Recalling his verse in the poet’s symposium in Salem in 1974 on the 41st Remerance day of Thanthai Periyar on Dec 24, DMK President Kalaignar said that Periyar will live forever in our memories.
In a statement, Kalaignar said his memories “went back by 41 years when on December 24, 1973 at 7.40 a.m. Thanthai Periyar, our political teacher including for Arignar Anna, father of self-respect movement, first lieutenant of anti-Hindi struggle, who spread the light of rationalism in TN, social reform revolutionary after Gautama Buddha, one who first introduced views of egalitarianism in South India, protector of DMK rule, incomparable leader of the Dravidar Kazhagam, rationalist lion, historic hero serving society, one who taught us all self-respect, guide of the Tamil race, passed away at Vellore hospital.
“The news spread and comrades of the movement and women cried aloud that ‘what should not happen has happened; the revolutionary life of field marshal in the war of reform has come to an end’. On leaning the report I could not comprehend as to do what. The days of my association with Periyar came to my eyes one after the other. As I was the Chief Minister then, I thought about the duty of gratitude that I had to discharge to that teacher of wisdom who brought me up. Wishing to carry out his last journey with state honour, I summoned the Chief Secretary and told him to make arrangements for it and arrange for placing the body of Periyar at Rajaji Hall for the public to pay their last respects”, Kalaignar said.
When officials told him that there was no way for State honour as Periyar was not in any official capacity, Kalaignar said he told them, “As we wished, state honour should be accorded to Thanthai Periyar. If a situation arises for the dismissal of the DMK government due to that, there cannot be a greater gain for me. Hence without bothering about consequences, look after what has to be done”. Accordingly arrangements were made.
Periyar’s body was immediately brought to Chennai and placed at Rajaji Hall for people’s playing respects. In the final journey of Periyar, several lakh people participated. In the last procession, Kalaignar and his Cabinet colleagues, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar, K. Veeramani, Annai Maniammayar, Ma.Po.Si, and many leaders of Tamil Nadu participated. Kamarajar hugged and consoled him. Even then and now also various incidents of his association with Periyar were coming to his memory, Kalaignar said.
Kalaignar recalled the incident of attack on him during the conference of the party at Puducherry and panicked over his missing Periyar and Anna searching and finding him early in the morning to take him to their place of stay, Periyar applying balms for the wounds he sustained and thereafter taking him to Erode to work in his ‘Kudiyarasu’ journal office to serve as assistant editor. He could not forget Periyar’s appreciation for his articles under the captions “Annamalaikku Arohara” and “Theettaayiduthu” and his joining Periyar in the anti-Hindi agitation in Tiruchi.
Kalaignar said that he could not also forget Anna and then all going to Tiruchi to see Periyar after the DMK’s victory in the 1967 general elections and his writing about the meeting and the list would go on.
On this 41st Remembrance Day, Kalaignar recalled the verse he wrote for the poets meet at Salem in 1974,
“He had moustache like that of Bengal Tagore;
He had straight look like the angry tiger;
He had in body the complexion of a red hill;
In his eyes which are like the white conch shell,
his eyeballs are like the black bee,
and in them is the Light till death comes with guarantee!
Even a top comes to rest after revolving fast;
But he, though grown old, revolved like a top without rest!
Thanthai Periyar lived entire –
as a volcano, as the burning fire,
as the play of nature,
as the thundering sound that makes enmity tremble,
as the great torch of fire of race feeling available,
as the cruel sword that cuts off degradations that tie,
as Ingersoll who refused the existence of God under the sky,
as Socrates of Athens city who always argued high,
as diamond-hearted Voltaire to question why!
But today he fell on the lap of death!”
and said that he would greet him to live forever in our memories.
In a statement, Kalaignar said his memories “went back by 41 years when on December 24, 1973 at 7.40 a.m. Thanthai Periyar, our political teacher including for Arignar Anna, father of self-respect movement, first lieutenant of anti-Hindi struggle, who spread the light of rationalism in TN, social reform revolutionary after Gautama Buddha, one who first introduced views of egalitarianism in South India, protector of DMK rule, incomparable leader of the Dravidar Kazhagam, rationalist lion, historic hero serving society, one who taught us all self-respect, guide of the Tamil race, passed away at Vellore hospital.
“The news spread and comrades of the movement and women cried aloud that ‘what should not happen has happened; the revolutionary life of field marshal in the war of reform has come to an end’. On leaning the report I could not comprehend as to do what. The days of my association with Periyar came to my eyes one after the other. As I was the Chief Minister then, I thought about the duty of gratitude that I had to discharge to that teacher of wisdom who brought me up. Wishing to carry out his last journey with state honour, I summoned the Chief Secretary and told him to make arrangements for it and arrange for placing the body of Periyar at Rajaji Hall for the public to pay their last respects”, Kalaignar said.
When officials told him that there was no way for State honour as Periyar was not in any official capacity, Kalaignar said he told them, “As we wished, state honour should be accorded to Thanthai Periyar. If a situation arises for the dismissal of the DMK government due to that, there cannot be a greater gain for me. Hence without bothering about consequences, look after what has to be done”. Accordingly arrangements were made.
Periyar’s body was immediately brought to Chennai and placed at Rajaji Hall for people’s playing respects. In the final journey of Periyar, several lakh people participated. In the last procession, Kalaignar and his Cabinet colleagues, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar, K. Veeramani, Annai Maniammayar, Ma.Po.Si, and many leaders of Tamil Nadu participated. Kamarajar hugged and consoled him. Even then and now also various incidents of his association with Periyar were coming to his memory, Kalaignar said.
Kalaignar recalled the incident of attack on him during the conference of the party at Puducherry and panicked over his missing Periyar and Anna searching and finding him early in the morning to take him to their place of stay, Periyar applying balms for the wounds he sustained and thereafter taking him to Erode to work in his ‘Kudiyarasu’ journal office to serve as assistant editor. He could not forget Periyar’s appreciation for his articles under the captions “Annamalaikku Arohara” and “Theettaayiduthu” and his joining Periyar in the anti-Hindi agitation in Tiruchi.
Kalaignar said that he could not also forget Anna and then all going to Tiruchi to see Periyar after the DMK’s victory in the 1967 general elections and his writing about the meeting and the list would go on.
On this 41st Remembrance Day, Kalaignar recalled the verse he wrote for the poets meet at Salem in 1974,
“He had moustache like that of Bengal Tagore;
He had straight look like the angry tiger;
He had in body the complexion of a red hill;
In his eyes which are like the white conch shell,
his eyeballs are like the black bee,
and in them is the Light till death comes with guarantee!
Even a top comes to rest after revolving fast;
But he, though grown old, revolved like a top without rest!
Thanthai Periyar lived entire –
as a volcano, as the burning fire,
as the play of nature,
as the thundering sound that makes enmity tremble,
as the great torch of fire of race feeling available,
as the cruel sword that cuts off degradations that tie,
as Ingersoll who refused the existence of God under the sky,
as Socrates of Athens city who always argued high,
as diamond-hearted Voltaire to question why!
But today he fell on the lap of death!”
and said that he would greet him to live forever in our memories.
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