Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the “sun” of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) passed away on Tuesday, 7 August, leaving behind a state in mourning.
The 94-year-old, who was fondly called “Kailagnar” by the people of Tamil Nadu, had been admitted in the Kauvery Hospital on 28 July, due to worsening health conditions.
From the moment he was admitted to the minute he breathed his last, and even after, his supporters remained standing resolutely in front of the hospital, anxious to catch a final glimpse of their beloved leader.
Outside Kauvery Hospital
As the hospital released the updated bulletins on the worsening conditions of Karunanidhi, his well-wishers were seen praying and crying for their “Kailagnar” to wake up.
“Indebted to Karunanidhi”
While the state’s “Kalaignar” had thousands gathered outside the Kauvery hospital from the first day he was admitted, two individuals stood out from among them, for their self-claimed, life-long “indebtedness” to the former Chief Minister.
One was an 80-year-old man named Sadayappan, from Oddanchatram, Tamil Nadu who said he had tattooed Karunanidhi’s name on his right hand, as he was “indebted to him for the rest of his life” for providing jobs for his children.
The other was a man who had waited outside the hospital, every single day since Karunanidhi had first been admitted, and who said he would spend the night on the pavement and leave only after the Marina beach was allotted as the final resting place for the DMK Chief.
Crowds Wait to Catch Final Glimpse
Following the news of Karunanidhi’s death, the crowds outside the hospital, and later in front of his house at Gopalapuram, struggled to catch a final glimpse of their beloved “Kalaignar”.
Final Journey of Karunanidhi
The body of the former Chief Minister was finally taken to the residence of his daughter, Kanimozhi in Chennai's CIT Colony, where police had to later resort to lathi charge, in order to control the sobbing crowds.
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