The 108th birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and South Indian actor M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) was celebrated in Jaffna last week.
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran was born in Nawalapitiya, Kandy District, in what was then British Ceylon. He was born to a Malayali family, Melakkath Gopalan Menon and Maruthur Satyabhama from Palakkad, Kerala.
The celebration took place in front of the M.G. Ramachandran statue located in the Kalviyankadu area of Jaffna, organised by the family of M.G.R’s close associate, M.G.R. Kopay Sundaralingam.
During the event, the president of the Kalviyankadu Traders' Association, A. Kethees, paid tribute to M.G. Ramachandran by offering a garland to the statue. Following this, prayers were offered, and traditional oil lamps were lit in honor of M.G. Ramachandran and M.G.R. Kopay Sundaralingam.
Sundaralingam, a close friend and ardent admirer of M.G. Ramachandran, had annually organized commemorative events at the M.G.R. statue located in Kalviyankadu, which he had erected with his own funds. However, he passed away a few years ago.
Additionally, learning materials were distributed to the students by the family of Sundaralingam.
In M.G.R’s absence, his family members have continued to conduct these commemorative events.
In April 1984 LTTE leader Prabhakaran met MGR for the first time.
Prabhakaran and MGR meet in 1985.
The meeting bonded them and brought about a historic change in the Tamil Eelam freedom struggle. Panrutti S. Ramachandran, MGR’s minister and specialist on Sri Lanka, described their bond as “some chemistry”.
MGR would henceforth refer to Prabhakaran as “Thamby”, or younger brother, in a show of affection and respect.He would go on to provide immense financial support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), once lending Rs.110 Million.
Prabhakaran reportedly met MGR to thank him after the funding allowed the LTTE to purchase new weapons. The LTTE leader presented the Tamil Nadu leader with an AK47, demonstrating how to dismantle and assemble the gun.
MGR died in December 1987 after being sick for over a year. The LTTE theoritician Anton Balasingham paid him a visit early that year when he was hospitalised. MGR reportedly sat up and from under his pillow fetched the AK47 Prabhakaran had presented him nearly three years earlier. MGR slept with it until he died, according to an account by T. Sabaratnam.