CHENNAI: The autobiography of DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, which covers the first quarter of his life, is a vivid narrative of his formative years as a politician. This volume recounts most of the key incidents that show the politics in his veins and his commitment towards DMK and its growth.
The volume ends with Stalin waiting at the entrance of the Chennai Central Prison after having been arrested under Maintenance Internal Security Act (MISA) on February 1, 1976. He was arrested a day after the DMK government headed by his father M Karunanidhi was dismissed during the Emergency.
In the 334-page first volume, Stalin recalls the opportunities he had to be with DMK founder CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran, who had left the DMK to launch his own political party. In a way, it can be described as an extension of Nenjukku Neethi, the autobiography of Karunanidhi. The book has excellent photos on about 150 pages and displayed pages of DMK mouthpiece Murasoli on important occasions. The book has been published by renowned publisher Poompuhar Pathippagam and is priced at Rs 500.
From the seventh chapter onwards, the biography gains momentum as interesting events unfold in Stalin's life. The book highlights the key role played by hair-cutting salons in the growth of the DMK. Stalin recalls how visits to Shanmugam salon, where he used to meet his friends at the age of 13, helped him launch his political career.
In 1966, he started a youth forum for the DMK in Gopalapuram and organised small events during Pongal festival and the birth anniversary of Arignar Anna. He also started engaging himself in the works of Murasoli and started acting in dramas and in organising dramas.
Giving a detailed account of the bond between Karunanidhi and MGR through various incidents, Stalin wondered what made him leave the DMK. "Even today, it remains a mystery how MGR had chosen to move away from the DMK. At that time, I was just 19," he says
"After the big victory for the DMK in the 1971 Assembly elections, there were reports that conspiracies were being hatched to split the DMK. No one expected that MGR would get trapped in that conspiracy web. Following his speeches, aimed at creating confusion within the DMK, the party took action against MGR. This gave me some clarity - party discipline is more important than friendship and relationship. This was a big political lesson at that age."
In 1974, Stalin completed his college education and planned to contest in local body elections. Gopalapuram comes under Thousand Lights constituency's 57th division in the DMK and Stalin became one of its functionaries. Later, he became one of the members of the general council of the party and was later elected district representative for Thousands Lights area. From then on, Stain rose to higher posts in the party gradually.
On June 25, 1975, the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, declared an Emergency and the nation plunged into a crisis. A few months later, on August 20, 1975, Stalin got married to Durgavathi. Amidst speculations that the DMK government might get dissolved anytime, the DMK's state-wide conference took place on December 25 to 28, 1975. On January 31, 1976, the DMK government was dissolved.
On that day, Stalin was at Madurantakam to stage the play Vetri Namadhe. When he reached the Gopalapuram residence on February 1, Karunanidhi himself informed the police that Stalin had returned to his house and finally, the police took Stalin into their custody. The DMK president will recount what happened within the prison in the second volume.