Anna:: The Life and Times of CN Annadurai

In 1967, C.N. Annadurai became the chief minister of Madras state, when his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), swept to power for the first time. In this definitive biography, R. Kannan traces the growth of Annadurai from a young protege of the radical thinker Periyar E.V. Ramasamy into a revered leader known as Anna or elder brother. Kannan draws on Anna’s considerable body of writing, and the memoirs of other leaders and authors in Tamil, to candidly examine Anna’s complex relationship with Periyar and his disillusionment with the corruption he witnessed when in power. Featuring luminaries like Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj, K. Karunanidhi and MGR, among many others, Anna offers a warm and rounded portrait of a man who showed the way for the democratic expression of regional aspirations within a united India.