CHENNAI / COIMBATORE: Renowned industrialist and philanthropist ‘Pollachi’ N Mahalingam died in Chennai on Thursday due to cardiac arrest while he was participating in a function in the city to commemorate Gandhi Jayanthi. He was 91. A spiritualist and follower of Gandhian principles, Mahalingam was due to speak on similarities between Tamil saint Vallalar and Gandhi at the ‘Gandhi Vallar Vizha’ in Mylapore in the evening. He was about to begin his speech when he collapsed on the stage and was rushed to a leading private hospital in Thousand Lights where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Besides the huge industrial empire, comprising of Sakthi Group of Companies and Anamallais Bus Transport Ltd (ABT Services), Mahalingam is widely known as an educationalist and a three-time MLA. He is remembered among farmers in the western region for the role he played in the promotion of the Parambikulam-Aliyar water project. Despite serving as an MLA for 15 consecutive years (1952-67), he did not focus on a political career in the latter part of his life. Instead, he was keen on the spiritual and philanthropic spheres.
The ‘Gandhi Vallar Vizha’ was reportedly being organised by Mahalingam for the last 40 years. He was also noted for bringing out the works of Gandhi in Tamil in 20 volumes. Born in 1923 in an affluent agricultural family in Pollachi in Coimbatore district, Mahalingam spent a good part of his youth in Chennai. He studied in Loyola College and earned an engineering graduation from Anna University. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.
Even though he was declared dead around 7 pm on Thursday, the body could be airlifted only on Friday morning, reaching Coimbatore airport around 10 am. The body was kept in the family’s residence in Pollachi until afternoon and was later shifted to the Dr Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, one of the several educational institutions he founded. The body was kept for public homage until evening before finally being laid to rest in the college campus.