Murasoli Selvam | |
|---|---|
| 3rdChief Editor ofMurasoli | |
| In office 2 December 1989 – 2022 (?) | |
| Preceded by | Murasoli Maran |
| Succeeded by | To be ascertained |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Pannirselvam (1940-04-24)24 April 1940 Thiruvarur,Madras Province,British India (nowTamil Nadu, India) |
| Died | 10 October 2024(2024-10-10) (aged 84) Bengaluru,Karnataka, India |
| Spouse | M. K. Selvi |
| Relations |
|
| Parents |
|
| Occupation | Journalist, film producer |
Shanmugasundaram Pannirselvam (24 April 1940 – 10 October 2024), popularly known asMurasoli Selvam, was apolitical journalist and film producer fromTamil Nadu, India. For over three decades, he served as the chief editor ofMurasoli, the mouthpiece of theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Through his maternal side, he was related to theKarunanidhi family.[1][2]
He was born on 24 April 1940 inThiruvarur, a town in present-dayTamil Nadu.[3] His mother was Shanmuga Sundarathammal, whose younger brotherM. Karunanidhi,[4] (the patriarch of theKarunanidhi family[1]) would later serve five terms as theChief Minister of Tamil Nadu (between 1969 and 2011). Karunanidhi initially named the boy asPannirselvam in memory ofJustice Party leaderA. T. Pannirselvam, who had died in a plane crash earlier on 1 March of that year.[5] Selvam would later marry Karunanidhi's daughter Selvi.[6]
Selvam's elder brotherMurasoli Maran served as aUnion Minister (during 1989–2002) under fourIndian Prime Ministers -V. P. Singh,H. D. Deve Gowda,I. K. Gujral, andAtal Bihari Vajpayee.
Selvam was associated with theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) early on,[7] and made his mark as a student leader during the1965-67 Anti-Hindi agitations.[7][3]
He began his journalistic career along with Maran forMurasoli. After Maran went on to become a Union Minister under V. P. Singh,[5] Selvam became the editor in 1989.
On 22 May 1991, the day after theassassination of former Indian Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi, theMurasoli office atKodambakkam locality ofMadras (nowChennai) was attacked and set on fire. Vehicles, documents, printing papers and the printing press owned by the newspaper were all burnt down. Despite the destruction, the daily came out the next day, with the headline 'Murasoli Will Take It'.[5]
Eventually, he came to be known asMurasoli Selvam. His editorial work inMurasoli played a pivotal role in uplifting the DMK's public image.[8]
On 9 September 1991,Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, then the only DMKMLA in theTamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, delivered a speech regarding theTamil Nadu Housing Board. A part of his speech was expunged from the House notes that afternoon by theSpeakerSedapatti R. Muthiah. While the deletion was reflected in theChennai edition ofMurasoli, the daily's outstation editions contained the expunged text, as they have been printed by 2 pm.[5][2] Also, around this time, one of his articles criticised some actions of the then Chief MinisterJ. Jayalalithaa,[7] especially highlighting the sequence of events that unfolded during her stay inKodanad estate. This had garnered him political opposition. Ultimately, a direct privilege motion was filed against him by Jayalalithaa.[9][7]
After investigation, the Assembly's Committee on Privileges issued a notice to Selvam, seeking an explanation. He was ordered to appear before the Committee despite his explanation. He appeared before the committee but refused to apologise. He was arrested on 11 May 1992 and brought before Muthiah. He was ordered to appear on the day of the next sitting of the Legislature to receive its censure. Accordingly, a notice was sent to him to appear in the Assembly on 21 September. On that designated date, Selvam appeared in the Assembly, wearing a black shirt as a mark of protest. and was put in a defendant's dock. The MLAs fromCPI,CPI(M), andPMK protested the move and staged awalkout. After this, the condemnation of the House was read, following which Selvam was discharged.
This event made Selvam the first newspaper editor in Tamil Nadu to be reprimanded at the Bar of the Legislative Assembly.[2][5]
In November 2003, the Legislative Assembly's Committee on Privileges sentenced six journalists, including Selvam, to 15 days in prison for writing critically of Jayalalithaa's activities in the Assembly.[10]
Selvam published a memoir titledMurasoli Sila Ninaivalaigal (A Few Memories regardingMurasoli), where he articulated the plethora of first hand experiences with the newspaper, highlighting its crucial aspect and role in analysing the political challenges and roadblocks.[11]
According to his acquaintances, he was known for his quiet nature, never seeking political positions despite his closeness to the DMK leadership.[5]
Selvam passionately continued his work inMurasoli under the pseudonym "Silandhi" (transl. Spider).[2] His last officially published article appeared inMurasoli on 8 August 2024, wherein he was critical ofR. N. Ravi (Governor of Tamil Nadu), calling out hisreligious politics.[7]
| Year[7] | Title | Screenplay | Story/based on | Director | Starring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Vandikkaran Magan | M. Karunanidhi | C. N. Annadurai | Amirtham | Jaishankar,M. R. Radha, andJayachitra |
| 1986 | Palaivana Rojakkal | Vartha | Manivannan | Sathyaraj,Lakshmi,Nalini andPrabhu | |
| 1987 | Puyal Paadum Paattu | Bharathan | Radhika andRaghuvaran | ||
| 1988 | Paasa Paravaigal | M. Karunanidhi (dialogues) | Cochin Haneefa | Sivakumar,Lakshmi,Mohan andRadhika | |
On 9 October 2024, Selvam (then living inBengaluru,Karnataka and receiving treatment at a private hospital there) had been reportedly compiling a frontpage column forMurasoli (a colleague would later report that Selvam had called to discuss the work and finalise a cartoon for the publication).[12] The next day (10 October), Selvam suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 84.[13][14][15]
Chief MinisterM. K. Stalin, as president of the DMK, mourned that he lost "the last shoulder and ideological pillar to lean on". The party announced that the party's flag would be hoisted in half-mast for three days in recognition of Selvam's contribution to the party's growth. Tributes poured in from key DMK leaders and legislators (includingUdhayanidhi Stalin) and film personalities (includingSathyaraj). Leaders of parties and organizations includingINC (Tamil Nadu unit),MDMK,VCK, CPI, CPI(M),IUML,MNM,Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), andDravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) also expressed their condolence.[2][16][17][18][19][20]
Selvam's funeral was held on 11 October at thecrematorium inBesant Nagar, Chennai.[21][22][23]
His portrait was opened at the DMK headquarters on 21 October. At the event, Stalin announced that atrust would be established in Selvam's name to annually confer awards to works and creators from theDravidian movement.[24]
On 24 April 2025, Selvam'sbust was opened at theMurasoli office by Stalin. Among those present at the event were the DMK's general secretaryDurai Murugan, treasurerT. R. Baalu DK presidentK. Veeramani, andKalaignar TV's director Amirtham (son of Periyanayagi Ammal, another of Karunanidhi's sisters).[25][26] A new collection of Selvam's essays, titledSilandhi Katturaigal was released by Durai Murugan at the event, with Veeramani receiving the first copy.[27]