Annadurai had passed the intermediate examination in his studies with good success, the rector of the college arranged for him a scholarship that enabled him to start a BA honors program in 1931 , which he completed in 1934 , despite his tight financial situation . He then obtained an MA in economics and politics from the same college .

As a student, CN Annadurai discovered his talent as a writer and speaker. His first essay was published in Tamil Arasu magazine in 1932 . In college, Annadurai also studied the works of Old Tamil Sangam poetry and developed an enthusiasm for the classics of Tamil literature. Annadurai also came into contact with politics during his student days.

Rise in the self-respect movement and Justice Party

CN Annadurai with EV Ramasami

In the mid-1930s, CN Annadurai became a member of EV Ramasami's self-esteem movement and the Justice Party . EV Ramasami (called Periyar) was the most important leader of the Dravidian movement at the time , which postulated a separate identity for the Tamils ​​as “ Dravids ” versus the “ Aryans ” of northern India. At the same time, the self-respect movement and the Justice Party turned against the assumed social superiority of the Brahmins and the caste system as a whole.

While most of the political discourse at the time was in English, Annadurai was one of the few members of the Justice Party who could speak and write both Tamil and English. Therefore, he was hired to translate speeches from Justice Party leaders into Tamil. He also ran for the Justice Party in the Madras local elections, but was unsuccessful. The first meeting between CN Annadurai and EV Ramasami took place in 1935. After graduating, Annadurai decided to devote himself entirely to politics and became a protégé of Ramasami. From 1937 he worked as deputy editor of Ramasami's magazines Kudi Arasu and Viduthalai . Thanks to his education and especially his rhetorical talent, Annadurai soon rose to become an important figure in the self-respect movement.

In 1937-38, Annadurai took part in the protests following the decision by the Madras Congress government to make Hindi compulsory in state schools and was jailed for a seditious speech. As a result of the anti-Hindi protests, EV Ramasami first formulated the demand for an independent state Dravida Nadu , which was also taken over by CN Annadurai. When Annadurai founded his own magazine in 1942, he chose the programmatic title Dravida Nadu . The magazine, in which he published numerous articles and short stories under various pseudonyms, became Annadurai's most important mouthpiece.

Screenwriting career

Scene from Nallathambi (1949)

Originally to finance the unprofitable Dravida Nadu magazine , CN Annadurai began working as a playwright and founded an acting company in which he also played. His first play, Chandrodayam , premiered in 1943. Annadurai soon recognized the value of the theater as a means of propaganda and in the following years wrote other plays, all of which spread the social reformist and anti-Brahmin ideology of the Dravidian movement. In 1948 Annadurai wrote the screenplay for the film Nallathambi . He brought his political message to the screen for the first time and established the close connection between the Dravidian movement and the Tamil film industry. In the 1950s, Annadurai wrote further film scripts and, together with M. Karunanidhi , who also worked as a screenwriter, contributed to making Tamil film a vehicle for the DMK party. In the beginning, the popular Sivaji Ganesan , whom Annadurai had helped to make his breakthrough in 1945 with his play Sivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam , was the most important actor in the DMK film. In the mid-1950s, however, Ganesan turned away from the DMK and later on to the Congress Party. His position was taken over by the actor MG Ramachandran (called MGR), who contributed to the rise of DMK through his immense popularity and at the same time gained an increasingly important role in the party.

DK and foundation of DMK

DMK party flag

As early as 1940, CN Annadurai had become General Secretary of the Justice Party, which EV Ramasami had taken over as chairman a year earlier. After the Justice Party and the self-esteem movement merged in 1944 under EV Ramasami's leadership to form the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) organization , Annadurai rose to become the second man in the DK. However, conflicts soon emerged between CN Annadurai and his mentor. When EV Ramasami declared Indian Independence Day a day of mourning in 1947 because he feared the dominance of Brahmins and Northern Indians in independent India, Annadurai publicly opposed him and welcomed Indian independence. In contrast to EV Ramasami, Anandurai also spoke out in favor of participating in elections. Annadurai shared the ideology of the DK, but preferred a less radical and majority approach.

In the meantime, the differences seemed to have been resolved when EV Ramasami declared CN Annadurai his successor in 1948. Ultimately, however, the break came when EV Ramasami married his secretary Maniammai in 1949 and appointed her as his successor. Thereupon the party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) split off from the DK under the leadership of Annadurai . Around three quarters of the members of the DK joined the DMK. CN Annadurai emphasized that there were no ideological differences between DK and DMK and justified the split by saying that EV Ramasami had betrayed his own ideals by marrying Maniammai, who was over 40 years his junior. The post of party president of the DMK was symbolically left open for EV Ramasami, Annadurai took over the office of general secretary.

The rise of DMK

Under CN Annadurai's leadership, DMK managed to build a mass base in the 1950s. In the process, it de-radicalized itself considerably and carried out an ideological change to a position more compatible with the masses. Annadurai turned from the demand for the abolition of the caste system and a complete rejection of religion to the demand for social justice and rationalism, which is expressed in the often quoted sentence "There is only one caste and only one God" (a quote from Tirumandiram ) Expression comes.

After it had skipped the 1952 elections, the DMK stood for the first time in 1957 in the election to the parliament of the state of Madras, which was now newly formed according to the language borders of Tamil. CN Annadurai was among the first 15 MPs to enter parliament as a result of the election for the DMK. The next election in 1962 saw the DMK as the strongest opposition force behind the ruling Congress party. Annadurai was defeated by a congressional candidate in his constituency and missed re-entry into the state parliament. Instead, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha , the all-Indian upper house, that same year .

In his inaugural address as a Rajya Sabha MP, Annadurai reiterated the call for an independent Dravida Nadu. A little later, however, the DMK moved away from the demand for secession. When the Indo-Chinese border war broke out in October 1962 , Annadurai sided with the central government. The DMK finally gave up the demand for an independent Dravida Nadu in 1963. In doing so, she avoided the threat of being banned by the Indian central government because of her secessionist efforts. The demand for political and cultural autonomy of the states within the Indian Union replaced the demand for statehood. This was evident in the rejection of plans by the Indian central government to make Hindi the sole official language of India. In 1965 violent protests broke out in Madras state over the planned introduction of Hindi as the official language, during which five people publicly burned themselves to death and over 60 protesters were shot by the police. As a consequence of the anti-Hindi protests, it was decided to keep English as an official language with equal rights until further notice.

As Chief Minister

In 1967, DMK won the elections in the state of Madras for the first time. In the run-up to the elections, the DMK campaign focused on language issues and economic issues. The Congress party that had ruled up to that point was punished for its role in the introduction of Hindi and the prevailing price increase. After the DMK won the election, Annadurai was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madras on March 6, 1967. His reign saw the introduction of price subsidies for rice a series of symbolically important decisions that served Tamil nationalist sentiments. His government legalized self-respect weddings, abolished compulsory Hindi classes in state schools, and initiated the renaming of Madras state to Tamil Nadu.

Annadurai's time as Chief Minister was short-lived. In September 1968 he was diagnosed with oral cancer. Medical treatment in the United States was unsuccessful, so that Annadurai died on February 3, 1969 from cancer.

CN Annadurai's death caused great consternation in Tamil Nadu. One day after his death, Annadurai was buried on the north end of Madras' city beach, Marina Beach . Annadurai's funeral was attended by 15 million people, according to press reports. The Guinness Book of Records lists it as the largest burial in history. 30 people were killed when they tried to travel on the roof of an overcrowded train to Annadurai's funeral in Madras and were crushed while crossing a railway bridge over the Kollidam River.

Afterlife

Political legacy

Annadurai statue with DMK party flag

CN Annadurai left a considerable political legacy. After his death, M. Karunanidhi took over the office of Chief Minister and Party Chairman. He still leads DMK today. In 1972, under MG Ramachandran, the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK, later renamed All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, AIADMK) party split from the DMK. MG Ramachandran accused Karunanidhi of betraying the ideals of Annadurai and subscribed to the politics of "Annaism". Due to his enormous popularity, MG Ramachandran succeeded in bringing the AIADMK to power in the next election in 1977 and to remain in the office of Chief Minister until his death in 1987. After his death, his long-time film partner J. Jayalalithaa took over the management of the AIADMK and has since alternated regularly with M. Karunanidhi as Chief Minister. Since 1967, the state of Tamil Nadu has been ruled continuously by the DMK founded by Annadurai and the AIADMK that was split off from it.

Both the DMK and the AIADMK are aggressively referring to Annadurai's legacy. While Karunanidhi continued Annadurai's culturally nationalist politics and presented himself as a promoter of the Tamil language and culture, MG Ramachandran and his successor Jayalalithaa took over Annadurai's populism and presented themselves as leaders close to the people.

Appreciations

Annadurai's statue on the campus of the Anna University named after him

CN Annadurai is an object of great reverence in Tamil Nadu to this day. A monumental memorial was built at his grave site: Annadurai's grave is marked by a black obelisk and is located in the middle of a two hectare park-like memorial, which is entered through a gate in the form of an oversized triumphal arch. Annadurai's grave monument has developed into a real pilgrimage site.

In practically all cities of Tamil Nadu there are statues of Annadurai, which are regularly wreathed with flowers on the occasion of the anniversary of his birthday. Countless institutions, streets, squares etc. have been named after Annadurai. In the capital Chennai, the main street of the city ( Anna Salai ), a district ( Anna Nagar ), the technical university ( Anna University ), the international terminal of the Chennai airport (Anna Terminal) and the zoological garden ( Arignar Anna Zoological Park ) the name Annadurais.

Stage and film

Annadurai processed his political ideas in essays, short stories and plays and used the Tamil film for party propaganda (DMK film) from the start. Annadurai has also worked as a playwright since the 1940s. Most of his plays have social themes such as the exploitation of women and the socially disadvantaged. In Kambarasan it criticized the heroization of the Aryans in the Ramayana . He wrote the historical piece Shivaji Kanda Indhu Rajyam about the Marathi king Shivaji , with whom Sivaji Ganesan became known and from whom he derived his stage name.

After his own play of the same name, Annadurai wrote the script for Velaikkari (1949) and began using film to promote his party. This was followed by Nallathambi (1949), Ore Iravu (1951), Sorgavasal (1954) and Nallavan Vazhvan (1960). Annadurai's novel Rangoon Radha was turned into a film script in 1956 by his professional and party colleague M. Karunanidhi. The propaganda films included numerous references to party symbols, colors and anagrams of the party leaders. The performers, stylized as stars, held monologues of up to 30 minutes in length at a suitable place (e.g. pleadings in a courtroom), which contained excerpts from Annadurai's political speeches or ideologies of DMK.

Footnotes

1. ↑ The name of the place of birth, Conjeevaram (= Kanchipuram), and the patronymic Natarajan are abbreviated in front of the name, as is customary in South India, Annadurai is the nickname. Family names are not common in South India.
2. ↑ R. Kannan: Anna. The Life and Times of CN Annadurai, New Delhi 2010, pp. 5-6.
3. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 7–9.
4. ↑ Kannan 2010, p. 13.
5. ↑ Kannan 2010, p. 5.
6. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 11-12.
7. ↑ Kannan 2010, p. 13.
8. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 10-11.
9. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 34-37.
10. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 37-38.
11. ↑ Kannan 2010, p. 44.
12. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 44-46.
13. ↑ Kannan 2010, p. 53.
14. ^ Marguerite Ross Barnett: The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India, Princeton 1976, p. 53.
15. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 72-76.
16. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 76-80.
17. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 87-94.
18. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 114–115.
19. ↑ Kannan 2010, pp. 122-124.
20. ↑ Barnett 1976, pp. 72-76.
21. ↑ Barnett 1976, p. 89.
22. ↑ Kannan, pp. 220-222.
23. ↑ Kannan pp. 260-262.
24. ↑ Kannan p. 263.
25. ↑ Kannan p. 265.
26. ↑ Dagmar Hellmann Rayanayagam: Tamil. Language as a political symbol, Wiesbaden 1984, p. 134 f.
27. ↑ Barnett, pp. 135-137.
28. ↑ Guinness Book Records , 1986 UK edition, "Religions, accidents and disasters", p. 219.
29. ↑ Kannan 2010, p. 3.
30. ↑ Jakob Rösel: The shape and emergence of Tamil nationalism, Berlin 1997, p. 139.
31. ↑ cf. Rösel 1997, pp. 108-124.
32. ↑ Rösel 1997, pp. 90-91.
33. ^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema . P. 91 - Article on DMK Film

literature

• Marguerite Ross Barnett: The Politics of Cultural Nationalism in South India. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976.
• Dagmar Hellmann-Rayanayagam: Tamil. Language as a political symbol. Stuttgart: Steiner-Verlag Wiesbaden, 1984.
• R. Kannan: Anna. The Life and Times of CN Annadurai. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2010.
• Jakob Rösel: The Shape and Origin of Tamil Nationalism. Berlin, Duncker and Humblot, 1997.

Web links

Commons : CN Annadurai  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• biography
• Complete list of works ( Memento from December 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive )