Thanjavur: People of Thanjavur remember M.Natarajan, husband of V.K.Sasikala for two things. One is the ‘Pongal Ilakkiya Kalai Vizha’, he used to conduct under a trust named after his father Marudappa evey year at his marriage hall Thamizharasi Kalyana Mandapam, and second for his contribution to construction of Mulli Vaikkal Mutram in memory of the Tamil martyrs of Mullivaikkal during the 2009 civil war in Sri Lanka, in association with the veteran former Congressman and Tamil Nationalist leader P Nedumaran.
Both of them were not devoid of controversies as he used to make controversial speeches at the valedictory of ‘Pongal Kalai Ilakkaiya Vizha’ every year, particularly against former Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa, sometimes daring her to arrest him (he was arrested also in a land case).
His last controversial speech at ‘Pongal Kalai Ilakkiya Vizha’was after the demise of J.Jayalalithaa in December 2016, when he declared that he will do only “family politics” and bravely took on the BJP at the centre. With respect to ‘Mullivaikkal Mutram’, its compound wall was demolished by the police under order from J.Jayalalithaa stating that it is an encroachment. However, his love for Tamil made him to patronize Tamil scholars and his support to Tamil Eelam cause is hailed by leaders like Vaiko and P. Nedumaran.
Born at Vilar, in 1943, to Marudappa Mannaiyar, Natarajan was a student of Annamamali University at Chidambaram. He took part in anti-Hindi agitation in 1965. He joined as Assistant Public Relations Officer at Cuddalore in 1970 and was PRO to the then district collector Ms Chandralekha, who much later became State Janata party president. Thiru. Natarajan married V.K.Sasikala and the marriage was held in the presence of M. Karunanidhi, DMK president. He was the Editor of the Tamil literary journal, ‘Puthiya Paarvai’, and Natarajan used to, of late, openly take credit that he had played a key role in J Jayalalithaa becoming Chief Minister after her mentor in AIADMK and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M G Ramachandran’s demise. Body of M.Natarajan, husband of V.K.Sasikala, arrived here at 7.30 p.m.
The body was kept for homage by public at his bungalow at Arulananda Nagar. V.K.Sasikala and T.T.V.Dinakaran, MLA and deputy general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam accompanied the body which was carried in ambulance in a car behind the ambulance. Family sources said that Sasikala joined the ambulance at Tiruchy on her way to Thanjavur from Bengaluru.
The sources said that the body will be kept at Arulananda Nagar till tomorrow evening when it will be taken in procession and buried at Vilar, his native village, 7 kms from Thanjavur.Divakaran, brother of Sasikala, Vilar Swaminathan and Ramachandran, brothers of Natarajan and all his relatives received the body at Arulananda Nagar.
