R. M. Veerappan

R. M. Veerappan is still an Indian politician, an early Dravidian Leader, and a movie producer from the state of Tamil Nadu. He is the founder and leader of the MGR Kazhagam party.^[1] and former minister in the Tamil Nadu state of India. He has been Minister for 5 terms of varying tenure.

He is referred to as RMV or Rama Veerappan.

Early life

R. M. Veerappan was born on September 9, 1926, in Vallathira Kottai, which lies between Pudukottai and Aranthangi in Tamil Nadu. His father, Ramasamy Chettiyar, Also Known As, Ramasamy Senaithalaivar was an agriculturist and a trader, and his mother, Deivanai, had Sri Lankan ancestral roots. He belongs to Senaithalaivar Community. He was the youngest of his parents' seven children.

He first appeared on stage in 1939 as a hunter in "Valli Thirumanam". Later, in September 1939, he joined the TKS brothers drama company. In 1942, he moved back to Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu and started a newspaper agency.

Political and entertainment career

RMV was introduced to Periyar in Karaikudi by Rama Subbiah. He soon began to follow his Dravidian ideologies. He moved to Erode with Periyar and was there with him for some time. He met many other Dravidian leaders. He subsequently joined K R Ramaswamy's Krishnan Drama Company as supervisor. During this period, he became an admirer of Arignar Anna and also friends with Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan. The company was closed in 1950 and R. M. V. went to Madras.

In 1953 he met MGR and joined his drama company as Manager, later becoming an Executive Director of the Company Em.Gee.Yar Pictures. "Nadodi Mannan" was the first film under this banner which was released on August 22, 1958. The company later filmed “Adimai Penn” and “Ulagam sutrum Valiban".

RMV later started his own production house and the banner’s debut movie titled “Deiva Thai,” with MGR in the lead role, was released in 1964. Director K Balachander made his debut into the Tamil film industry by writing the dialogues for this movie. Following that, MGR and RMV appeared together in many movies under this banner, such as “Naan Anayittal”, “Kaavalkaran”, ‘Kannan En Kadhalan” and “Idhaya Kani”. “Rickshawkaran”, produced by Sathya Movies, helped MGR achieve the National award for his performance. In addition to this, the production house made films including Kadhal Parisu, Kakki Chattai, Ranuva Veeran, Moondru Mugam, Thanga magan, Oor Kavalan, Panakaran, Baasha, Mandhira Punnagai, and Puthiya Vaanam. Among his movies, Basha, was remarkable and did great at the box office.

When MGR moved out of the DMK following differences with M. Karunanidhi in 1972, RMV was with him and helped him in starting the AIADMK party. In 1984, while MGR was ill, K.A.K, along with RMV, oversaw the party proceedings. Following the death of MGR in 1987, the party broke up into two factions. He sided with the V. N. Janaki led faction of the AIADMK and then later reconciled with J. Jayalalithaa's faction and submitted to her leadership after gauging which way the ordinary party workers were turning to for leadership.

He has been elected to the legislative assembly two times and to the legislative council two times. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in the Tirunelveli constituency as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in the Tamil Nadu state assembly bye-election in 1986 and in the Kangayam constituency of Tamil Nadu state assembly bye-election in 1991[2].

In 1996, his production house released "Baasha". During his tenure as Hindu Religious Endowment Minister, more than 400 Kumbabhishekam temples were conducted. It was during this period that the noon meal scheme or the annadhanam in the temples was started and the temple workers and priests' salaries were regularized. He also implemented the compulsory daily pooja program across temples and also brought in a system wherein the bigger temples and revenue rich temples would share their resources with smaller temples in their areas.

Literary and social service activities

He is the founder and President of Kamban Kazhagam and Azhvargal Aaiyvu Maiyam. He also runs an education trust which funds the education of the oppressed.

Family life

R.M.V married Shrimathi Rajammal on 12 March 1956, in Thiruparangundram. The wedding was conducted in the Dravidian tradition under Arignar Anna. They have 3 daughters and 3 sons. The eldest daughter, Shrimathi Selvi, married T. G. Thyagarajan.

Filmography

References