Shanmuganathan, MK’s ‘shadow’ for 50 yrs, dies

Shanmuganathan, MK’s ‘shadow’ for 50 yrs, dies

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.12.2021

K Shanmuganathan, former chief minister M Karunanidhi’s personal secretary for close to 50 years, died in a Chennai hospital due to age-related ailments on Tuesday afternoon. He was 80.

Having joined Karunanidhi as his personal secretary in 1969, the two became inseparable, irrespective of whether the late DMK leader was in power or in the opposition. After Karunanidhi’s death on August 7, 2018, Shanmuganathan continued to visit his office room in the former’s Gopalapuram residence in Chennai for a few months, before withdrawing himself from political limelight.

Chief minister M K Stalin, who was away in Coimbatore on a personal visit to attend to a bereavement in his brother’s family, rushed back to the city and paid homage.

“Having worked with Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi) for 50 years, he spent most of his time – from dawn to midnight – at our Gopalapuram residence. We considered Shanmuganathan as an elder brother and he literally functioned as one hand of Kalaignar as well as his shadow,” Stalin said in his condolence message, while recalling his visit to the hospital on Monday. "I did not imagine we would lose him so soon," Stalin added.

Shanmughanathan accompanied Karunanidhi everywhere, be it official, political or personal.

Karunanidhi praised his personal secretary several times in public for his accuracy in taking notes of his speeches – both at public meetings and press conferences. Karunanidhi spotted Shanmuganathan diligently taking notes of whatever he spoke at public meetings on behalf of the state’s police intelligence, when the DMK was still in the opposition and yet to capture power in Tamil Nadu. Impressed by the latter’s work, Karunanidhi appointed him as his personal secretary.

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Shanmuganathan with M Karunanidhi