CHENNAI: E V K Sulochana Sampath, organising secretary of the AIADMK who served the party for several decades, passed away here on Saturday. She was 86.
Sulochana Sampath is survived by four sons — TNCC president E V K S Elangovan, E V K S Gowthaman, E V K S Mathivanan and E V K S Iniyan Sampth and daughter Anbezhil. She was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments for the past few weeks. The funeral procession is scheduled to start from her Vepery residence around 10 am on Sunday and the final rites would be performed at the Anna Nagar electric crematorium on the New Avadi Road.
Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa expressed deep grief over the demise of Sulochana Sampath and visited her residence, besides paying floral tribute. Consoling the relatives of the deceased, Jayalalithaa recalled her association with Sulochana that spanned several years.
“Her demise is a personal loss to me and an irreparable one to the AIADMK,” Jayalalithaa said in her condolence message. “Sulochana Sampath had been striving to achieve equality for women and their active participation in public life. She also dedicated herself more to the party than to her family,” the CM said, adding that the late leader served the party in various capacities, including party’s parliamentary party board member, member of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board, Chairperson of Slum Clearance Board, CMD of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation and Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation.
Sulochana’s late husband E V K S Sampath was one of the senior leaders of the Dravidian movement and son of E V Krishnasamy, the elder brother of Periyar E V Ramasamy. In 1946, Sampath married Sulochana, daughter of Tirupathur G Samy Naidu, a pillar of the Justice Party. Sampath passed away in 1977. Sulochana Sampath received Periyar award, instituted by the Tamil Nadu government, from Jayalalithaa last year.