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It was not without a crushed that E.V.K. Sampath (1926-1977), 1 of the founding members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), who aboriginal became a salient person of the Congress, was called Sollin Selvar or the maestro of words. “The talented Sampath enjoyed a peculiar narration with Anna [DMK founder-leader C.N. Annadurai]. Seventeen years younger, helium was sharp, a wee other principled and wide read”. This was however diplomat-turned-political writer R. Kannan began a section successful his publication The DMK Years.
In fact, astatine 1 stage, Sampath regarded the signifier of giving titles for politicians arsenic “vulgar”. He was quicker than galore of his contemporaries successful acquiring a larger world-view. Despite being a first-time Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), that excessively representing the DMK, which had lone 2 MPs successful the House and stood past for secession, Sampath could onslaught a rapport swiftly with the past Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. In a sense, helium was up of Annadurai in realising the futility of pursuing the request for a Dravida Nadu, a abstracted State, nether the Indian law framework. It was different substance that helium did not and could not go arsenic palmy arsenic Annadurai or M. Karunanidhi. Sampath’s birth centenary falls connected March 6, 2026.
Split successful Dravidar Kazhagam
At the clip of the divided successful the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) successful 1949, Sampath, a nephew of DK founder E.V. Ramasamy, threw his batch with rebels and went on with Annadurai, who formed the DMK. Considered a promising look successful the fledgling party, Sampath was made president of the district-level league held successful Madurai in June 1950. Mr. Kannan records that helium besides donned roles successful plays staged for raising funds for the party. He acquired greater prominence erstwhile helium was chosen by the enactment to pb a objection against the Education Scheme, launched by the Congress authorities headed by C. Rajagopalachari, successful July 1953. Though helium was arrested earlier the picketing was to begin, helium was imprisoned for 3 months successful transportation with the agitation.
In the DMK’s maiden electoral effort successful 1957, Sampath and R. Dharmalingam were elected from Namakkal and Tiruvannamalai respectively. His vulnerability to authorities successful New Delhi was said to person caused changes successful his outlook and approach. As a parliamentarian, Sampath went to the erstwhile Soviet Union successful September 1958. It was past that helium decided that his enactment should revisit its presumption connected the request for Dravida Nadu. According to Mr. Kannan, erstwhile helium broached the taxable with his colleagues, Annadurai responded that helium knew it from the opening erstwhile E.V. Ramasamy had projected the thought (page 81, The DMK Years). However, the DMK founder counselled patience connected Sampath’s part.
Sampath’s stock went up erstwhile Nehru wrote a missive to him successful August 1960 successful the aftermath of the DMK’s plan to clasp an agitation during the sojourn of President Rajendra Prasad to the State. In the letter, the Prime Minister reiterated his presumption that his authorities would not spell backmost connected the assurances fixed connected the connection question (https://nehruarchive.in/documents/to-e-v-k-sampath-protesting-the- imposition-of-hindi-3-august-1960-ql5qz). Subsequently, the agitation program was fixed up.
Five months later, Sampath, who had by past go the president of the presidium of the party, had discontinue the enactment post, according to The Hindu’s study connected January 25, 1961. The differences deepened erstwhile the party’s wide assembly met successful Vellore a mates of days earlier to resoluteness them. Sampath’s grouse was against the “dictatorial attitude” of the apical enactment of the party. Annadurai, successful his response, acknowledged that “some groups” were formed during the past 2 years wrong the enactment pursuing differences of sentiment regarding the adoption of antiauthoritarian methods successful implementing their policies. Actually, the connection of resignation was made astatine the party’s enforcement committee gathering successful Vellore during January 21-22 and it was accepted then, according to different study of this paper connected January 26, 1961.
A period later, Sampath went connected a accelerated that lasted 3 days with a presumption to “arresting the increasing indiscipline among the partymen” and bringing astir unity among the fertile and record of the party. He broke the accelerated connected February 25 pursuing Annadurai’s assurance that each effort would beryllium made to basal retired evil elements successful the organisation, reported The Hindu next day. But bid did not past long. On April 9, Sampath, on with his supporters including writer Kannadasan, Chennai Mayor V. Munuswamy and the party’s Chennai territory caput Manivannan, decided to discontinue the DMK.
‘Daydream’
The differences ranged from “organisational purification to governmental re-thinking”. A fewer days later, addressing a nationalist gathering successful Coimbatore, Annadurai declared, “The doors of the D.M.K. are unfastened to all.” Karunanidhi, successful the archetypal measurement of his autobiography Nenjukku Needhi, recalls that Annadurai, successful his elaborate connection connected April 18, had stated that the Sampath should retrieve his oft-repeated words that the differences were “only mean and not connected ideological matters”. Sampath not lone spurned his connection but besides termed the past halfway request of the DMK — Dravida Nadu — arsenic a “daydream” and “outmoded”, The Hindu reported connected April 21, 1961. Immediately aft his departure from the DMK, Sampath founded the Tamil National Party earlier merging it with the Congress. All his consequent attempts to re-enter the Lok Sabha ended successful failure.
At the clip of his decease successful February 1977, helium held the station of vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC). One of his sons, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, served arsenic the TNCC chief for 2 presumption and a Member of the Tamil Nadu Assembly. He besides held the station of Union Minister of State successful the archetypal United Progressive Alliance authorities (2004-09).
