Ma. Po. Sivagnanam

August 25, 2006

A commemorative postage stamp on ‘Silambu Selvar‘ M. P. Sivagnanam (Ma. Po. Si.), founder of Tamil Arasu Kazhagam (Association for Tamil Autonomy) :

Issued by India

Issued on Aug 15, 2006

Issued for : The Department of Posts is pleased to issue a commemorative postage stamp in honour of Ma. Po. Sivagnanam.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Brahm Prakash
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Mylapore Ponnuswamy Sivagnanam

Born on Jun 26, 1906 at Salvankuppam, Chennai, Madras Presidency, British India

Died on Oct 3, 1995 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

About :

Ma. Po. Sivagnanam was a devout nationalist and freedom fighter, a great visionary, a Tamil scholar, and a prolific writer. Born to Shri Ponnusamy Giramini and Smt. Sivagami on 26^th June 1906 in Chennai, he had to discontinue his studies due to poverty, and work as a labourer.
In 1927, he joined the Congress Party and actively participated in the movement against the Simon Commission. In 1930, when Mahatma Gandhi conducted the Dandi March, Ma. Po. Sivagnanam also took part in The Salt Satyagraha at Chennai, under the leadership of Shri T. Prakasam. He was imprisoned in 1940 for joining in the ‘Individual Satyagraha‘ movement and again in 1942 for taking part in the Quit India Movement.
In 1946, he founded The Tamil Arasu Kazhagam which participated in the movement for re-organization of the States on linguistic basis, and for formation of Tamilnadu State. He was elected as Alderman of the Corporation of Madras and continued for two terms upto 1952, and worked for the development of Madras.
Ma. Po. Sivagnanam was elected as a Member of the Tamilnadu Legislative Council in 1952 and as a Member of Legislative Assembly from 1967 to 1971. He also functioned as the Deputy Chairman and the Chairman of Tamilnadu Legislative Council.
In 1953, he organized an agitation for inclusion of Tiruttani taluk and five taluks of Travancore–Cochin with Tamilnadu. He also worked for the retention of Madras city with Tamilnadu at the time of formation of Andhra Pradesh State.
Ma. Po. Sivagnanam also made his mark as a writer, publisher, and editor. He has left more than 150 books in Tamil on various subjects, including “The Great Patriot V.O. Chidambaram Pillai”, “The First Patriot Veerapandia Kattabomman”, “Kamban Kavi Inbam”, “Kallingathu Parani”, “Bharathiyarin Padaiyilay”, and “History of the Growth of Tamil during the Indian War of Independence”. “Vallalar Kanda Orumaipaddu” bagged the Sahitya Academy Award in 1966 and several his works were translated into English. Some have also come to be included as textbooks in schools and universities.
Ma. Po. Sivagnanam started a magazine called ‘Gramini Kulam’ in 1934, and also served as editor for several journals and newspaper such as ‘Bharathi’, ‘Tamil Murasu’, ‘Tamilzhan Kural’ and ‘Sengol’. His literary accomplishments and contribution to Tamil language and literature are indeed well known, and he came to be elected as a Member of the Senate and, later, the Syndicate of Madras University, and the Senates of Madurai Kamaraj University, Annamalai University, and the Tamil University of Thanjavur. He was also appointed as Chairman of the High Level Committee for Development of Tamil by the Tamilnadu State Government.
He was conferred with the title ‘Silambu Chelvar’ by the great Tamil scholar Shri Ra. Pi. Sethu Pillai, on behalf of the Tamil Writers Association in 1950, and was awarded ‘Padma Shri’ in 1972 for his services to literature and education. He was also honoured with the title of ‘Kalaimamani’ in 1976 by the Tamilnadu Iyal Isai, Nataka Mandram, Madras and with the title of ‘Doctor of Literature’ by the Universities of Madras and Annamalai.
Ma. Po. Sivagnanam breathed his last on 3^rd October 1995 but his legacy lives on by way of his contribution to the enrichment of Tamil language and literature.
Text : Material provided by the proponent.