M. P. Sivagnanam

M. P. Sivagnanam Biography

M. P. Sivagnanam was a Tamil author and a very influential politician who founded the regional party, Tamil Arasu Kazhagam. He was a freedom fighter and social worker too. Popularly known as Ma.Po.Si, he was a good writer also who authored over 100 books. He lived during 26 June 1906 – 3 October 1995. He was a journalist by profession, and a poet and scholar too. He was inspired a lot by the writings and poems of Subramanya Bharathi, and later wrote numerous books on him. He participated in the fight for declaring Chennai, then known as Madras as Tamil Nadu state capital.

His full name is Mylapore Ponnuswamy Sivagnanam. He was born on 26 June 1906 in Salvankuppam, Chennai. He was born into a poor family with lack of social status, and faced a lot of struggles and poverty since childhood, couldn’t take formal education, but later fought himself to achieve a space in Tamil arena, inspiring others. As a great leader, scholar, orator and writer he set an example that strong determination is what that really counts. A multi-faceted personality he was a very powerful orator, Gandhian, humanist, teacher and educationalist. He was a great leader from Tamil Nadu who lived in the 20^th century, respected by people belonging to all classes including the rulers.

During his younger days he was known as Sivagnanam Gramani. His early education was given by his mother. He studied till class three, and was forced to discontinue studies due to poverty. His parents had 10 children. But seven of them couldn’t survive. As he was the eldest of surviving kids, he had to earn bread for his family, thus discontinuing his studies. Sivagnanam worked on daily wage during his early days, then worked as weaver for 8 years and then as a compositor in the Press of a Tamil Journal. From there on, his life witnessed a U-turn. In 1967 he became an MLA representing DMK party and very soon turned an influential leader among the masses.

Published: September 04, 2018

Updated: September 04, 2018