The Hindu : M. Arunachalam dead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

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M. Arunachalam dead

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 21. The veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister, M. Arunachalam, died here today after a massive heart attack. He was 61. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.

Mr. Arunachalam, who became a member of the Lok Sabha in 1977 from Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu held the seat till 1998 for six consecutive terms.

He was Minister of State in the Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao Governments. He was also part of the United Front Governments headed by H.D. Deve Gowda and subsequently by I.K. Gujral.

A staunch supporter of the late G.K. Moopanar, Mr. Arunachalam resigned from the Congress along with Moopanar when the latter formed the Tamil Maanila Congress in 1996. He quit the TMC and rejoined the Congress after a difference of opinion with Moopanar when the latter aligned with the Puthiya Tamizhagam in the 1999 Lok Sabha election.

His body will be cremated tomorrow in his native place of Vellanai Kottai near Tenkasi.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, G.K. Vasan, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunandihi, the Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, S. Thirunavukkarasar, were among those who condoled his death.

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