Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian Politician,
Screenwriter, Editor, Publisher and the 3rd Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He
has served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five times on different
occasions. He is the head of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)Political
Party, based in Tamil Nadu. He became Chief Minister for the first time in
1969. On 13 May 2006, he became the Chief Minister for the fifth time. He is
also known for his script writing works in the Tamil film industry.
Early Life
Karunanidhi was born on 03 June 1924 in
Thirukkuvalai, Nagapattinam in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He is the son of
Muthuvelar Karunanidhi and Anjugam Karunanidhi. His Real name is Dakshinamurthy
and he has Tamil ancestry. Karunanidhi was more interested in drama, poetry,
and literature during his school days.
Career
He began his career as a screenwriter in the Tamil
film industry. He made his debut in the film Rajakumari in which he wrote the
script back in 1947, the film gained him popularity and he decided to continue
his career in the field. Later, he was inspired by the speech of Alagiriswami
of the Justice Party and step into the politics at his 14th age and
participated in Anti-Hindu agitations. He then founded an organisation for the
local youth and also circulated Manavar Nesan, a handwritten newspaper to its
member. He also started a newspaper which grew into ‘Murasoli‘, the DMK party’s
official newspaper.
Through his oratorical skills, he became a popular politician. He was famous for writing historical and reformist stories which propagated the socialist and rationalist ideals of the Dravidian movement. He used Tamil cinema to propagate his political ideas through the movie Parasakthi. Parasakthi was a turning point in Tamil cinema, as it causes the ideologies of theDravidian movement and also introduced two legend actors of Tamil film industry, Sivaji Ganesan and S. S. Rajendran.
In 1957, M. Karunanidhi was first elected to the
Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Kulithalai seat of Tiruchirapalli
district. He became the DMK treasurer in 1961 and the very next year, he became
the deputy leader of opposition in the state assembly.
When his party DMK came to power in 1967, he became the minister for public works. After the death of C.N. Annadurai in 1969, Karunanidhi became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He has served in various positions in the party and government during his long career in Tamil Nadu politics.
Karunanidhi suffered multiple electoral defeats
against his main opponent M.G. Ramachandran’s ADMK until the latter’s death in
1987. Karunanidhi became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1996. After
completing a full term, his party lost in the 2001 elections to J.
Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK.
After five years, Karunanidhi back to powers by
defeating J. Jayalalithaa in the 2006 elections. After another full term in
office, Karunanidhi lost to Jayalalitha’s AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly
elections. He is currently representing Tiruvarur constituency in Tamil Nadu
legislative assembly. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative
Assembly 12 times and once to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council.
Achievements
1967
– 1969
“Madras”
State was renamed as “Tamil Nadu”.
Act
to provide legal status to the Self-respect Marriages.
Two
language formula providing for Tamil and English.
Surrender
of Earned Leave and its encashment for Government Servants.
1969
– 1971
Nationalisation
of Transport.
Transport
Corporations established.
Electricity
to all the villages.
Link
roads to all the villages having a population of 1500.
Slum
Clearance Board.
Drinking
Water Supply and Drainage Board.
Free
Eye camps Scheme.
Beggars
Rehabilitation Scheme.
Abolition
of Hand-pulled Rickshaws and free distribution of Cycle Rickshaws.
Free
Concrete Houses for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Act
to provide conferment of ownership of house-sites (Kudiyiruppu Act); Act fixing
fair wages to farm labourers.
Police
Commission – First in India.
Separate
Ministry for Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes.
Constitution
of the Backward Classes Commission and increasing the quantum of reservation
for Backward Classes to 31 per cent from 25 per cent and for Scheduled Castes
to 18 per cent from 16 per cent.
Free
Education to all up to P.U.C.
May
Day declared as a Holiday with wages.
Birthday
of “Nabigal Nayagam” declared as a Holiday.
1971
– 1976
First
Agricultural University at Coimbatore
Family
Benefit Fund Scheme to Government Employees
Confidential
Reports on Government servants abolished.
Free
Housing Scheme to Fishermen.
“Karunai
Illam” in Temples for children.
Salem
Steel Plant.
Land
Ceiling Act, fixing 15 standard acres as the ceiling.
Second
Mine-Cut and Electricity Scheme at Neyveli.
Petroleum
and Industrial Chemicals at Thoothukudi.
Small
Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO).
SIPCOT
Complexes.
The
inclusion of Urdu Speaking Muslims in the list of Backward Classes, like Tamil
Speaking Muslims.
Abolition
of Land Tax on drylands.
“Manu
Neethi Thittam”.
Poompuhar
Shipping Corporation.
“Kongu
Vellalar” included in the list of Backward Classes.
Green
Revolution.
1989
– 1991
20
per cent separate reservation for Most Backward Classes including Vanniar and
Seer Marabinar.
18
per cent separate reservation for Scheduled Castes and 1 per cent for Scheduled
Tribes.
Free
Education to Most Backward Classes and subject to income ceiling to Backward
Classes up to Degree level.
Free
Education to Scheduled Castes and subject to income ceiling to women to Degree
level.
Free
Electricity to Farmers – First time in the Country.
Law
for equal property rights to women.
30
per cent reservation for women in Government services.
First
Veterinary and Animal Sciences University – First in Asia.
Financial
Assistance to poor girls for marriages.
Financial
Assistance to Widows for remarriages.
Financial
Assistance to encourage inter-caste marriages.
Direct
Paddy procurement centres.
Incentive
and payment of cart-hire charges for procurement from farmers.
Tamil
Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation established.
Financial
assistance to pregnant women.
Wage
hike for Government employees on par with the Central Government Employees with
retrospective effect.
Women’s
Self-Help groups benefiting 10 lakh women.
Manonmaniam
Sundaranar University.
Pavendhar
Bharathidasan University.
Dr.
M.G.R. Medical University.
Efforts
to set up Cauvery Tribunal.
1996
– 2001
Within
six months of assuming office, elections for local bodies and cooperatives.
33
per cent reservation for women in local bodies – by which 44,143 women
including 2 Women Mayors assumed office; of the two Women Mayors one belonged
to SC community.
‘Madras’
renamed as ‘Chennai’.
Single
window system for admission in Engineering and Medical colleges.
Transparent
New Industrial Policy.
Single
window system for obtaining all licenses for starting industries.
Improved
roads, new bridges.
Concrete
streets in villages.
Desilting
of rivers, tanks and canals on an unprecedented scale.
24-hour
Primary Health Centres.
For
the first time in India, MLA Constituency Development Fund.
Protected
water for all villages.
15
per cent reservation in professional courses for rural students.
Periyar
Memorial Samathuvapuram Scheme to eradicate caste discrimination.
Mini
Bus Scheme for Rural areas.
Dr.Ambedkar
Law University – First in India.
Periyar
University in Salem.
Tamil
Virtual University to help world Tamils.
Urdu
Academy.
Minorities
Economic Development Corporation.
Chennai
Film City named after MGR, by changing the name “J.J. Film City”.
Farmers
Market Scheme.
Varumun
Kappom.
Cattle
Protection Scheme.
Vazhvoli
Thittam in Schools.
133
feet high Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanniyakumari.
Tidel
Park in Chennai.
Computer
Training Scheme for Government college students.
Over
two lakh families given house sites in poramboke lands, where they were living
in houses constructed.
Community
Certificate, Nativity Certificate, Income Certificate on completion of 10th and
12th standards from the year 1999-2000.
Scheme
for grant of expenses of higher education for first three rank holders in State
and District levels in the 10th and 12thstandard examinations from the year
1996.
Bus
Terminal at Koyambedu in Chennai – Biggest in Asia.
Special
Scheme for the economic development of Southern districts.
Women’s
Small Trade Loan Scheme with saving scheme.
Separate
Welfare Board for agricultural labour.
Welfare
Boards for unorganised labour.
Manimandapam
for Tamil Scholars and martyrs.
Supply
of eggs with a nutritious meal.
Construction
of over 20 dams.
New
buildings for Collectorates in nine districts.
For
the first time Bench of High Court at Madurai;
Construction of buildings for it and for courts in various districts.
Free
bus passes for students.
Anna
Marumalarchi Scheme.
Nammaku
Naame Scheme.
Indigent
Family Welfare Scheme.
Rs.104
crore new buildings for Chennai General Hospital.
Reappointment
of 13,000 welfare workers.
For
the first time, 10,000 road workers appointed.
Nationalisation
of the works of Tamil scholars.
Nine
flyovers in Chennai.
350
electricity sub-stations (power) at Rs. 1500 crores.
Pension
scheme for contract labour.
Pension
Scheme for transport workers.
New
Medical colleges at Vellore, Tuticorin and Kanniyakumari districts.
Tamil
Virtual University.
2006
– 2011
1
Kg. of rice for 1 Rupee.
Distribution
of palm oil, red gram, black gram, suji, maida and fortified wheat flour under
the Special Public Distribution system at subsidised rates.
10
items of provisions at Rs.50.
A
cooperative loan of Rs. 7,000 crores waived to benefit 22 lakh 40 thousand and
739 families of farmers.
No
interest on crop loan to farmers who repay on time.
Enhanced
procurement rice at Rs.1050/- for common variety of paddy and Rs.1100/- for a
fine variety of paddy per quintal.
Renewal
of 117 old Uzhavar Sandhais and 45 new Uzhavar Sandhais.
Rs.2000
per tonne of sugarcane, including transport charges and incentive to sugarcane
farmers.
Linking
of rivers within the State: Cauvery – Gundaru Linking Project taken up at a
cost of Rs.189 crores.
Tamirabarani
– Karumeniyaru – Nambiyaru Linking Project taken up at a cost of Rs.369 crores.
Unorganised
Labour Welfare Boards numbering 31 established, including the Welfare Board for
Agricultural labour and enrolment of 2 crores 2 lakhs 21 thousand 564 members
in the Welfare Boards.
Disbursement
of 616 crores 43 lakhs 44 thousand and 832 rupees as financial assistance to 13
lakhs 6 thousand 492 members of the Unorganised Labour Welfare Boards.
Free
house-sites to 1 crore 58 lakhs 8 thousand and 288 families.
Kamarajar
Birthday celebrated as “Education Development Day” in all the schools – A
Special Legislation enacted.
5
Eggs / Bananas per week with Nutritious Noon Meal.
Free
Bus pass to 24 lakhs 82 thousand school students and 2 lakhs 99 thousand
college students every year.
Common
Entrance Examinations to Professional Courses scrapped.
Tamil
made a compulsory subject up to 10th Standard in all the schools.
Central
Institute of Classical Tamil shifted to Chennai from Mysore.
Kumbhabishekam
and renovations work carried out in 4724 temples at a cost of Rs.523 crores;
during the current year Kumbhabishekam 1100 temples at a cost of Rs.100 crores.
10,000
cycles on an estimate of Rs.277 lakhs, distributed to Archakas and Poojaris
free of cost.
Moovalur
Ramamirdham Ammaiyar Financial Assistance for marriages of poor girls increased
to Rs.25,000/- from Rs.10,000/-.
Financial
Assistance of Rs.6000/- disbursed to each of 20 lakh 11 thousand 517 poor
pregnant women.
A
new Medical Insurance Scheme for Government Servants for providing 2 lakhs
worth of medical assistance in a period 4 years.
Under
“Varumun Kappom Thittam” 18 thousand 742 camps have been conducted so far,
benefiting 77 lakhs 5 thousand and 8 persons.
“Nalamana
Thamizhagam Thittam” for a medical check-up to create awareness in regard to
heart disease, diabetics and cancer.
Under
the Kalaignar Insurance Scheme, 2 lakhs 70 thousand 265 poor people have got
their life-saving surgeries at a cost of Rs.702 crores.
Free
108 Emergency Ambulance Scheme with the Central assistance has benefited 8 lakh
8 thousand 907 persons so far; Further, lives of 42 thousand 232 persons have
been saved.
25
MoUs have been signed for starting 37 new industries on an investment of
Rs.46,091 crores, which would provide employment opportunities to about 2 lakh
52 thousand 569 persons.
Monthly
doles totalling Rs. 240 crores have been disbursed so far to 3 lakh 5 thousand
801 educated unemployed youth.
New
Employment to 4 lakhs 65 thousand 658 youth in Government offices.
Tidel
Parks at Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai and Tirunelveli.
Monthly
Maintenance Grant of Rs.200 increased to Rs.500 for 10 thousand differently
abled persons, who are severely affected.
So
far 4 lakhs 41 thousand 311 Self Help Groups for Women have been formed; Loan
assistance of Rs.6342 crores has been given to these SHGs so far.
Basic
infrastructural facilities have been created in 10 thousand 96 Village
Panchayats at a cost of Rs.2033 crores, under “Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi
Thittam”.
Basic
infrastructural facilities have been created in 420 Town Panchayats at a cost
of Rs.210 crores, under “Anaithu Peruratchi Anna Marumalarchi Thittam”.
Improvement
and maintenance works have been carried out on 57 thousand 787 kilometre long
roads at a cost of Rupees 12 thousand 94 crores.
4,945
Kilometer long roads have been broadened and converted to two-lane roads.
Local
Cess, Local Cess Surcharge and water charges have been scrapped. A national tax
of Rs.2 per acre of drylands and Rs.5 per acre of wetlands levied as a mark of
land-ownership.
Without
an increase in tariff 12 thousand 137 new buses plying on the roads; Further 300
new buses were added.
3
per cent separate reservation for Arunthathiyar Community.
Persons
of any caste can become Archakas in Temples – Legislation enacted to establish
an equitable society.
With
a view to creating a casteless society, 145 Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapurams
have already been established; 95 new Samathuvapurams are added.
World
class Anna Centenary Memorial Library at Kotturpuram-Chennai at a cost of
Rs.171 crores.
New
Secretariat-Assembly Complex in Omandurar Government Estate at a cost of
Rs.1200 crores.
Adyar
Ecological Research Park established at a cost of Rs.100 crores.
“Semmozhi
Poonga” in the heart of Chennai City.
Desalination
of Sea Water Project at Minjur, North Chennai.
Desalination
of Sear Water Project at Nemmeli, South Chennai.
Metro
Rail Project at a cost of Rs.14,600 crores with the assistance of Japan Bank
for International Cooperation.
Hogenekkal
Combined Water Supply Scheme at a cost of Rs.1929 crores with the assistance of
Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
Ramanathapuram
– Paramakudi Combined Water Supply Scheme at a cost of Rs.630 crores completed.
TESMA
and ESMA scrapped; Concessions withdrew from Government servants and teachers
have been given back to them;
Recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission have been implemented with
effect from 1.1.2006, on an annual expenditure of Rs.5,155.79 crores.
Kalaignar
Housing Schemes for converting 21 lakh huts into concrete houses in a period of
6 years.
Pension
for Pressmen increased from Rs.4000 to Rs.5000 and their family pension
increased from Rs.2000 to Rs.2500.
First
World Classical Tamil Conference held at Coimbatore in June 2010.
119
new Courts have been opened; Rs. 302 crores allocated for providing
infrastructural facilities in the Courts.
Action
has been taken to reduce the pendency of cases, by establishing Evening and
Holiday Courts, as per the recommendation of the 13th Finance Commission.
Anna
Technical University at Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli
established.
Rs.
331 crores allocated for filling 11,307 teacher vacancies and 648 non-teacher
vacancies in Government-Aided Minorities Schools.
Equitable
Education being implemented.
One
Man Commission has been appointed for fixing the fee structure in private
schools.
Movies
Ponnar
Shankar (2011)
Ilaignan
(2011)
Pen
Singam (2010)
Uliyin
Osai (2008)
Pasa
Kiligal (2006)
Kannamma
(2005)
Mannin
Maindhan (2005)
Puthiya
Parasakthi (1996)
Madurai
Meenakshi (1993)
Kavalukku
Kettikaran (1990)
Nyaya
Tharasu (1989)
Paasa
Paravaigal (1988)
Paadatha
Thenikkal (1988)
Neethikku
Thandanai (1987)
Palaivana
Rojakkal (1985)
Kaalam
Pathil Sollum (1980)
Pillaiyo
Pillai (1972)
Avan
Pithana? (1966)
Poomalai
(1965)
Poompuhar
(1964)
Kaanchi
Thalaivan (1963)
Iruvar
Ullam (1963)
Thayilla
Pillai (1961)
Arasilangkumari
(1961)
Kuravanji
(1960)
Pudhumai
Pithan (1957)
Pudhaiyal
(1957)
Raja
Rani (1956)
Rangoon
Radha (1956)
Malaikkallan
(1954)
Thirumbi
Paar (1953)
Panam
(1952)
Manohara
(1952)
Manamagal
(1952)
Parasakthi
(1952)
Manthiri
Kumari (1950)
Marudhanaattu
Ilavarasi (1950)
Abimanyu
(1948)
Rajakumaari
(1947)
Books
Sanga
Thamizh
Thirukkural
Urai
Ponnar
Sankar
Romapuri
Pandian
Thenpandi
Singam
Vellikizhamai
Nenjukku
Needhi
Iniyavai
Irubathu
Kuraloviam
His
books of prose and poetry number more than 100.
Karunanidhi’s
stage plays
Manimagudam
Ore
Ratham
Palaniappan
Thooku
Medai
Kagithapoo
Naane
Arivali
Vellikizhamai
Udhayasooriyan
Silappathikaram
