CM unveils statue of city's first mayor ‘Muthannan'
Madurai: In a gesture that transcends political divides, chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday evening unveiled a bronze statue of Madurai's first mayor, Subbiah Muthu, fondly known as 'Muthannan,' at New Jail Road, replacing the older concrete structure.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
A key architect of DMK in Madurai in the 1960s and seventies, Muthu's contributions to the city's civic and political landscape were honoured despite his shift to AIADMK in 1975.
Muthu who was mayor twice, from 1971 to 1974, and from 1978-1980, made earnest efforts to elevate Madurai from being a municipality to a corporation. Born on March 13, 1916 into a peasant family, Muthu's early education ended at the age of eleven.
He started his career as a junior accountant in a south Indian firm in Burma, then tilled the soil in his village, and later worked in Madurai Mills. He was arrested several times while leading strikes and campaigning against price rises.
A staunch follower of E V Ramasamy, Muthu joined Dravida Kazhagam in 1944, and later became a member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1949. He was elected as a member of the legislative council (MLC) in 1966 and to Madurai Council, becoming its chairman in 1969 and mayor in 1971.
Construction of overbridges at Subramanyapuram and Andalpuram, establishment of collector wells to augment the city's water supply, and provision of housing for corporation staff were some of his contributions.
"Muthannan was the root of Madurai DMK from 1960s when we used to hold party meetings on the Vaigai river against the Congress govt. He used to protect the cadres and discipline the party," recalls P Kulanthaivel, the first directly elected mayor in 1996.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
In a social media post, M K Alagiri, former Union minister, said Muthannan belonged to former chief minister Annadurai's period. "Even though I did not share much space with him, his works in Madurai for DMK are known even now, and I am happy that my brother M K Stalin is unveiling a bronze statue of Muthannan."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Remove Hindi banners from Nilgiris railway station, A Raja tells Centre
Coimbatore: DMK deputy general secretary and the Nilgiris MP A Raja on Sunday urged Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to remove banners written in Hindi from the Nilgiris railway station. He said a quote displayed at the station and attributed to Madan Mohan Malaviya was originally said by Tamil poet Mahakavi Bharathi. In a letter to the Union minister, Raja expressed concerns over the increasing usage and prominence of Hindi at the railway station, which, he said, had stirred widespread protests. "The Udhagamandalam railway station in my constituency is more than 100 years old. Upliftment of the station is underway under the Amrit Bharat scheme. While only 90% of the work is complete, banners have already been put up on the walls, hurting the sentiments of the Tamil people," he said. Raja emphasised that Tamil Nadu had a long and proud history of linguistic identity and cultural autonomy. The people of the state, he noted, had consistently advocated for a two-language policy, in line with the regional needs and historical context. "The recent developments at Udhagamandalam railway station are seen as a case of linguistic imposition. Promoting Hindi in public spaces feels disconnected from the linguistic needs of the local population and is viewed as a political assertion," he said and reiterated that the quote attributed to Malaviya was actually said by Mahakavi Bharathi. He urged Ashwini Vaishnaw to respect the linguistic sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu and avoid the compulsory inclusion of Hindi where it was not contextually necessary. He requested that officials be directed to remove the banners in question.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
MDMK leader Vaiko condemns political parties for holding events in the name of gods
The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko said on Sunday it was wrong for political parties to hold conferences in the name of any god. Speaking to reporters after the party's general council meeting in Erode, he said, 'Using the name of any god for a party conference is inappropriate, irrespective of which deity it is.' Referring to the Lord Muruga devotees conference held in Madurai on Sunday, he alleged the BJP, RSS, and Hindutva forces were behind the event. 'This will not help consolidate the Hindu vote bank in Tamil Nadu,' he felt. At the general council meeting, which saw the participation of around 1,800 members from across Tamil Nadu, the party adopted 28 resolutions, including one that called for the MDMK to contest in a higher number of seats in the alliance [headed by DMK] in the 2026 Assembly elections to secure Election Commission 'recognition' as a political party. Another resolution emphasised the need to counter what it described as ongoing efforts by the Union government to undermine Tamil language and identity. The council also demanded the withdrawal of a circular that mandates the disbursal of cooperative loans based on CIBIL score. Mr. Vaiko said the MDMK joined the DMK alliance in 2017 to protect the ideals of the Dravidian movement, which he said were under threat from attempts to impose Hindi and to alienate religious minorities. 'We are part of the alliance not out of convenience, but to uphold ideological goals,' he said. The MDMK would work to ensure the alliance's victory in future elections. Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent comment that a day would come when those speaking in English in India would be made to feel ashamed of it, Mr Vaiko said, 'He is an expert in making shameful comments.' Dismissing speculation about discussions with the BJP, he clarified that the MDMK had not held any talks and would not do so. He criticised BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan and Nainar Nagendran for making baseless and irresponsible statements. He said the DMK-led alliance remained strong and would comfortably win future elections. While the DMK had fulfilled many of its promises despite financial constraints, the Union government had withheld funds and Governor R.N. Ravi had blocked key Bills, acting as an agent of the BJP, he alleged.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Palaniswami criticises DMK government for ‘lack of industrial development'
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami alleged on Sunday that Tamil Nadu was lagging in industrial development. In a statement, he criticised the DMK government for the State's borrowings in the past four years. Referring to Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan's recent statement that Tamil Nadu's industrial development was not so aggressive as that of the other Southern States, the former Chief Minister said it summed up the status of industrial development in Tamil Nadu. Listing the AIADMK government's contributions to industrial development, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Palaniswami said it was because of those initiatives that the State had grown so far. Citing figures from a report of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for 2024-25, Mr. Palaniswami said that while Maharashtra and Karnataka took the first two positions in foreign direct investment, Tamil Nadu was placed fifth. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly also pointed to reports that the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister had not only visited Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts and invited textile industrialists to invest in his State but had also opened office in these districts to help them out. Though steps were taken during AIADMK rule for facilitating the establishment of semiconductor industries in the State, these units went over to Gujarat and Assam because of the DMK government's 'lackadaisical attitude'.
