Ministers Pay Tribute to Silambuchelvar Ma.Po.Si. on His 121st Birthday

On the occasion of the 121st birth anniversary of Silambuchelvar Ma.Po.Sivagnanam, the Hon'ble Minister and other dignitaries garlanded his statue, offered flowers and paid their respects. On behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of the 121st birth anniversary of Silambuchelvar Ma.Po.Sivagnanam, the Hon'ble Minister and other dignitaries today (26.6.2026) garlanded and offered flowers at his statue located on Thyagaraya Road, Chennai, and paid their respects. 'Silambuchelvar' Ma.Po.Sivagnanam was born in Chennai on 26.6.1906 as the son of Ponnusamy Gramaniyar and Sivakami Ammal. From childhood, Sivagnanam's unwavering devotion to the Tamil language made him a distinguished Tamil scholar. Through his own experience and self-effort, he became renowned for his mastery of Tamil, as a great leader and Tamil scholar. He also learnt English and Telugu well and served as editor of the journals Gramani Kulam, Tamil Murasu, Tamilan Kural and Sengol. Driven by his desire to make the epic Silappadikaram known to the world, he organised numerous Silappadikaram conferences. Ra.Pi. Sethupillai, recognising his deep love for the epic, conferred on him the title 'Silambuchelvar' at a writers' conference held in Nagercoil. Ma.Po.Sivagnanam was not only a journalist and orator but also an outstanding author. Among the more than a hundred books he wrote, notable works include Kappalottiya Tamilan, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Tamilan Kural, Veera Kannagi, and Vidudhalai Porில் Tamizhagam (Tamil Nadu in the Freedom Struggle). His book on the Indian freedom struggle, compiling Tamil Nadu's contribution, titled "Tamil Nadu in the Freedom Struggle," was the first such book published in Tamil and remains a historical reference to this day. He joined the Congress as an ordinary volunteer in 1927, and for participating in India's freedom struggle and opposing British rule, he was imprisoned six times. He was also imprisoned twice for his participation in the struggle over Tamil Nadu's northern border. When Andhra leaders raised the demand of "Madras Manade" (Madras is ours) for the Union Government's decision to bifurcate the Madras Presidency and form a separate Andhra state, Ma.Po.Sivagnanam strongly opposed this demand. He raised the militant cry, "We will guard the capital even if it costs us our lives." Due to Sivagnanam's intense border agitation, Tiruttani was retained as part of Tamil Nadu instead of being annexed to Andhra administration. 'Silambuchelvar' Ma.Po.Sivagnanam served capably as a member of the Legislative Council and as Chairman of the Legislative Council, and also served as Chairman of the Tamil Development High-Level Committee. In 1966, his book "Vallalar Kanda Orumaippadu" was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award, and in recognition of his public service, the Union Government honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1972. It was Ma.Po.Sivagnanam who first raised his voice demanding that the Madras Presidency, then known as "Madras State," be renamed "Tamil Nadu." Following this, the then Chief Minister, the eminent scholar Anna, moved the resolution in the Legislative Assembly in 1968, after which the Madras State came to be known by everyone as "Tamil Nadu." Ma.Po.Sivagnanam dedicated his entire life to the welfare of Tamils and founded the Tamilarasu Kazhagam in 1946. He was a great figure who strove to protect Tamil, the Tamil people, Tamil Nadu and Tamil culture across politics, literature and art. In honour of Silambuchelvar, his statue was unveiled in T. Nagar, Chennai, in 2011. Every year, the Government of Tamil Nadu grandly celebrates the birth anniversary of Silambuchelvar Ma.Po.Sivagnanam on 26th June. The event was attended by Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources Thiru N. Anand, Hon'ble Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Thiru P. Vengadaramanan, Hon'ble Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity Thiru Rajmohan, MLAs Thiru M. Arul Prakasam and Thiru Thendral Kumar, Secretary (In-charge) of Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department/Tamil Development and Information Department Thiru V. Dakshinamurthy, IAS, Director of Information and Public Relations Dr. A. Arun Thamburaj, IAS, and other senior government officials. **************** Issued By: - Director, Department of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9