->Dewritech at 11:56, 12 November 2021

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Indian name|Sampath|Erode Venkatta Naicker Krishnasamy}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = E. V. K. Sampath
| honorific-suffix =
| birth_date = 5 March 1926
| birth_place = [[Erode]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| death_date = 23 February 1977
| death_place =
| image =
| imagesize =
| spouse = Sulochana
| children = [[E. V. K. S. Elangovan]], Iniyan Sampath
| nationality = [[India]]n
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
}}

'''Erode Venkatappa Krishnasamy Sampath'''({{circa|5 March 1926}} – 23 February 1977), usually referred to as ''E. V. K. Sampath'' was a prominent [[politician]] from [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]. He was an advocate of the [[Dravidian Movement]] of [[Periyar E. V. Ramasamy]] and was considered by some as his political heir.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sify.com/news/politics/fullstory.php?id=13493522 |title=Priest-less weddings in TN VIP families – Sify News |access-date=27 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528101244/http://sify.com/news/politics/fullstory.php?id=13493522 |archive-date=28 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He later split from Periyar's [[Dravidar Kazhagam]] to form [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (DMK) along with [[C. N. Annadurai]].<ref name=Hardg>{{cite journal|jstor=2755132|title=The DMK and the Politics of Tamil Nationalism|last1=Hardgrave|first1=Robert L.|journal=Pacific Affairs|year=1964|volume=37|issue=4|pages=396–411|doi=10.2307/2755132}}</ref> In spite of being one of the founders of DMK<ref name=Hardg/> he later left and formed his own party, by the name, [[Tamil National Party]]. Nevertheless, he later merged his party with the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref name=iniya>[http://iniyan.in/familybackground.htm Family background - Iniyan Sampath] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120043547/http://www.iniyan.in/familybackground.htm |date=20 January 2008 }}</ref> He is a former [[Member of Parliament]] from the constituency of [[Namakkal]]<ref>[http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lok02/alpha/02lss.htm Members of second Lok Sabha].</ref>

He belonged to a politically active family. He was nephew of Periyar and his father was an active politician himself. He is also the father of other prominent politicians of Tamil Nadu, namely, [[E. V. K. S. Elangovan]] and [[Iniyan Sampath]] and his wife [[Sulochana Sampath]] too was in active politics, holding high ranks within the [[Government of Tamil Nadu|Tamil Nadu government]].<ref name=iniya/>

==Family==
Sampath was born in the town of [[Erode]], [[Madras Presidency]] as the son of E. V. Krishnasamy, the elder brother of [[Periyar E. V. Ramasamy]] in 1926. His family belongs to Balija naidu/naicker social group. Krishnasamy had extended extensive support to Periyar in his struggle for self-respect and social justice, and was one of the publishers of the journal ''[[Kudiarasu]]'' (Republic), the party organ for [[Justice Party (India)|Justice party]].<ref name=iniya/>

In the year 1946 Sampath married Sulochana the daughter of Thirupathur G. Samy Naidu who was one of the pillars of the [[Justice Party (India)|Justice party]]. Much later in life Sulochana Sampath held various high positions in the Tamil Nadu State Government including member of social welfare board, syndicate member of [[Annamalai University]], Chairperson of [[Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board]], Chairperson of [[Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation]], Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Text Book Society and Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. Sulochana was the organisation secretary of [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (AIADMK) and an AIADMK veteran for several years.<ref>http://www.eenaduindia.com/states/south/tamil-nadu/chennai-city/2016/12/25194122/EVKS-Elangovans-brother-floats-new-party-named-after.vpf</ref> She died in June 2015, aged 86.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/veteran-aiadmk-leader-sulochana-sampath-passes-away/article7289217.ece|title = Sulochana Sampath passes away|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 6 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Veteran-AIADMK-leader-Sulochana-Sampath-dead/articleshow/47570798.cms|title=Veteran AIADMK leader Sulochana Sampath dead | Chennai News - Times of India}}</ref>

==Entry into politics==
{{see also|Self-Respect Movement|Periyar E. V. Ramasamy}}

He was attracted to Periyar's self-respect movement since early days of his life.<ref name=iniya/> The movement aimed at achieving a society where [[backward castes]] have equal [[human rights]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Political Theory and Political Thought |author= N.D. Arora/S.S. Awasthy|isbn=978-81-241-1164-2|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=szBpnYfmH0cC&q=%22Self-respect+movement%22&pg=PA425|year=2007|publisher=Har-Anand Publications|location=New Delhi}}</ref> and encouraging backward castes to have [[self-respect]] in the context of a [[caste]] based society that considered them to be a lower end of the hierarchy.<ref>{{cite book|title=Political Ideas in Modern India: thematic explorations |author1=Thomas Pantham |author2=Vrajendra Raj Mehta |author3=Vrajendra Raj Mehta |year= 2006|publisher=Sage Publications|isbn=0-7619-3420-0|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=KJejtAaonsEC&q=%22Self-respect+movement%22&pg=PA48}}</ref> As a student of the Intermediate Course in [[Pachaiyappa's College]] in [[Chennai]], he participated in the programmes and agitations of DK. In the year 1944 he was declared as the Commander-in-chief of the ''Black Shirt Brigade'' of Periyar's movement.<ref name=iniya/>

==In DMK==
{{see also|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
In 1949, he along with Annadurai split from the DK and formed their own party DMK.<ref name=Hardg/> The breakaway is attributed to the marriage of Periyar to a lady much younger.<ref>[http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-periyar280603.htm Periyar's movement - Counter currents] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217005411/http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-periyar280603.htm |date=17 February 2008 }}</ref> The DMK picked up the [[Tamil Nationalism|Tamil Nationalistic]] ideologies from its parent organisation but upheld the principles of democratic party organisation.<ref name=Hardg/> In the inaugural function they had kept one empty chair on the head of the dais for Periyar, saying that he was their permanent leader.<ref>[http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=204&page=36 Selective atheism of Karunanidhi - Organiser]</ref> However, faced with the reality of an independent India setting in motion the democratic process under a new [[Constitution of India|Constitution]], DMK preferred to keep the separatist issue on the backburner.<ref name=frontl>[http://www.flonnet.com/fl2108/stories/20040423007201600.htm A history of agitational politics - Frontline] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302175523/http://www.flonnet.com/fl2108/stories/20040423007201600.htm |date=2 March 2008 }}</ref>

==Breakaway from DMK==
In 1961 along with Tamil poet [[Kannadasan]] and [[Pazha Nedumaran]] he found a new party [[Tamil National Party]].<ref name=iniya/> The break away is variably attributed to be caused by personal difference that arose because of ascendency of [[M. Karunanidhi]] in the party <ref>[http://sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/06-10_Karunanadhi.php?uid=1789 Quo Vadis Karunanidhi? - Illankai Tamil Sangam]</ref> and also to the differences in DMK's call for independent nation of [[Dravida Nadu]].<ref name=iniya/> Sampath's ideologies varied from those of Annadurai. The latter preferred constitutional means in pursuing a Tamil state and was keen on contesting in elections for the same. Sampath found Annadurai too moderate and pressed for more [[Political radicalism|radical]] policies, [[direct actions]] and militant methods. Moreover, Annadurai was politically inclined towards [[Rajagopalachari]]’s [[Swatantra Party]], whereas Sampath was keen to ally with the [[Communist Party of India]].
<ref name=Rudolph>
{{Cite journal
| last = Rudolph
| first = L
| title = Urban Life and Populist Radicalism: Dravidian Politics in Madras
| journal = The Journal of Asian Studies
| volume = 20
| issue = 3
| pages = 283–297
| doi = 10.2307/2050816
| year = 1961
| jstor = 2050816
| publisher = Association for Asian Studies
}}.</ref>
Later one more founder members of DMK, actor [[Sivaji Ganesan]]<ref name=Hardg/> would move to Sampath's TNP,<ref>[http://www.upperstall.com/people/sivaji.html Sivaji Ganesan - Memorable]</ref> after his feud with the DMK leadership and calling it a ''glamour party''.<ref name=Hardg/>

==Merger into Congress==
In 1964 Sampath, with invitation from [[Kamaraj]] merged his party with the Congress. Sampath later started Congress journals namely ''Tamil Cheithi, Jayaberigai (Dailies) and Alaigal'' (Weekly), but incurred heavy financial losses. To ensure the victory of the Congress Parliament candidates in Tamil Nadu, [[Indira Gandhi]] entrusted the entire election responsibility in the hands of Sampath in the year 1977. Sampath was made secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and later appointed as the vice-president of the TNCC. It was Sampath who translated the speeches made by Indira Gandhi into Tamil. Sampath donated his property, 'Jawahar Illam', at Erode, to be used as the Erode District Congress Committee headquarters. Till date the headquarters functions there. Sampath died on 23 February 1977.<ref name=iniya/> A road in Vepery, [[Chennai]] and a [[Government of Tamil Nadu|government]] building complex in College Road, Chennai are named after him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/26/stories/2010042658800300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429153837/http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/26/stories/2010042658800300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 April 2010|title= Chennai Today |date=26 April 2010|work=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2010-05-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/article393641.ece|title=Nostalgic notes |date=10 April 2010|work=The Hindu|accessdate=2010-05-03}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Dravidian parties]]
*[[Dravidian movement]]
*[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
*[[E. V. K. S. Elangovan]]
*[[Anti-Hindi agitations]]

{{Dravidian politics-hor}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sampath, E. V. K.}}
[[Category:1977 deaths]]
[[Category:Dravidian movement]]
[[Category:Indian atheists]]
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:People from Erode district]]
[[Category:Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu]]

E. V. K. Sampath - Revision history

->Dewritech at 11:56, 12 November 2021