DMK politics will miss Karunanidhi's wit and wisdom

Apart from being a veteran political figure and statesman widely respected by political historians, Muthuvel Karunanidhi was also a man known for his repartee, oratorical prowess and wry wit that lended much colour to his career spanning over six decades.

In the DMK’s first state conference held in December 1951, a 27-year-old Karunanidhi materialised one of his first, big opportunities to speak to a large number of DMK cadre brimming with Tamil cultural pride. At a time when the seeds for a Dravidian movement had been sown, the young Karunanidhi in his address alluded to CN Annadurai as a warrior leading the people of Tamil Nadu to victory. This speech was met with thunderous applause.
A few years down the line, he had taken to politics full time, following his days as a famous script writer for Tamil movies drawing on Dravidian pride. It was during this time that the late DMK leader channelled his creative writing skills into public oratory which would help him turn adverse political situations around.


In 1968, when he was the elected transport minister of the state, Karunanidhi found himself at the centre of a scandal with the birth of his daughter Kanimozhi from second wife Rajathi Ammal. The opposing Congress, not wanting to miss the political opportunity attacked him on the floor with the question ‘Who is Rajathi?’. As the question turned into a chorus, Karunanidhi upon CN Annadurai’s advice stated, “She is the mother of my daughter, Kanimozhi”. The statement would go a long way in ensuring that the scandal did not have a tarnishing effect on his political persona.

Much later, as the outgoing Chief Minister in 2011, he would respond in an equally succinct statement when faced with the embarrassment of a landslide victory at the hands of his arch political rival, AIADMK supremo, J Jayalalithaa in the state assembly elections. On being asked about DMK’s loss in the elections despite spirited campaigns by the party, Karunanidhi would say, “The people have given me rest. I thank them.”

Another instance of a matter of fact response to loaded questions came in 2016. Despite announcing in 2013, that Stalin, his son would be the DMK’s next political heir, Karunanidhi was known not to be inclined towards offering chief ministership to his progeny, on a platter.

When quizzed on who would get the top job if the DMK won in the 2016 state elections, the 93-year-old said, “ If I win, I would be the Chief Minister for the sixth time.” This was at a time when he had become restricted to his wheelchair and when his health had deteriorated, allowing him very limited public appearances.

An avowed rationalist, Karunanidhi on many occasions had also raised eyebrows, and piqued curiosity with his comments on spiritual personalities and matters of religious significance.

In 2007, the DMK patriarch stoked controversy by questioning the existence of Lord Ram in relation to the Ram Sethu which finds mention in the Ramayana, as the mythical bridge on which he and his army crossed the sea to attack Ravana’s kingdom.He had asked, "Who is Rama?...When did he build this so-called bridge? Is there any evidence for this?"

At this time, the proposal was to create the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project passing through the limestone shoals of the Ram Sethu and this was opposed by religious groups, environmentalists and also economists on cost concerns. Even as Karunanidhi, an outspoken atheist, had incensed religious sentiments with his question at the time, he insisted that the Congress government at the Centre not bow down to communal forces and added that the project would not affect the DMK’s ties with the Congress.

In another incident that raised eyebrows, in 2011, after the demise of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, then Chief Minister Karunanidhi accompanied by son MK Stalin went to the ashram-town to pay his respects to the late spiritual leader.

With the air around the visit aflutter with questions on why a non-believer like him had personally attended the late Sai Baba’s final ceremony, Karunanidhi delivered the answer through his condolence message. “Although I am an atheist, Sai Baba had a great affection for me. In 2007, at a thanksgiving meeting for him I had even said service to man is service to God and there’s nothing wrong in politicians and spiritual leaders coming together for people’s welfare.”

The familiar, gravelly tone of his voice itself, heard by generations of Tamilians held so much value in the DMK’s political arsenal that even at a time when the nonagenarian had stopped speaking publicly due to old age, an audio clipping of his speech was used as a campaign tool for the DMK. Ahead of the assembly elections in 2016, the DMK launched an initiative where people could give a missed call to hear his speech, urging voters to “Vote for the DMK to remove the dark rule of the AIADMK and get the state to walk on the path of development”.

In his later years, despite age slurring his speeches, he was able to attract large number of cadres to his public appearances.

During his younger years, Karunanidhi was once asked what words he thought would be written on his tombstone after his demise.To this he had responded"? "Here rests a man who worked tirelessly in his life.”