Ayya Kumari Ananthan is no more !!

Very sad to know that Ayya Kumari Ananthan is no more ! – a man known for his literary style, simplicity, honesty and outwardly friendliness to people, he endeared to people by the way he lived and the principles he practised.

 

பாராளுமன்றத்தில் முதன் முதலில் தமிழில் பேசியவர் இன்று தமிழோடு காற்றில் கலந்துவிட்டார்  !!! 

Harikrishnan Nadar Ananthakrishnan, famously known  as Kumari Ananthan (19 March 1933 – 9 April 2025)  was a Nationalist par excellence,  was a leader of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, floated his own party and merged with Congress again.  He was a  Gandhian and renowned orator whose deep love for Tamil led him to successfully fight for the right to address Parliament in his mother tongue. 

Back in 1977 when Congress suffered defeat in Lok Sabha following emergency, Ayya Ananthan was  elected to the Lok Sabha from Nagercoil constituency as  Indian National Congress candidate in 1977 election.  This constituency had been earlier held by A Nesamony, Ayya Thanulinga Nadar and Perunthalaivar K Kamarajar himself.  However, Ananthan  was defeated in the 1996 and 1998 elections. Later he became a Member of the Legislative Assembly. He floated a new party called " Gandhi Kamaraj National Congress" breaking from Janatha party and had an alliance with AIDMK in the 1980 by election contesting 10 seats and winning 6 of them. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as a Gandhi Kamaraj National Congress candidate from Thiruvottiyur constituency in 1980, from Radhapuram constituency in 1984 &   Congress candidate from Sathankulam constituency in the 1989 and 1991 elections. 

His speeches and books in Tamil have a large fan following.   He also principally fought for ban on liquor, protecting Palm trees, integrating rivers and constructing Bharat Matha temple and went on padayatra.  His younger brother is entrepreneur (Vasanth & Co) H Vasanthakumar, whose son is a MP now.  His daughter Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan is a famous physician, who was the leader of State of Bharathiya Janata Party and who was    Governor of Telangana and Puducherry. 

In this passing away, TN has lost a sincere principled nice Gandhian.  He used to be a regular for Bharathi Vizha in every December at Bharathiyar Illam in Triplicane and here is a photo clicked at Barathi vizha in 2018.

 
With grief – S Sampathkumar
9.4.2025