By, D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Colombo March 1 – Tamil Nadu state chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham leader MK Stalin celebrated his 73rd Birthday today(March 1st). Dtalin has been the Tamil Nadu chief minister from May 2021. Elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held in a few months. The DMK led Alliance under Stalin is expected to win the 2026 poll also.

“We must all unite and defeat the conspiracies that surround us through our intellectual strength. For this, I will dedicate myself even more fully,” wrote “Birthday Boy” Stalin in a social media post.The DMK chief reflected on his decades-long political journey, stating he has known “nothing other than hard work” from his youth to his current milestone.

The Chief Minister highlighted the success of the “Dravidian Model” of governance, claiming it has transformed Tamil Nadu into a leading state that the “world looks back at.””The schemes and achievements of the Dravidian Model rule have reached the hearts and homes of every single person among the crores of people in Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said. He added that the state now stands as a beacon for the rest of the country, ensuring that Tamils live with “heads held high”.

Stalin also called for unity among the Tamil people to protect their ideological journey.

“Our feet must not deviate from the path; our heads must not bow to anyone for any reason,” he declared.

Defining his 73rd birthday as a moment of rededication, the CM took a formal pledge to continue the legacy of Dravidian icons.”Let us travel together with a warrior spirit on the path shown by Thanthai Periyar, Perarignar Anna, and Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar ,” he urged.

Stalin also emphasised that a “Tamil Nadu that struggles is the Tamil Nadu that advances”, signalling a continued confrontational stance against policies he deems detrimental to the state’s autonomy.

He titled the post with a line, saying, “Tamil and Tamil Nadu are our life, and it is our duty to save them”.

Karunanidhi’s Third Son

Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin or M.K. Stalin is the son of Muthuvel Karunanidhi who had six children from three wives. Stalin is Karunanidhi’s fourth child and third son. He was born on March 1, 1953, in Madras now known as Chennai. Karunanidhi had named his eldest son Muthu after his father Muthuvel. His second son Alagiri was named after well-known DK activist Pattukkottai Alagirisamy known as “Anjaanenjan Azhagiri”.

In the case of his third son Stalin, Karunanidhi had originally named him Aiyadurai after his paternal grandfather Aiyadurai. However the Soviet Union’s dictatorial ruler Joseph Stalin died on March 5, 1953. Though named at birth in 1878 as Ioseb Jughashvil, he had changed it in 1912 to Stalin meaning man of steel. Karunanidhi being a long-distance admirer of Stalin registered his newborn son’s name as Stalin instead of Aiyadurai to honour the Communist stalwart.

Education

Stalin had his primary and secondary education at the MCC Higher secondary school in Chetpet. By his own frank admission, young Stalin did not shine in studies or excel in sports, He was not even an able orator in Tamil.

Furthermore, some of his teachers did not like his “communist” name Stalin or his father’s Dravidian politics. There was one master who would go through the daily ritual of rapping Stalin’s knuckles on the table without giving any reason. Stalin completed his Pre-University Certificate (PUC) studies at Vivekananda College. Thereafter he enrolled at Presidency College and followed a BA degree course in History. Stalin dropped out without completing his studies in 1973 but three years later got his degree as an external student of Madras University.

With his father becoming an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) in 1957, Stalin got interested in politics from childhood. His entry into active politics was at the age of 14 in 1967. Karunanidhi’s nephew and Stalin’s cousin “Murasoli” Maran contested the Madras South Parliament constituency by-election and young Stalin got involved in the election campaign.

“Thalapathy” (commander)

A year later in 1968, 15-year-old Stalin launched the Gopalapuram DMK youth organisation. The Karunanidhi residence was in Gopalapuram. This was the forerunner to the DMK’s youth wing. Stalin identified himself with the DMK youths and built up the youth wing as a formidable organisation over the years. He was the leader of the DMK youth wing known as “Ilainjar Ani” for about three decades. Stalin was dubbed as “Thalapathy” (commander) by his youthful comrades. In 1973 Stalin was elected to the DMK general council.

Indira Gandhi’s Emergency

Stalin’s political baptism of fire was in 1976. The then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency and clamped down on democratic rule in June 1975 when she was unseated through an election petition. The DMK then held the reins in Tamil Nadu with Karunanidhi as chief minister. Stalin himself got married during emergency rule on August 25, 1975, to Durga also known as Shantha. Karunanidhi and his DMK government strongly opposed the emergency which angered Indira. On January 31, 1976, Indira Gandhi got the DMK government dismissed and declared presidential rule. Thousands of DMK stalwarts and activists were arrested and detained without trial under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

Though Karunanidhi was not imprisoned, his newly married politically active son was arrested on February 1, 1976, and jailed under the MISA. When the Police was taking Stalin away, Karunanidhi told his son not to be disheartened and said that Indira Gandhi was launching Stalin’s political career by arresting him. Stalin was kept in a cell at the Central prison in Chennai amidst horrible conditions. He was assaulted several times.

On one occasion Stalin was brutally assaulted with rods. Unable to bear this sight, former Chennai Mayor and Chengalpattu MP DMK C. Chittibabu who was a fellow detenue fell on top of Stalin and shielded him. Chittibabu was mercilessly beaten resulting in him losing consciousness. He soon passed away. This brought an end to the beatings. Stalin was detained for 13 months under MISA regulations. The silver lining was that he managed to complete his BA studies during this time.

“Aayiram Vilakku”(Thousand lights)

After being released Stalin plunged into full -time politics. As his father predicted the detention during emergency rule was indeed a launching pad for Stalin’s political career. He first contested the “Aayiram Vilakku” (Thousand lights) constituency within Chennai city limits in 1984. He lost. In 1989 he contested again, won and became an MLA for the first time. He lost again in the 1991 polls. He was triumphant at Aayiram Vilakku in 1996, 2001 and 2006 state elections. In 2011 Stalin shifted to Kolathur a Chennai suburban constituency and won. He retained Kolathur in 2016 as well as in this year’s election.

The earlier system of Municipal elections was amended and provision was made for a directly elected Mayor in 1996. Stalin contested the Chennai municipal corporation elections in 1996 and became the city’s first directly elected Mayor. He proved to be an able administrator and implemented many infrastructure development projects. Apart from schemes of road widening, drinking water supply, electrification, schools, health clinics and drainage improvement, Mayor Stalin also constructed nine fly-over bridges. He also streamlined garbage clearance and road maintenance by privatising them.

“Singaara Chennai” (Beautiful Chennai)

Mayor Stalin’s pet project however was a beautification scheme for the city known as “Singaara Chennai” (Beautiful Chennai). He received much praise for this. He was re-elected as Chennai Mayor in 2001. Although Stalin would have liked to continue as the first citizen of Chennai for another term, he was debarred from doing so by AIADMK Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram who passed legislation with retrospective effect in 2002 forbidding persons from being Mayor and MLA simultaneously. Stalin opted to be a legislator instead of a Mayor.

Stalin also gained ascendancy within the party. He first became secretary of the DMK Youth wing in 1982 and served in that capacity for a very long time. In 2003, Stalin became deputy general secretary of the DMK. In 2008 he was elected as Treasurer of the DMK. The DMK formed the State Government in 2006 with Karunanidhi as Chief Minister. Stalin was appointed Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration.

In May 2009, Karunanidhi created the post of deputy Chief Minister and appointed his son as “Thunai Mudhalvar”. The DMK suffered a great debacle in the 2011 Tamil Nadu election. The party got only 23 seats and even forfeited the leader of the opposition post to actor Vijayakanth whose Desiya Mutpoakku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) got 29 seats.

“Anointed” as Political Heir

While the father continued to be party leader, the son began to consolidate himself within the DMK and became the de facto leader. With his health deteriorating, Karunanidhi formally “anointed” Stalin as his political heir in January 2013. Addressing party office-bearers at a special meeting, Karunanidhi said, “I will work for the upliftment and development of people till my last breath. For the question `what after me`, Stalin, who is seated here, is the answer, and you should not forget this.”

The 2016 State elections saw the nonagenarian Karunanidhi now confined to a wheelchair take a back seat during the election campaign. Stalin spearheaded the DMK led alliance into getting 98 seats of which the DMK share was 89. The Jayalalithaa led AIADMK was re-elected to power with 136 seats. Stalin became leader of the opposition. In 2016 September Jayalalithaa fell seriously ill and O.S. Panneerselvam became acting Chief Minister. In December 2016 Jayalalithaa passed away. Edappaadi K. Palaniswamy became the AIADMK Chief Minister.

“Seyal Thalaiver” or Working President

In January 2017, Stalin was formally elevated in the party hierarchy as “Seyal Thalaiver” or working President. While the indisposed Karunanidhi remained the nominal DMK president, the party closed ranks behind Stalin’s functional leadership. Karunanidhi passed away in August 2018 and Stalin was unanimously elected President of the DMK. There were many who doubted whether Stalin could fill the void caused by Karunanidhi’s demise. Also, Stalin was compared (unfairly) to his illustrious father and found wanting.

While delivering his inaugural speech as DMK president, Stalin struck a responsive chord within the audience by repeating the words used by Karunanidhi in addressing a party gathering. Stalin said, “En uyirinum melana anbu udan pirapukkaley (my beloved siblings who I regard more than life itself).” He then turned emotional and said that he was totally unlike his father. “I don’t know to talk like him, I cannot talk like him, I cannot own the language like him. But I stand before you with the guts to try anything.” Stalin then pledged to protect, cherish and advance the founding principles of the party. “I aim to lead Tamil Nadu on the path of self-respect, equality, social justice using this party,” said the new President of the DMK then.

Stalin was true to his word and strove to lead the DMK along the course charted by Annadurai and Karunanidhi. He proved his mettle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when the DMK led alliance won 38 of the 39 seats allocated to Tamil Nadu in the Indian Parliament. Now Stalin has demonstrated his “winnability” again by leading the DMK to victory in the 2021 polls. The DMK led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) won 159 seats while the AIADMK led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 75. No other party or alliance won even a single seat.

Connections to the Silver Screen

Significantly, from 1967, most Chief Ministers in Tamil Nadu have had connections to the silver screen – Annadurai (scriptwriter), Karunanidhi (scriptwriter and lyricist), M.G. Ramachandran (actor), Janaki Ramachandran (actress) and Jayalalithaa Jayaram (actress and singer). The exceptions have been the former AIADMK Chief Ministers Edappaadi Palaniswamy and O. Panneerselvam.

Stalin too has had some cinematic experience. He acted in the films “Ore Raththam” and “Makkal Aanayittaal” in 1988. He has also acted in two TV serials “Kurinji Malar” and “Suriya”. In 1978 Stalin produced the film “Nambikkai Natchathiram” in which his elder brother MK Muthu was the hero.

(D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com)

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