G.K.MOOPANAR STATUE UNVEILED IN KUMBAKONAM

BEFORE THE OPENING OF STATUE -CELL PHOTO




The simplicity, organising capabilities and commitment to ideology shown by former All India Congress Committee general secretary G.K. Moopanar came in for praise from leaders at a ceremony to unveil his life-sized statue in Kumbakonam on Saturday.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who has had a long association with Moopanar, unveiled the bronze statue amidst lusty cheers from partymen and people of his hometown.

Recalling their friendship since 1970s, Mr. Mukherjee termed Moopanar as a rare politician who believed in the Gandhian way of simple living and high thinking. He strongly believed that the country needed the leadership of Indira Gandhi when the Congress split.

He was an organiser of rare quality; both former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi turned to him whenever a knotty problem arose. “I was struck by his capability to grasp complex problems and find pragmatic solutions. He had to take tough decisions and recommend removal of Chief Ministers and reorganisation of Pradesh Congress committees. But he implemented them in an amicable manner so that the transition took place smoothly. Accommodation and not elimination was his guiding principle in running the organisation. This attitude helped him resolve problems of factionalism in the States and at the national level,” Mr. Mukherjee observed. He went down memory lane to narrate how Moopanar politely turned down an offer to become the Prime Minister in the 1990s. “I took the offer to him but he declined saying that he had never run after power and had no intention to become the Prime Minister. He always wanted to be the people's man.”

Deputy Chief Minister M.K.Stalin termed the unveiling of the statue as a historic occasion and observed that Moopanar was known for his humanism and leadership qualities. “In his childhood he is said to have learnt to swim against the tide when the Cauvery was in spate. This stood him in good stead in politics too,” Mr.Stalin remarked.

Though he was a man of few words, he was a man of action who grew up the ranks in politics. Even Annadurai had praised Moopanar, stating that it was because of him that the Congress won eight seats in Thanjavur district in 1967, when the DMK won the elections in the State.Chief Minister Karunanidhi valued his friendship above politics, he said, recalling Moopanar's love for the language, arts and music. In separate messages that were read out, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Mr.Karunanidhi showered praise on the leadership and organisational capabilities of Moopanar and his contributions to the growth of the party and the nation.

Union Minister for Shipping G.K.Vasan observed his father always had a special love for the people of his hometown, Kumbakonam, though he held high positions in the party.

TNCC President K.V.Thangkabalu; Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V.Narayanasamy; Union Minister of State for Finance S.S.Palanimanickam; State Cooperation Minister Ko.Si.Mani and AICC member G.R.Moopanar, spoke. Former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer was among those present.

G.K.MOOPANAR HISTORY(THE HINDU)

It is in all fitness of things that the life-size bronze statue of Govindaswamy Karuppaiah Moopanar (G.K.Moopanar), affectionately called GKM and "Periya Aiyya", is unveiled by the Union Minister of Finance, Pranab Mukherjee, on Saturday at Kumbakonam.

Soon after G.K.Moopanar came close to becoming Prime Minister of India in 1997, a youth immolated himself at Kumbakonam. Moopanar rushed to Kumbakonam and addressed a meeting after consoling his family members. He addressed a meeting at the same Uchipillaiar Koil junction, where his statue is unveiled now.

He said it is good that he did not become the Prime Minister. Otherwise he could not meet the people of Kumbakonam -whom he loved- frequently.

Unveiling of the statue will be a real homage and commemoration to a leader who strode like a colossus in the history of Congress. Born at Sundara Perumal Koil near Kabisthalam on August 9, 1931, Moopanar became the district congress president in 1965. He was the close associate of former chief minister K.Kamaraj, and like his mentor (K.Kamaraj), who played an important role in all India politics and remained a king maker selecting Prime ministers after Nehru's demise and Lal Bahadur Sastri's demise. Moopanar also rose to all India politics by becoming the general secretary of the All India Congress committee (AICC) between 1980 and 88. He remained a king maker selecting chief ministers of various states as AICC general secretary.

He was with old congress of Kamaraj when congress split in 1971.In 1974 after the demise of Kamaraj he returned to Congress under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. He was Tamil Nadu congress committee president for sometime.

In 1977, he became a Rajya sabha MP. He has to part ways with congress as he fell out with the former Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao on alliance issue, and floated his own party Tamil Maanila Congress which in alliance with the DMK, swept the polls in Tamil Nadu in 1996. He coined the slogan "Valamana Thamizhagam, Valimaiyana Bharatham" for his party, emphasising both regional and national development.

The TMC aligned with AIADMK in 2001 and helped it to come to power. After the demise of G.K.Moopanar on August 30, 2001, his son G.K.Vasan was elected as the president of TMC. Later he merged the party with Congress.

G.K.Moopanar, was a philanthropist and a lover of music and art. He conducted the annual aradhana for saint composer Sri Thyagaraja for 50 years at Thiruvaiyaru as president of Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha



















ADVERTISMENTS IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS