Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M. Karunanidhi, who was one of the two poles in the state and who was in public life for 80 long years, died on Tuesday evening after waging a grim battle for life in a city hospital, leaving a void in the Dravidian politics and triggering nationwide mourning for an essentially regional leader.
"With deep anguish, we announce the demise of our beloved Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi at 6.20 p.m.," said a statement from Kauvery Hospital in the heart of Chennai where thousands of DMK cadres and fans have been camping for days hoping for a miraculous recovery.
"Despite the best possible efforts by a team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond. We profoundly mourned the loss of one of the tallest leaders of India and we share the grief of family members and fellow Tamilians worldwide."
The news of the 94-year-old mass leader's death cast a pall of gloom across the sprawling state which he had enticed all his political career through powerful oratory and script writing that changed the course of politics and the way Tamil cinema was made and helped the DMK's growth. He was just 14 when be became a student activist.
My thoughts are with the family and the countless supporters of Karunanidhi Ji in this hour of grief. India and particularly Tamil Nadu will miss him immensely. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/7ZZQi9VEkm
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2018
Men and women, who had been praying for their leader's recovery, wailed outside the hospital as news of his death broke. By then, Chennai was already tense, with residents stocking essentials like milk and vegetables anticipating a state-wide shutdown.
The mortal remains of the DMK President will be taken to his home in Gopalapuram here and then to Rajaji Hall for people to pay their last respects. The Tamil Nadu government announced a week-long mourning.
Press release from Kauvery Hospital - Admin pic.twitter.com/o52AioshPR
— KalaignarKarunanidhi (@kalaignar89) August 7, 2018
A DMK leader said Karunanidhi's mortal remains will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a host of Chief Ministers, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and several others from across the country are expected to fly to Chennai on Wednesday.
Denying Karunanidhi the resting place of his choice isn’t just stupid & cussed in the extreme, it’s politically suicidal. BJP should make TN govt fall in line, or Kalaignar’s ghost will haunt it and its puppet ADMK
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) August 7, 2018
Karunanidhi leaves two wives -- Dayalu and Rajathi, three sons including DMK Working President M.K. Stalin and former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, daughter Kanimozhi (MP) and several grandchildren.
The DMK patriarch, who had faded from public life for nearly two years, had been in and out of hospital on account of age-related ailments. His admission to the Kauvery Hospital early on July 28 followed a sudden dip in blood pressure.
Occasionally, the hospital claimed improvement in his condition. But on Monday it said there has been a decline in his health and that maintaining his vital organ functions continued to remain a challenge. It also said that his response to medical interventions over the next 24 hours would determine the prognosis.
Even on Tuesday evening, the hospital came out with a bulletin saying there had been a significant decline in the condition of Karunanidhi "over the last few hours". It said: "His condition is extremely critical and unstable."
காவேரி மருத்துவனையில் சிகிச்சை பெற்று வரும் தலைவர் கலைஞர் அவர்களை அகில இந்திய காங்கிரஸ் கட்சித் தலைவர் திரு. ராகுல் காந்தி @RahulGandhi அவர்கள் நேரில் சந்தித்து தலைவர் கலைஞர் அவர்களின் உடல்நலம் குறித்து மருத்துவரிடம் கேட்டறிந்தார். - Admin pic.twitter.com/cieRBsXPEH
— KalaignarKarunanidhi (@kalaignar89) July 31, 2018
Even before the grim bulletins were issued, Karunanidhi's family and the state appeared to be preparing for the inevitable.
Stalin accompanied by Alagiri and Kanimozhi and top leaders of the party met Chief Minister E. Palaniswami and pressed for Karunanidhi's body to be interred on the Marina Beach near DMK stalwart C.N. Annadurai's mausoleum. But the government declined the request.
Ahead of his death, the Tamil Nadu Police mobilized all its personnel across the state.
Karunanidhi, who only 10 days ago completed 49 years as DMK chief, led his party through various ups and downs against charismatic rivals M.G. Ramachandran, who had banished him to the opposition ranks till his own death in 1987, and J. Jayalalithaa, who died in 2016.
Political leaders in Tamil Nadu have always been larger than life.Kalaignar Karunanidhi ji was a giant among men for sure. But in every encounter that I had with him I was struck by his informality, his humour & his hearty laugh.The most celebrated men are always the most human..
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 7, 2018
From 1967, when the DMK ousted the Congress for ever from power in the state, Tamil Nadu has been ruled either by the DMK or AIADMK.
Succeeding his mentor Annadurai in 1969 as Chief Minister, Karunanidhi maintained a strong hold over the party and government.
Though he didn't aspire for politics beyond Tamil Nadu, the multi-faceted leader played key roles in national politics starting from when he aligned with Indira Gandhi in 1969 on issues like bank nationalisation and later in the formation of coalition governments under V.P. Singh, H.D. Deve Gowda, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
Loved by the Tamilian people, Kalaignar strode the stage of Tamil politics, like a colossus, for over 6 decades. In his passing, India has lost a great son. My condolences to his family as also to the millions of Indians who grieve for their beloved leader tonight.#Karunanidhi
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 7, 2018
Once the ethnic conflict erupted in Sri Lanka in 1983, Karunanidhi became a champion of the Tamil cause and, later, the Tamil Tigers, often putting pressure on New Delhi to change its course vis-a-vis Colombo. But the LTTE's assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 almost wiped out the DMK, leaving him as the sole winner in Assembly elections.
It was one of the 13 Assembly elections he never lost and which helped him rule Tamil Nadu five times.
As Chief Minister, he had pioneered several welfare schemes and introduced freebies in the country's politics. An avowed atheist, Karunanidhi was known for his trademark dark glasses as well as a yellow stole. The latter, critics felt, betrayed his hidden superstitious feelings.
Extremely pained by the sad demise of an exceptional politician & mass leader Kalaignar Karunanidhi ji. He was a great human being. His contributions to Tamil Nadu & national politics will always be remembered. My condolences to his family members & the party.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 7, 2018
NATIONAL FLAG TO FLY HALF-MAST ON WEDNESDAY
The national flag will fly half-mast on Wednesday as a mark of respect to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who died at a Chennai hospital on Tuesday, a government statement said on Tuesday.
"It has also been decided to accord state funeral to the departed leader. The funeral will take place at Chennai on Wednesday and the government of India will observe one-day state mourning throughout the country. There will be no official entertainment on the day," the Home Ministry statement said.
Modi Govt announces state funeral and nationwide mourning for Karunanidhi, who was not only their arch rival but also one of the biggest critics of the Hindu faith.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) August 7, 2018
There is strength in bigheartedness, the Tamil Nadu Govt must exhibit the same. No politics over the dead please.
ROW ERUPTS OVER MEMORIAL FOR KARUNANIDHI
A major controversy erupted on Tuesday night after the Tamil Nadu government declined DMK's request to allot space for burying the mortal remains of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi near party founder C.N. Annadurai's memorial at the Marina Beach.
The party filed an urgent petition before acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Kuluvadi Ramesh to press for a burial place on the Marina.
Why should a political Colossus like Karunanidhi, and there is no better word to describe his contribution to TN, not be given his due resting place at Marina Beach. Vendetta politics in life is one thing, but surely not in death. #Marina4Kalaignar
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 7, 2018
DMK workers resorted to violence after news broke out that Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan had declined the request due to legal issues.
Police had to use force to control the cadres even as Karunanidhi's body was shifted to his Gopalapuram residence.
According to Vaidyanathan, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said two acres land would be allotted for Karunanidhi's burial near Gandhi Mandapam on Sardar Patel Road which already houses memorials for K. Kamaraj and others.
A name that etched in the hearts & minds of every Tamilian for over six decades. Kalaignar #Karunanidhi will be remembered by the people of Tamil Nadu and India for a very long time. End of an era. -Sg #RIPKalaignar
— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) August 7, 2018
Earlier, family members of Karunanidhi led by DMK Working President M.K. Stalin and party officials met Palaniswami and sought space near Annadurai's memorial for burying Karunanidhi's body.
The government decision drew flak from opposition leaaders including MDMK's Vaiko, DMDK's Vijayakanth and PMK's S. Ramadoss who favoured a memorial on the Marina. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and the CPI(M) also joined the chorus.
A five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi died after battling age related ailments at Kauvery Hospital on Tuesday evening.
The mortal remains of AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran and his successor J. Jayalalithaa are buried near Annadurai's memorial on the Marina Beach.
