Annadurai

Conjeevaram Narayanaswami Annadurai, commonly known as Annadurai or Anna, was an Indian politician, writer, and orator who played a pivotal role in Tamil Nadu politics and the Dravidian movement. Born on 15 September 1909 in Conjeevaram (present-day Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu), he began his career as a journalist and activist, using Tamil language and culture to advocate social reform and political change.

In 1949, Annadurai co-founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) after leaving the Indian National Congress, positioning the party as a secular, socialist alternative that emphasized Tamil identity. Under his leadership, the DMK rose to power, and in 1967 he became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the first non-Congress government to rule the state. His administration pursued welfare and social justice policies, expanded education, and promoted state patronage of the Tamil language. He was a vocal opponent of Hindi imposition, leading mass protests in the mid-1960s that reinforced Dravidian political currents in the state.

Annadurai remained in office until his death on 3 February 1969 in Chennai. His passing precipitated a continuation of DMK leadership under M. Karunanidhi, who would go on to become Chief Minister and a central figure in Tamil politics. Annadurai’s legacy endures in the DMK’s ideology, which stresses social welfare, language pride, and Tamil identity. He is widely remembered as a formative figure in modern Tamil Nadu politics and is often honored with the title Puratchi Thalaivar (Revolutionary Leader) by his followers.