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V. N. Janaki


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V. N. Janaki Ramachandran
VNJanaki.jpg
Janaki Ramachandran in Mohini film
4th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office
7 January 1988 – 30 January 1988
GovernorSundar Lal Khurana
Preceded byV. R. Nedunchezhiyan (Acting)
Succeeded byPresident's rule
ConstituencyDid not contest
President of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
02 January 1988 – 07 February 1989
Preceded byM. G. Ramachandran
Succeeded by position abolished'
Personal details
Born
Vaikom Narayani Janaki

(1924-09-23)23 September 1924[1]
Vaikom, Travancore Kingdom, British India (present-day Kerala, India)
Died19 May 1996(1996-05-19) (aged 71)[1]
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India[citation needed]
Cause of deathCardiac Arrest[2]
Resting placeM.G.R. Thottam
Political partyAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Spouse(s)
ChildrenSurendran
Parents
  • Rajagopal Iyer (father)
  • Narayani Amma (mother)
RelativesPapanasam Sivan
ResidenceM.G.R Thottam
Raamapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Profession
  • Film actress
  • politician

Vaikom Narayani Janaki (23 September 1924[1] – 19 May 1996), also known as Janaki Ramachandran,[3] 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.

BackgroundEdit

Janaki was born in the town of Vaikom in Kottayam district of Travancore[4] 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.[5] Her mother, Narayani Amma, belonged to Vaikom and was of a Keralite matrilineal caste. She married actor Ganapathy Bhat (1915–1972) in 1939, [6] and had a son named Surendran.[7]

Film careerEdit

Janaki's early films were Manmatha Vijayam (1939)[4] and Savithri(1941). Chandralekha in 1948 brought her popularity. [5]

Janaki acted with Ramachandran in films like Raja Mukthi and 'Mohini. After the death of Ramachandran's second wife, she moved in with him.[4] 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.[8]

Political careerEdit

Janaki was not politically active during Ramachandran's life with only a handful of public appearances in AIADMK's early days. [3] 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]

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.[3] 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.[9] She also became the president 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]

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.[10] Janaki is one of the few chief ministers to have not won any legislative elections.[citation needed]

DeathEdit

She died of a cardiac arrest[2] on 19 May 1996. She was buried beside her residence at MGR Thottam in Raamapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

LegacyEdit

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.[11] 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.[12]

FilmographyEdit

This is a partial filmography. You can expand it.

1930sEdit

Year Film Role Notes
1939 Manmatha Vijayam As dancer

1940sEdit

Year Film Role Notes
1940 Krishnan Thoothu As dancer
1940 Mummanigal As dancer
1941 Kacha Devayani As dancer
1941 Savithiri As dancer
1942 Ananthasayanam Sarasa
1942 Gangavathar Heavenly maiden
1943 Devakanya Chitraleka
1944 Bharthruhari Pingala's companion
1945 Maanasamrakshanam
1946 Sakata Yogam As lead actress
1947 Pankajavalli
1947 Chitra Bagavali
1947 Thiyagi
1947 1000 Thalaivangi Apoorva Chinthamani Apoorva Chinthamani
1948 Chandralekha a gypsy girl
1948 Raja Mukthi Queen Mrinalini
1948 Mohini Mohini
1949 Velaikaari Sarasa

1950sEdit

Year Film Role Notes
1950 Marudhanaattu Ilavarasi Princess Rani
1950 Laila Majnu Zarina
1950 Chandrika Malayalam
1951 Devaki Devaki
1953 Naam Meena

1960sEdit

Year Film Role Notes
1960 Vijayapuri Veeran as dancer Last film

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Janaki Ramachandran, the first woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu who ruled for 24 days". ThePrint. 19 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Not just Jayalalithaa: Find out how many TN CMs Karunanidhi outlived". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Leading lady". S.H. Venkatramani. India Today. 31 January 1988. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "The 'leading' lady". Vincent DSouza. The Week. 10 January 1988. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Guy, Randor (30 July 2016). "Thyagi (1947)". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  6. ↑ ಮರೆಯಬಾರದ ಹಾಸ್ಯನಟ ಗಣಪತಿ ಭಟ್.. | Cinema Swarasyagalu Part 51 | Hariharapura Manjunath | Total Kannada. Total Kannada. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  7. ↑ Subramani, A (4 July 2012). "M G Ramachandran autobiography copyright belongs to Janaki son, rules HC". Times of India. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "Janaki's son alone has copyright to MGR's autobiography: court". The Hindu. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "Jayalalithaa : A political career with sharp rises and steep falls". The Hindu. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Jayalalitha Childhood Photos: MGR : Unbelievable Facts PART1". Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "MGR Memorial House". Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  12. ↑ "Janaki Donations". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2013.

External linksEdit

Political offices
Preceded by
M. G. Ramachandran 		Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
1988 		Succeeded by
Karunanidhi
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