After dodging death several times, DMK patriarch Muthuvel Karunanidhi passed away at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday evening. Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director of the hospital, announced the demise of Karunanidhi at 6.40 pm through a Press release.
“With deep anguish, we announce the demise of our beloved Kalaignar Dr M Karunanidhi on August 7 at 6.10 pm. Despite the best possible efforts by our team of doctors and nurses to resuscitate him, he failed to respond,” said the release.
Ordinary life in the State had come to a standstill hours before the 6.40 pm announcement, as the entire attention of the people was fixated on the hospital where the DMK president was waging a see-saw battle with death.
The mortal remains of the DMK patriarch was taken to his Gopalapuram residence. Sources in the DMK said that the body would be kept for the public at the CIT Colony residence and Anna Arivalayam on Wednesday.
Karunanidhi is survived by his two wives and six children. His first wife Padmavathu predeceased him leaving behind MK Muthu, the son Karunanidhi wanted to elevate in politics as his chosen heir. But he was a failure and fell out with his father. Karunanidhi with his second wife Dayalu had four children. MK Alagiri (former Union Minister for Chemical and Fertilisers), MK Stalin, MK Tamil Arasu and Selvi. Karunanidhi also married Rajathi, a well known drama artist. Kanimozhi was born out of this marriage.
The Tamil Nadu Government has declared a seven-day State mourning. Wednesday would be a public holiday as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
The Union Territory of Puducherry too declared Wednesday a holiday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is flying down to Chennai to pay his homage to the Dravidian leader. The Prime Minister had called on Karunanidhi earlier this year when he had come to Chennai to attend a public function.
Karunanidhi was undergoing treatment at Kauvery Hospital where he was admitted in the early hours of July 28 following a fall in his blood pressure. The hospital had said later that the former Chief Minister was normal and has been admitted to the intensive care unit. However, there was a sudden setback in his health by Monday morning and since then his health status took a beating for the worst. There was no encouraging news from the hospital on Tuesday morning.
By 3 pm, Karunanidhi’s sons MK Alagiri and MK Stalin rushed to the residence of Chief Minister E Palaniswamy and had a closed door meeting with him and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. After the meeting, the CM convened Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and other senior officials for a lengthy meeting.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up all over Chennai. Heavy police deployment was noticed around the hospital and Karuanidhi’s residences at Gopalapuram and CIT Colony. By evening, all family members started returning home from the hospital. Selvi, Karunanidhi’s favourite daughter, was seen coming out of the hospital sobbing uncontrollably by 5.45 pm.
Karunanidhi completed 49 years as the president of the DMK on July 27 and the whole party cadre was looking out to see their leader completing 50 years as the party chief. Had he completed five decades as party chief, Karunanidhi would have equalled the record held by Fidel Castro who was the head of Cuban Communist Party from 1961 to 2011, which made him the longest serving chief of a political outfit in the world.
At the time of his death, Karunanidhi was a member of Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly, representing the Thiruvarur constituency.