The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Interesting images of an ‘invincible’ leader

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Tamil Nadu

Interesting images of an ‘invincible’ leader

M. Balaganessin

Photo expo on the life of ‘Theerar’ Sathyamurthy

— Photo: M. Moorthy

Rewinding a revolution: Children having a glimpse of the photographs of ‘Theerar’ Sathyamurthy in Pudukkottai on Saturday.

PUDUKOTTAI: A large number of men and women have been making a beeline to the Government Museum with a purpose -- to get to know the life, work and sacrifices of ‘Theerar’ Sathyamurthy, a patriot and an eminent Congress leader, who was born in Tirumayam in the district.

A photo exhibition organised at the Government Museum, as part of the 120th birth anniversary of ‘Theerar’ Sathyamurthy which fell on August 19, threw light on the important events in the life of this fearless freedom fighter. The visitors, particularly youths, were the largest beneficiaries as they got ample opportunities to understand the hard efforts made by ‘Theerar’.

The fact that politics and leadership traits were in the blood of Sathyamurthy could be understood by his active participation in an college-level election. He had won the Mayorship of the then Madras city in 1930s. His care and concern for nursing the wards is visible through his daily rounds at one of the wards of the Corporation. The exhibition reveals how and why Sathyamurthy rose to be one of the staunch leaders in the national movement. The oldest among the collections showed him as a young boy with Jawaharlal Nehru along with E.V. Ramaswamy (EVR).

Another picture taken in 1935, showing Sathyamurthy selling ‘khadi’ goods at a shop in Chennai, indicated his serious involvement in the ‘Boycott Movement’.

A picture of 1936 shows Sathyamurthy along with Bala Gangadhar Tilak and Jawaharlal Nehru. A group photo, taken in 1934, shortly after winning an election shows a group of women, attired in traditional costumes, who had toiled hard for his electoral success.

In the midst is the noted playback singer, K.P. Sundarambal. There are about 60 photographs, and each one of them reveals a history.

The fact that he was strongly associated with eminent leaders and founders of the Congress movement is revealed by a photograph of 1937 showing Kasturi Srinivasan, Alladi Krishnasamy Iyengar, Rajaji, Amma Swaminathan, Thanjavur Nadimuthu Pillai, who was then an MLC.

“We want to expose the younger generation to the great works of Sathyamurthy and the photo exhibition has been an annual feature,” says the Curator of the Museum, C. Govindaraj.

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