Pazha. Nedumaran is an outspoken Tamil politician from the state of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

, South India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. He is an ex-national Congressman, a writer and Tamil nationalist, who has authored many books in Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

, as well as in English. Pazha Nedumaran was born in Madurai

Madurai

Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...

 and was a close associate of K. Kamaraj

K. Kamaraj

Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...

, and had met Indra Gandhi a couple of times in the company of K. Kamaraj. He was reportedly disillusioned with the Congress after Kamaraj's demise. He is the editor-in-chief of the by-weekly Tamil magazine Then Seidi .

He is noted for his vocal support for the LTTE  which is proscribed

Proscription

Proscription is a term used for the public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state. It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a "decree of condemnation to death or banishment" and is a heavily politically charged word, frequently used to refer to state-approved...

 as a terrorist organization by 32 countries including India (see list).

Personal Note

Date of Birth : 10 March 1933

Parents :
Thiru. Ki. Palaniappanar - Piramu Ammaiyar

Father was the Secretary of Madurai Tamil Sangam and also the Founder of Madurai Thiruvalluvar Sangam. He also organised Muthamizh Conference at Madurai in 1942, Thamizh Thirunaal at Madurai in 1948 and the Golden Jubilee Conference of the Madurai Tamil Sangam in 1956. He was a well-known patron of a number of Tamil Scholars all over Tamil Nadu.

Education

• St. Joseph's School - Madurai
• St. Mary's Higher Secondary School - Madurai
• American College - Madurai
• Thiyagaraja College - Madurai
• BA (Hons) - Tamil Literature - Annamalai University

Teachers

Renowned Tamil Scholars like, Dr. A Chithambaranathan, Dr. T. P. Meenakshi Sundaranar, Dr. Rasamanickanar, Thiru. Avvai Duraisamy, Thiru. A. K. Parandamanar

Students Organisations

• 1958 : Took part in the students struggle in Annamalai University and was arrested.
• 1958 - 59 : General Secretary - Annamalai University Arts and Science Students' Hostel

Politics

• 1962 : Organiser, Madurai District, Tamil National Party
• 1964 : Organiser, Madurai District, Youth Wing, Indian National Congress
• 1970 : President, Madurai District, Indian National Congress
• 1973 - 1979 : General Secretary, Tamil Nadu State, Indian National Congress
• From 1979 Till Date : President, Tamils National Movement (Tamilar Desiya Iyakkam)
• 1980 - 1984 : Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

Current Positions

• Founder President, ‘World Tamil Confederation’ - From 2002
• President, ‘Tamils National Movement’ - From 1979
• Convener, ‘Tamil Eelam Liberation Supporters Co-ordination Committee’ - From 1990
• Editor, ‘Then Seide’ – Tamil Fortnightly - From 1997

Political

• 1978, when the All India Congress President and former Prime Minister of India Mrs.Indira Gandhi visited Tamil Nadu, she was attacked by the D.M.K., Mr.Nedumaran who accompanied her, shielded her and bore the brutal attacks on his body and saved Mrs. Gandhi’s life. After this incident, Mrs. Gandhi used to call Nedumaran as her eldest son.

Human Rights

• 1981, in the name of encounters against naxalites, the police shot down many innocent youth in the Dharumapuri District of Tamil Nadu, India. At that time, Pala. Nedumaran, toured the affected villages of the district, met the people, interviewed them and uncovered the truth. He found that the landlords had been exploiting the agricultural laborers of the suppressed and backward communities and committing atrocities against them. He exposed the fact that the police force, in support of the landlords, had falsely accused innocent youth as naxalites and had suppressed them. He gave a report on his findings to the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and brought these atrocities by the police force to an end.
• Many Tamils from Srilanka, who had been badly wounded by the attacks by the Sinhala Army were arrested and held in the special camps of Tamil Nadu. Nedumaran fought for them legally in the Courts, and made complaints to the National Human Rights Commission of India. Through these measures, many of them were retrieved from the Special Camps.
• In the assassination case of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, 13 Indian Tamils and 13 Srilankan Tamils, were sentenced to death by the Poonamalle TADA Special Court. The Supreme Court later quoted this judgment as 'a Judicial Murder'. Nedumaran, formed ‘Save 26 Tamils Committee’, in which more than 80 organisations were members. Through this committee he organized a campaign against the death sentence. He took the case over to the Supreme Court, and engaged Senior Advocates to appear for the accused. As a result, the Supreme Court released 19 of the 26, and reduced the death sentence of 3 to life sentence.
• Even after the Supreme Court judgment, Nedumaran continued the campaign against the death sentence. He toured all over Tamil Nadu with the people released in the case, made them talk to the public about how they were brutally and inhumanly treated and falsely implicated in the case, and sentenced to death. As a result of his campaign, ‘Abolition of Death Sentence’ became a national issue. He also organized a signature campaign against death sentence, through which more than 1 Crore signatures were collected against death sentence. A huge rally for the cause was conducted in Chennai, at the end of which the signatures collected was given to the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. As a result of all this, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, exercised his discretionary powers to reduce the death sentence of Mrs. Nalini, one of four sentenced to death by the Supreme Court.
• When Kannada film actor Dr. Rajkumar was abducted by the notorious dacoit Veerappan, there arose a tense situation in the adjoining states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The situation was such that at any time racial riots could break out resulting in arson and killings of thousands and thousands of innocent people. As such, on the requisition by the Chief Ministers of both states, a team of emissaries led by Nedumaran, went into the forests, met Veerappan and rescued Dr. Rajkumar.
• Nedumaran toured all over the State of Tamil Nadu, exposed the atrocities committed by the Special Task Forces of the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in the name of capturing Veerappan. He gained the support of the people all over Tamil Nadu to fight legally against the atrocities of the Special Task Forces and to help the people thus affected. For this purpose he formed the ‘Federation for People’s Rights’, in which various political organisations and human rights groups are members.
• 121 innocent villagers were arrested under the draconian Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), accused as Veerappan’s helpers and were put in Mysore Prison for more than 8 years without any trial. Nedumaran brought the plight of these innocent people to the notice of the Karanataka State Government, and insisted on carrying out the legal proceedings quickly. He also engaged able advocates to appear for the accused in the case. Thus, through his efforts, the Special Court immediately heard the cases pending against these people and they were acquitted and released.
• 2007, he organised a campaign to collect food and medicines for the people starving in Jaffna, due to the economic blockade of the Srilankan Government. Aids worth Rs. 1 Crore were collected. He sought the help of the Indian Red Cross Society to send the aid to Jaffna. Indian Red Cross Society readily agreed and in turn sought the permission of the Indian Government to carry the aids. But the Indian Government did not respond for more than 10 months. Nedumaran demonstrated several agitations seeking the Indian Government to grant permission. As all were in vain, he announced that he and his comrades would carry the aids to Jaffna by boats from Rameshwaram and Nagapattinam, the coastal towns of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Police stopped him from doing so. Hence he undertook a fast-unto-death until a solution was attained for this issue. The fast lasted for 4 days and after the assurance from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu through Dr. Ramadoss, Convener, PMK, he completed the fast.

Tamil Eelam

• 1982, when the Jaffna Public Library was burnt to ashes in Srilanka, Nedumaran personally visited the place. During that visit to Srilanka, he also visited Ratnapura, where several estate laborers of Indian origin, were burnt alive. Further, he met various Tamil leaders, representatives of various political and social organisations and obtained an idea of the truth behind the explosive situation that prevailed in Srilanka against the Tamils; and presented an exhaustive report in the All Party Leaders meeting convened by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Consequently, on the suggestion of Nedumaran an all party delegation headed by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, went to New Delhi, met the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and gave an report on the happenings in Srilanka.
• In July, 1983, when a genocide of more than 3000 Tamils was committed in Colombo, Srilanka, Nedumaran gathered more than 5000 volunteers in Tamil Nadu, conducted a Sacrifice March, and brought the genocide to the attention of India and other countries of the World.
• 1985, Nedumaran made a secret tour in the Tamil areas of Srilanka, and video graphed the atrocities committed by the Srilanka army there; and documented the consequences of the atrocities. He then toured the world with this evidence, and brought global attention to the issue.
• 1987, when Thileepan undertook fast-unto-death, he once again visited Srilanka and reported home the actual situation prevailing there.
• 1991, Nedumaran once again toured in the Tamil areas of Srilanka, and gathered evidence on the atrocities committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force there, and presented the same personally to the then Prime Minister of India, V. P. Singh, and demanded the withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Force from Srilanka.
• 1993, the Indian Navy in the international waters blocked the ship in which LTTE commando Kiddu was travelling. As such the ship was drowned and many of the LTTE comrades including Kiddu sacrificed their lives. The crew of the ship of 9 people was arrested by the Indian Navy and was brought to India. Nedumaran took up the case of the 9 sailors to the Supreme Court of India and helped them to get acquitted.

Arrests

• For the cause of helping the affected Eelam Tamils, Nedumaran was arrested under the draconian Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), and put in prison, in the year 1993. He was however acquitted by the Special Court as the allegations against him were proved false.
• In the year 2002, he was arrested in the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), for having spoken in support of LTTE, and was held in prison for 18 months. Even after release in bail, he was prohibited from giving public speeches or interviews for another 18 months.

Political books

• Where is Nethaji?
• Bangalore muthal Delhi varai
• kamarasarukku kaNNir kadithangal
• Neethi KetkiRom?
• Sattamandrathil Namathu kural
• Therthal thanatha thiruppam
• Mathiya - Manila uravugal
• Madurai mudal Mascow varai
• Thamilar thannurimai muzakam
• Thamilan ilantha man
• Tamilagam - Nathineer prichanigal
• Thanmana thalaivar Subash Bose
• Why a new Constituent Assembly?
• Puthiya arasiyal yappugalai Kuttuga
• Tamilarin thalaiyayia desiya prichanigal
• Perruru kollum tamil theysiyam
• Thannurimiya ? Maanila Syaaitchiya?
• Manitha kulamum tamil theyasiyamum
• mathamattram - parppana induthuva kuppadu
• Thada muthal Poda varai
• Uruvagatha inthiya theyasiyamum uruvana indthu passisamum

Tamil Eelam related

• Srilankan Tamils Problem - A Shocking Revelation
• Palestine Liberation Struggle & Tamil Eelam Liberation Struggle

Novels

• ThenPandi Veeran (won first prize in the competition held by Kannadasan
  Kannadasan
  Kannadasan was a Tamil poet and lyricist, heralded as one of the greatest and most important writer in the Tamil language...
  
  's 'thendral' literary magazine)
• Sola kulla valli

External links

• Then Seide
• Blog
• Arrest of Nedumaran
• I'm just a supporter of LTTE: Nedumaran
• P Nedumaran arrested in Nagapattinam
• Nedumaran held under POTA
• பழ. நெடுமாறனின் உண்ணாவிரதப் போராட்டம்