CHENNAI: Veteran Congress leader and noted orator in Tamil, Kumari Ananthan who fought for and succeeded in addressing the Parliament in Tamil language has died, his family said on Wednesday.
He was 92 and he passed away around 12.15 am, Wednesday.
Kumari Ananthan is survived by a son and four daughters, including senior BJP leader and former Governor of Telangana, Tamilisai Soundararajan.
In his condolence message, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said Ananthan's death is a huge loss for the Tamil society. Praising him as a disciple of Congress icon and former Chief Minister K Kamaraj, Stalin said Ananthan earned people's respect through his hard work and served the people as an MP once and four times as an MLA. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai and leaders of parties condoled Ananthan's death.
Stalin said: "The credit for establishing the right to speak in Tamil in the Parliament will go only to him." The chief minister recalled late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's praise for Ananthan in this regard. Further, he said that Ananthan dedicated his life for serving the Tamil language and in order to honour him, the Tamil Nadu government conferred the Thagaisal Tamizhar (Eminent Tamilian) Award on him. "He will be in our hearts," Stalin said and conveyed his condolences and sympathies to Ananthan's family members including Tamilisai Soundararajan and Congress party workers.
Born at Agastheeswaram in Kanyakumari district on March 19, 1933, he was elected to Parliament from Nagercoil constituency in 1977 and he is well known for his 'padyatras' propagating among others, Gandhian ideals. 'Kumari' is a reference to Kanyakumari district. "Ilakiya selvar," which denotes profound knowledge in literature is Ananthan's well known sobriquet.
Tamilisai Soundararjan praised her father for his unblemished political career, love for the Tamil language and his principled, disciplined life, whose journey started from a small village in Kanyakumari district.