E. V. K. Sampath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- In this Indian name, the name "Erode Venkatta Naicker Krishnasamy" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, "Sampath". The abbreviations "s/o" or "d/o", if used, mean "son of" or "daughter of" respectively.
| E. V. K. Sampath | |
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| Died | February 23, 1977 |
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Sulochana Sampath |
| Children | E. V. K. S. Elangovan |
Erode Venkatta Naicker Krishnasamy Sampath Tamil: ஈரோடு வெங்கட நாயகர் கிருஷ்ணசாமி சம்பத்), usually referred to as E. V. K. Sampath was a prominent politician from Tamil Nadu, India. He was an advocate of Dravidian Movement of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and was considered by some as his political heir.[1] He later split from Periyar's Dravidar Kazhagam to form Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) along with C. N. Annadurai.[2] In spite of being one of the founders of DMK[2] he later left and formed his own party, by the name, Tamil National party. Nevertheless, he later merged his party with the Indian National Congress.[3] He is a former Member of Parliament from the constituency of Namakkal[4]
He belonged to a politically active family. He was nephew of Periyar and his father was an active politician himself. He is also the father of other prominent politicians of Tamil Nadu, namely, E. V. K. S. Elangovan and Iniyan Sampath and his wife Sulochana Sampath too was in active politics, holding high ranks within the Tamil Nadu government.[3]
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[edit] Family
Sampath was born in a Kannada speaking Balija Naidu family as the son of E. V. Krishnasamy, the elder brother of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy. Krishnasamy had extended extensive support to Periyar in his struggle for self-respect and social justice, and was one of the publishers of the journal Kudiarasu (Republic), the party organ for Justice party. Through Kudiarasu, Periyar and Sampath would publish articles against the British Raj. For this support to the journal he was arrested.[3]
In the year 1946 Sampath married Sulochana the daughter of Thirupathur G. Samy Naidu who was one of the pillars of the Justice party. Much later in life Sulochana Sampath will hold various high positions in the Tamil Nadu State Government including member of social welfare board, syndicate member of Annamalai University, Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Text Book Society and Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. Their first daughter Dr. Nagammal Venkatesh M.D, Fellow of American board of Nuclear Medicine is a Medical Practitioner in California. Their second child E.V.K.S. Elangovan is a former President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and at present a Union Minister of State for Textiles. Their third child Gouthaman is an entrepreneur. Mathivanan, their fourth child is a Senior Executive in the CMDA. Iniyan Sampath their last son is a former president of the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress and the Secretary of the TNCC and at present functions as the State Vice-President of the Congress Human Rights Department. Their last child Anbezhil Surya Rajukumar is a house wife.[3]
[edit] Entry into politics
- See also: Self-Respect Movement and Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
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Dravidian movement |
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Former Dravidian parties Justice party · Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani · Thayga Marumalarchi Kazhagam |
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Contemporary Dravidian parties Dravidar Kazhagam |
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Chief Ministers from Dravidian parties
C. N. Annadurai · V. R. Nedunchezhiyan · M. Karunanidhi · M. G. Ramachandran · Janaki Ramachandran · J. Jayalalithaa · O. Panneerselvam |
He was attracted to Periyar's self-respect movement since early days of his life.[3] The movement aimed at achieving a society where backward castes have equal human rights,[5] and encouraging backward castes to have self-respect in the context of a caste based society that considered them to be a lower end of the hierarchy.[6]As a student of the Intermediate Course in Pachaiyappa's College in Chennai, he participated in the programmes and agitations of DK. In the year 1944 he was declared as the Commander-in-chief of the Black Shirt Brigade of Periyar's movement.[3]
[edit] In DMK
- See also: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In 1949, he along with Annadurai split from the DK and formed their own party DMK.[2]. The breakaway is attributed to the marriage of Periyar to a lady much younger.[7]The DMK picked up the Tamil Nationalistic ideologies from its parent organisation but upheld the principles of democratic party organisation.[2] In the inaugural function they had kept one empty chair on the head of the dais for Periyar, saying that he was their permanent leader.[8] However, faced with the reality of an independent India setting in motion the democratic process under a new Constitution, DMK preferred to keep the separatist issue on the backburner.[9]
[edit] Heading the Anti-Hindi agitations
- See also: Anti-Hindi agitations
On the 26th January, 1965, the fifteenth anniversary of India's constitution coming into force was suppose to mark the end of English as an official language of India and Hindi to be used as the sole official language according to the terms of constitution. DMK spearheaded the Anti-Hindi agitations in Madras with Sampath heading the masses. Soon after Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sent a letter to Sampath assuring that Hindi would not be imposed on Tamils.[10] In 1965 made the then Union Government in India change its language policy to allow English to continue as an official language. [11] [12] This agitation catapulted the party to political power in the State in the 1967 elections.[9]
[edit] Breakaway from DMK
In 1961 along with Tamil poet Kannadasan and Pazha Nedumaran he found a new party Tamil National party.[3] The break away is variably attributed to be caused by personal difference that arose because of ascendency of M. Karunanidhi in the party [13] and also to the differences in DMK's call for independent nation of Dravida Nadu.[3] Sampath’s ideologies varied from those of Annadurai. The latter preferred constitutional means in pursuing a Tamil state and was keen on contesting in elections for the same. Sampath found Annadurai too moderate and pressed for more radical policies, direct actions and militant methods. Moreover, Annadurai was politically inclined towards Rajagopalachari’s Swatantra Party, whereas Sampath was keen to ally with the Communist Party of India. [14] Later one more founder members of DMK, actor Sivaji Ganesan[2] would move to Sampath's TNP,[15] after his feud with the DMK leadership and calling it a glamour party.[2]
[edit] Merger into Congress
In 1964 Sampath, with invitation from Kamaraj merged his party with the Congress. Sampath later started Congress journals namely Tamil Cheithi, Jayaberigai (Dailies) and Alaigal (Weekly), but incurred heavy financial losses. To ensure the victory of the Congress Parliament candidates in Tamil Nadu, Indira Gandhi entrusted the entire election responsibility in the hands of Sampath in the year 1977. Sampath was made secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and later appointed as the Vice-President of the TNCC. It was Sampath who translated the speeches made by Indira Gandhi into Tamil. Sampath donated his property, 'Jawahar Illam', at Erode, to be used as the Erode District Congress Committee head quarters. Till date the head quarters functions there. Sampath died on 23rd of Feruary, 1977.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Priest-less weddings in TN VIP families - Sify News
- ^ a b c d e f The DMK and the Politics of Tamil Nationalism - Robert Hardgrave
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Family background - Iniyan Sampath
- ^ Members of second Lok Sabha.
- ^ N.D. Arora/S.S. Awasthy. Political Theory and Political Thought. ISBN 8124111642.
- ^ Thomas Pantham, Vrajendra Raj Mehta, Vrajendra Raj Mehta, (2006). Political Ideas in Modern India: thematic explorations. Sage Publications. ISBN 0761934200.
- ^ Periyar's movement - Counter currents
- ^ Selective atheism of Karunanidhi - Organiser
- ^ a b A history of agitational politics - Frontline
- ^ A Chronology of Anti-Hindi Agitations in Tamil Nadu and What the Future Holds
- ^ Forrester, DB (1966). "The Madras Anti-Hindi Agitation, 1965: Political Protest and its Effects on Language Policy in India". Pacific Affairs 39 (1/2): 19-36. JSTOR.
- ^ "Tongue tied", India Today, December 20, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
- ^ Quo Vadis Karunanidhi? - Illankai Tamil Sangam
- ^ Rudolph, L, “Urban Life and Populist Radicalism: Dravidian Politics in Madras”, The Journal of Asian Studies 20 (3): 283-297, <http://www.jstor.org/stable/view/2050816?seq=8>.
- ^ Sivaji Ganesan - Memorable
