Perunchithiranar (Tamil nationalist)

Perunchithiranar
Photograph of Perunchitthiranaar.
Born	Rajamanickam (1933-03-10)March 10, 1933 Samuthiram, Salem district, British India
Died	June 11, 1995(1995-06-11) (aged 62) Tamil Nadu, India
Other names	Durai Manickam Pavalareru Perunchithiranar
Occupation	Writer, Poet, Thani Tamil activist.

Perunchithiranar (10 March 1933 – 11 June 1995) was a Tamil poet and Tamil nationalist known for his involvement in the Pure Tamil Movement. He is regarded as the father of the Tamil nation.

Life

Perunchithiranar was born to Duraisamiyar and kunchammal in Samuthiram near Salem. He did his schooling in Salem and Attur. He went to Salem Municipal College where Devaneya Pavanar worked as Tamil professor. He worked for the Thani Tamil Iyakkam (Tamil: தனித் தமிழ் இயக்கம்) (Pure or Independent Tamil Movement). It is a linguistic-purity movement in Tamil literature which attempts to avoid loanwords from Sanskrit. He married Kamalam who was later known as Thamarai Ammaiyar. After his college, he worked in postal department in Puducherry. In 1959, he transferred to Cuddalore where started his Thenmozhi magazine. Perunchiththiranar published over a dozen Tamil books during his lifetime. His book Koyyakani was used as post-graduate text in the 1980s and another book Ayyai was used as undergraduate text in the 1970s at Madras University. He also founded and edited two more magazines, Tamilsittu and Tamil Nilam.

In 1965, he was arrested for anti-Hindi remarks in his magazine. He was a rationalist, which reflected in his writings. He was imprisoned twice after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi due to his continued support for Tamil Eelam.