Veteran Gandhian and former TN Congress chief Kumari Ananthan passes away at 93
He was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at a private hospital in Vellore, where he breathed his last at 12.15 am.
Kumari Ananthan with his daughter Tamilisai Soundararajan
CHENNAI: Eminent Gandhian, orator and veteran Congress leader Kumari Ananthan passed away in the early hours of Wednesday at the age of 93.
He was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at a private hospital in Vellore, where he breathed his last at 12.15 am.
Ananthan, a stalwart of Tamil Nadu politics and former TNCC president, was revered for his unwavering commitment to public service, social justice and the Tamil language.
His daughter, senior BJP leader and former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, confirmed the news and paid an emotional tribute, recalling his deep love for Tamil and his moral, principled life.
“I did not speak Tamil because I learned it… I speak Tamil because I was born to Tamil,” she said in a tribute to her father.
Born on March 19, 1933, in Agasteeswaram, Kanniyakumari district, to freedom fighter Harikrishnan and Thangammal, Ananthan was inspired by Congress icon K Kamaraj.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Nagercoil in 1977 and served as an MLA in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly four times—in 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991.
He also held the post of TNCC president and led multiple padyatras across the state, demanding better conditions for farmers and the poor.
One of his significant achievements was leading a protest that resulted in the provision of free electricity to farmers owning small tracts of land.
He also fought to ensure Tamil language got top priority in Central government offices in Tamil Nadu.
Ananthan was a recipient of the Mahakavi Bharathiyar Award and the Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Award.
On Independence Day in 2024, he was conferred with the prestigious Thagaisal Thamizhar award by Chief Minister M K Stalin.
His body will be kept at his daughter’s residence in Saligramam for public homage.
