A commemorative postage stamp on the 1^st Death Anniversary of ‘Arignar Anna‘ C.N. Annadurai, 5^th and last Chief Minister of Madras (1967-69) and 1^st Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1969), founder of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) :

Issued by India

Issued on Feb 3, 1970

Issued for : On the First Anniversary of his passing, the Posts & Telegraphs Department feels privileged to bring out a special stamp as a tribute to his memory.

Description of Design : The design of the stamp is vertical and depicts autographed portrait of Thiru C. N. Annadurai.

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Maltese Blue & Red Purple 

Denomination : 20 Paise

Overall Size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.

Printing Size : 3.56 X 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked Adhesive stamp paper

Number Printed : 35,00,000

Number per issue Sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

Name : Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (Arignar Anna)

Born on Sep 15, 1909 at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

 Died on Feb 3, 1969 at Madras, India

About : 

• Thiru Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, “Anna” as he was endearingly called by millions of Tamilians, was born at Kancheepuram, in a lower middle class family, on 15^th September 1909. After completing his education in the Pachaiappa’s High School, Kancheepuram, he joined the Pachaiappa’s College, Madras from which he graduated. Even as a student, he had a reputation for oratory in Tamil and English, and a flair for journalism.
• He was the editor of the “Bala Bharati” and later the “Nava Yuvan“, Tamil weeklies published in Madras. He also served as Sub-Editor of the “Justice“, an English daily and was on the editorial staff of the “Viduthalai“, Tamil weekly of Erode, published by Periyar F. V. Ramaswami Naicker, leader of the Dravida Kazhagam. In 1942, Thiru C. N. Annadurai started his own weekly, the “Dravida Nadu“, and developed a distinct style of his own. He also edited the Tamil weekly “Kanchi“. He was as fluent, scholarly and versatile in English as in Tamil. In 1957, he started an English weekly, the “Homeland“, and in 1966 founded another weekly, the “Homerule“. He wrote stories and dialogue for films, social reform being the theme of his plays and film stories. He was considered to be the doyen among dialogue-writers, renowned for his catchy and flowery descriptive passages and conversational pieces. He also acted on the stage.
• As an orator, few could equal Thiru Annadurai. He could whip up the emotions of vast audiences, and could also pacify agitated crowds. He made full use of this gift in the interests of his party and the ideals it stood for, and whether it was a mammoth crowd that thronged the sands of Madras beach to hear him in Tamil, or a select audience pressing to get seats in the front rows of a public hall to hear him in English, he kept them spellbound for hours by his oratory which abounded in wit, sarcasm and humour.
• Thiru Annadurai had a genius for organisation. Along with Periyar, he was responsible for the consolidation of the Justice Party, later renamed as the Dravida Kazhagam. Though a follower of Periyar, he did not hesitate to differ from him when his conscience told him so. The parting of ways came in 1949 when the Dravida Kazhagam split and the majority followed Thiru Annadurai who founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
• In 1957, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam contested the General Elections. Thiru Annadurai contested from the Kancheepuram constituency and won with a large majority. His speeches on the floor of the House as Leader of the D.M.K. Legislature Party had a great impact. In 1962, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha where he made his mark by his brilliant speeches. In February 1967, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the South Madras Parliamentary Constituency and subsequently to the Madras Legislative Council from the Madras Local Authorities Constituency in April 1967.
• In the Fourth General Elections held in February 1967, the D.M.K. under the able leadership of Thiru Annadurai succeeded in capturing all the seats in Parliament for which it had fielded candidates. Thiru Annadurai was elected leader of the D.M.K. Legislature Party and became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. During the two years of his Chief Ministership, he earned universal respect, and his sobriety, simplicity and sincerity won the esteem and affection of all. He had the interests of the common man at heart and he was a friend of the poor and the working classes, and his ‘rupee-a-measure of rice scheme‘ was one of the measures which bore testimony to this.
• His interest in and love for, Tamil and Tamil literature was high-lighted by the great success of the World Tamil Conference held in Madras in February 1968. He proceeded on a world tour as an invitee of the Yale University’s Chubb Fellowship Programme and was also a guest of the State Department in the U.S.A. in April-May 1968. He was awarded the Chubb Fellowship at Yale University, being the first non-American to receive this honour.
• Thiru C.N. Annadurai passed away in the early hours of 3^rd February 1969. With his passing, the country has lost a great patriot and leader.

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