V. N. Janaki: Difference between revisions

{{Matronymic name|Janaki|Vaikom Narayani}}

| name                = V. N. Janaki Ramachandran

| birth_date          = {{Birth date|df=yes|1924|09|23}}<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|date=19 May 2020|title=Janaki Ramachandran, the first woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu who ruled for 24 days|url=https://theprint.in/features/janaki-ramachandran-the-first-woman-chief-minister-of-tamil-nadu-who-ruled-for-24-days/424272/|url-status=live|website=[[ThePrint]]}}</ref>

| death_date          = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1996|5|19|1924|09|23}}<ref name="auto1"/>

| death_cause        = [[Cardiac Arrest]]<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|title=Not just Jayalalithaa: Find out how many TN CMs Karunanidhi outlived|url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/south/karunanidhi-jayalalithaa-tamil-nadu-chief-ministers-ten-dead|access-date=2021-05-08|website=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd|language=en}}</ref>

| resting_place      = M.G.R. Thottam

| father              = Rajagopal Iyer

| mother              = Narayani Amma

'''Vaikom Narayani Janaki''' (23 September 1924<ref name="auto1"/>{{spaced ndash}}19 May 1996), also known as '''Janaki Ramachandran''',<ref name=indtoday>{{cite web | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19880131-janaki-ramachandran-has-a-lot-of-hidden-potential-which-will-slowly-become-evident-769023-2013-11-21. | title=Leading lady | publisher=India Today | work=S.H. Venkatramani | date=31 January 1988 | access-date=18 September 2017}}</ref> was an Indian actress, politician and activist. She was the first woman to become the chief minister of [[Tamil Nadu]]. She was married to the actor and politician [[M. G. Ramachandran]].

Janaki was born in the town of [[Vaikom]] in [[Kottayam]] district of [[Travancore]]<ref name=week>{{cite web | url=https://www.theweek.in/webworld/features/society/vn-janaki-mgr.html | title=The 'leading' lady | publisher=The Week | work=Vincent DSouza | date=10 January 1988 | access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref>  into a family with ties to both [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Kerala]].  Her father, Rajagopal Iyer, was a [[Tamil Brahmin]] hailing from [[Thanjavur]] in Tamil Nadu, and was the brother of [[Papanasam Sivan]], the musician and composer.<ref name=thyagi>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Thyagi-1947/article14517030.ece | title=Thyagi (1947) | work=The Hindu | date=30 July 2016 | access-date=2 June 2018| last1=Guy | first1=Randor }}</ref> Her mother, Narayani Amma, belonged to Vaikom and was of a [[Marumakkathayam|Keralite matrilineal caste]]. She married actor Ganapathy Bhat (1915–1972) in 1939, <ref>{{cite video |title=ಮರೆಯಬಾರದ ಹಾಸ್ಯನಟ ಗಣಪತಿ ಭಟ್.. {{!}} Cinema Swarasyagalu Part 51 {{!}} Hariharapura Manjunath {{!}} Total Kannada |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpmo5fsoBy8 |publisher=Total Kannada |access-date=26 November 2021 |language=en |date=12 August 2021}}</ref> and had a son named Surendran.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/M-G-Ramachandran-autobiography-copyright-belongs-to-Janaki-son-rules-HC/articleshow/14661431.cms |title=M G Ramachandran autobiography copyright belongs to Janaki son, rules HC | work=[[Times of India]] |first=A |last=Subramani |date=4 July 2012 | access-date=21 September 2017}}</ref>

==Film career==

Janaki's early films were ''Manmatha Vijayam'' (1939)<ref name=week /> and ''Savithri''(1941). ''Chandralekha'' in 1948 brought her popularity. <ref name=thyagi />

Janaki acted with Ramachandran in films like ''Raja Mukthi'' and '''Mohini''. After the death of Ramachandran's second wife, she moved in with him.<ref name=week /> They married in 1963. She continued acting, with films like ''[[Velaikaari]]'' and ''[[Marudhanaattu Ilavarasi]]'' in the 1950s but had stopped by 1960. Ramachandran, who was childless in his three marriages, is said to have taken an affectionate interest in the well-being of Surendran, her son from her first marriage.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|title=Janaki's son alone has copyright to MGR's autobiography: court|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/janakis-son-alone-has-copyright-to-mgrs-autobiography-court/article3600414.ece|access-date=6 December 2016|work=The Hindu|date=4 July 2012}}</ref>

Janaki was not politically active during Ramachandran's life with only a handful of public appearances in [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|AIADMK]]'s early days. <ref name=indtoday /> Ramachandran groomed other young leaders of his party for political responsibility, including the actress [[Jayalalithaa]], with whom he was said to share a great professional rapport.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

When Ramachandran suffered a paralytic stroke in 1984, she became the intermediary between him and the party.

On his death in 1987, Janaki was asked by party members to take his place.<ref name=indtoday /> In deference to their wishes, she became Chief minister in January 1988. Her government lasted only 24 days, the shortest in the history of Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jayalalithaa : A political career with sharp rises and steep falls|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Jayalalithaa-a-political-career-with-sharp-rises-and-steep-falls/article16760118.ece|access-date=6 December 2016|newspaper=The Hindu|date=6 December 2016}}</ref> She also became the head of the AIADMK party.

 

Her ministry went for a sensitive vote of confidence of the Eighth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in January 1988. This was because AIADMK coalition with 194 MLAs had split into 3 factions, with one group of 30 MLAs supporting Jayalalitha and another group of 101 MLAs supporting Janaki. The Congress party, under the directive of its national chief and then PM Rajiv Gandhi, had decided to vote neutral. The opposition demanded secret ballot in the assembly, on the day of vote. But the speaker, who supported Janaki, rejected this. He had already disqualified the 30 MLAs of Jayalalitha faction and 15 MLAs of DMK the previous day. He had also decreed that the support of MLAs physically present in the assembly at the time of vote was sufficient. So instead of proving majority in 234 with just 101, Janaki had to prove majority in 198. When the speaker called for vote, DMK and AIADMK MLAs clashed in assembly and many were injured including the speaker. On speaker's request, the CM called police into the house. The speaker announced unilaterally that the cabinet had won motion of confidence.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

 

The central government under [[Rajiv Gandhi]] used Article 356 of the Constitution of India to dismiss her government in February. Her party was subsequently defeated in the next elections that were held in 1989. She quit politics after the unification of the two factions of the AIADMK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jayalalithachildhood.blogspot.com/2009/11/mgr-unbelievable-facts.html|title=Jayalalitha Childhood Photos: MGR : Unbelievable Facts PART1|access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref> Janaki is one of the few chief ministers to have not won any legislative elections.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

 

She died of a cardiac arrest<ref name="auto2"/> on 19 May 1996. She was buried beside her residence at MGR Thottam in [[Ramapuram, Chennai|Raamapuram]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]].

 

Janaki Ramachandran gifted her property in Avvai Shanmugham Salai (Lloyds Road) in honour of her husband to the AIADMK. It subsequently became the headquarters of the party in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mgrhome.org/memorial.html|title=MGR Memorial House|access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref> She was the founder chairman of The Satya Educational & Charitable Society managing many free educational institutions in Chennai. She gave property worth many million of dollars for the establishment of educational and charitable institutions in Tamil Nadu. She was also instrumental in setting up the Janaki Ramachandran Educational & Charitable Trust.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mgrhome.org/janaki.html |title=Janaki Donations |access-date=14 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926173307/http://www.mgrhome.org/janaki.html |archive-date=26 September 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>