G. A. Vadivelu

G. A. Vadivelu (12 June 1925 – 13 January 2016) was a freedom fighter and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan, Rajaji and Kamaraj.^[1][2][3]

Early life

Vadivelu, born at Gollahalli, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, studied in Dharmapuri High School, discontinued his studies for taking part in the national freedom struggle. He joined the congress in his age of 15 and took part in 1940 Individual Satyagraha and 1942 Quit India Movement and was imprisoned in the Palayamkottai Jail. He died in a private hospital at Salem, Tamil Nadu after an illness on 13 January 2016 at the age of 90.^[4]

Late 1940s

Though India was freed in 1947, Pondicherry territory was not freed. He went to Pondicherry and took part in freedom struggle. During his tenure in Pondicherry, he ran a journal, Samudayam. When Jayaprakash Narayan formed a separate group in congress to serve the down-trodden vigorously, Vadivelu joined Jayaprakash Narayan and have become an active member of his socialist group.

After Independence

After the country obtained Independence, Jayaprakash left congress in 1948 to serve have-nots and formed the socialist party. Vadivelu followed him. Vadivelu fought for the causes of down-trodden, imprisoned 17 times in free India. Because of his tireless efforts and his struggles, around 2,000 landless peasants got forest lands and revenue lands in Salem, Dharmapuri and Madurai districts. About 1,800 hut-dwellers of Dharmapuri got house sites in railway lands. Sri Madhu Dantavate, then Railway Minister, mentioned Vadivelu's tireless effort in a conference at Delhi and praised him stating : "Vadivelu is the only man in whole India who got Railway lands free of cost for the poor". When emergency was declared in 1975 he was imprisoned, handcuffed for days together and paraded in streets. In Chennai, the railway department began the metro line work. If it was continued, nearly 12,000 poor families would have been evicted. Vadivelu struggled for them and compelled the government to change the Railway line which saved 12,000 poor families. He is a socialist in words and deeds. Leading a clean life, active and Gandhian, even though he is 86 years old, he is very active and serving the people as usual. He was the state general secretary of Praja Socialist Party, then President of Tamil Nadu Janata Dal for eight years and senior vice president of National Janata Dal for two years. In 2002 he has rejoined congress after 54 years. Now he is a member of AICC and executive member of TNCC and its coordination committee member.

Writing and Journalism

Apart from his political activities, he is a journalist and writer. He was the editor of Janata, Samudhayam and Pudhu vazhvu journals for many years. His articles were published in various journals such as Puratchi, Tamil Nadu, Manjari, Dravida Naidu, Baratha Devi, Sangoli, Malai, Murasu, Theyagi, Dinamani, Dina malar, etc. As a writer, he has authored around 30 books, among which is a historical novel Sembiyar Thilagam (1200 pages). This book was awarded as the best book published in the years 1985 and 1986. He has researched the Tamil Nadu history for many years and enlightened the 300-year dark rule of kalapralas. M Karunanidhi, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu has appreciated this book.

References