The Dravidian political landscape lost a stalwart on Sunday with the passing of senior leader and former Member of Parliament, L Ganesan. The 92-year-old veteran succumbed to age-related ailments at his residence in Thanjavur.
A Final Homage from the Chief Minister
Chief Minister M K Stalin made an aerial journey to Thanjavur in the evening to pay his respects to the departed leader at his home on Medical College Road. He was accompanied by a delegation of senior DMK leaders and ministers. In a heartfelt tribute, Stalin recalled his personal bond with Ganesan. "Whenever I travel to Thanjavur, I visit his house, and he always greets me with a smile," the CM stated. "With a sense of immense joy, he shared how the schemes of our Dravidian model government were well received among the people."
The Legacy of a Political Commander
Born on April 23, 1934, in Kannathangudi near Orathanadu, L Ganesan's political consciousness was shaped early. As a student, he actively participated in the anti-Hindi agitations of 1965, a mass movement that historically propelled the DMK to state power for the first time in 1967. This earned him the enduring title of 'commander of the anti-Hindi agitation'.
Ganesan, popularly known as LG, held the rare distinction of being elected to both houses of Parliament and both houses of the Tamil Nadu state assembly, including the now-disbanded Legislative Council. He was among the last surviving leaders who worked directly under DMK patriarchs and former chief ministers C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi.
A Journey Across Party Lines
His political career saw significant transitions. When Vaiko left the DMK to form the MDMK, Ganesan aligned with him and was successfully elected to the Lok Sabha from the Trichy constituency in 2004 on an MDMK ticket. However, internal differences led to his expulsion from the MDMK in 2008, after which he returned to the DMK fold.
The news of his demise drew condolences from across the political spectrum. Leaders including MDMK chief Vaiko, CPI's M Veerapandian, and MMK's M H Jawahirullah expressed their grief and paid tribute to his long-standing service.
The mortal remains of L Ganesan will be laid to rest at his family's native village near Orathanadu, marking the end of an era for Dravidian politics. His life charted the evolution of the movement from its foundational agitations to its contemporary governance model.
