Draft:POET MUKAVAI RAJA MANIKAM

                    	                 Poet  Late. Mukavai  Rajamanikam 
                                                        (25 . 07 . 1915   -   01 . 06 . 2001)  

    When  I  heard the  news  that  Poet  Mogava  Rajamanickam  passed  away  on  1.6.2001

At 9:15 pm., in Chennai my heart was filled with grief., at age of 86 yrs. In his sleep. 

    When  he   passed  away,  Tamil  leader   K. Veeramani,  public  domain  movment  chief,  Tamil   Poet  Association  President  Mullaicharam   Editor   Poet   Ponnadiyan  Manasai   p.  Kieran,   Tamil  work  teacher  Perung  Kaviko   Va.  Mu.  Sethuraman,   Professor   poet       Dr.  Minnor   Srinivasan,  book   publisher  Ramu   poet   Ezhipitthan   and writers,  poets   and   various  poliiiitical   party  leaders  visited  his  house  and  paid  tributes  to  him.
    I  had  the  opportunity  to  asswociate  with  Mogavaiyar   for  30  years.
    Leaving  his  humble  home  near  Icehouse,   he  would  visit  his  friends  magazine  shop  on   Tiruvallikeni   Bharati (Pycrofts)  Road   between  9 am.  And  5 pm.  Every  day  and  read   all  the  newspapers   and  literary   magazines  sitting  in  the  shop  next  door.
    I  was  working  in a  state  College  and  used  to  meet  him  daily  during  morning  and  evening  work.   Whenever  we  meet,   he  entertains  us  by  telling  us  some  interesting  news.
    He  kept  his  body  attractive  till  his  last  days,  looked  youthful  and  energetic.
    Mukavaiyar  was  born  in   Ramanathapuram   on   15-07-1915  as  the  son  of  loving  parents   named  Lakshamanab  Pillai  and  Velliammal.    After   studying  at  Swartz   School  there,   he  earned  B.A.,  in  Mathematics  from  Madurai   American  College. 
    At  that  time  when  graduates  were  rare   (1935)   B.A.   After   graduation,  if  he  had  gone   to Government  service   in  a  white  Government,   he  would  have  enjoyed   the  highest  positions  in the  Tamil  Nadu  Government  administration  that   no  one  would   have  imagined.
    But  the  freedom  struggle  movement  led  nu  Mahatma  Gandhi   attracted   him.  
    In  1932  he  read  the  Declaration  of  Independence  in  Chennai  and celebrated  it  as  Independence  Day.   For  this  later  he  was  receiving  martyrs  pension  till  his  last   days.  He  went  to  Malaysia  to  give  a  speech  and  worked  in  the  Indian  Congress  in  Sri Lanka.
    Later  he  became  an  active  member  of  the  Common  Property  Communnist  movement,  and  was  arrested  during  the   ‘fire  bath’   of  1948-51   after   the  Independence  of  the  country,  sentenced   to   six  months  and  locked  up  in   Salem  and  Trichy jails.   However,   on  appeal,   he   was  released  from  jail  with  in  a  month   in   1950,   he   worked  from  the   Janashakti  editorial   board.    He   worked  ver  actively  in   People’s   Art  Literary  Forum. 
    He   was  martyred  in  the  countrty’s   liberation  struggle.    He   became  involved  in  the  public  property  movement   and  became  a  revolutionary.
    Although   he  later  joined  another  political  movement,   he  stayed   away  from  it  and  remained   a  non-party  persons  till  the  end,   as  there  was  no  work  plan  in  that  constitution  to  take  advantage  of  people  like  him.
    A   graduate,   he  became  a  learned  scholar  in  many  fields.
    By  way  of  authorship   (1)  Essays  on  Art  and  Literature   (Masetung)   (1955)   (2)  Lenin  on  Religion  (1955)    (3)  Chinese   Poems -  Modern  (1960)    (4)   Bulgarian   Poems  -  Vapsarao  (1960)   (5)  Four  Mangaiyar  -  Soviet  short  Story  (1965)    (6)   Ukrainian  Stories  (1966)    (7)   Tamil  Nadu  Nomadic   Stories  (Collection)  (1983)    (8)   Poems   that   fell   Into  ear  (1985).
    Naturally   interested   in  folk  literature,   he  showed  interest  in  propagating  Akkalai.    He  conducted  Many  programs  in  colleges   and  public  halls.    He  was  knowledgeable about  folk   arts  and   especially  about  music. 
    Although  he made  many  achievements  and  sacrifices  in  all  these  fields,   he  was   largely  known  to  the country  as  a  poet.   
    His   eldest  son   Mr.  Mohan  has  recently  retired  from  Agro  Pet  Daughter  Chandra,  B.S.S.  is  working in  the  medical   field.    Another  daughter   Vasantha   has   graduated  in  music  and   is   working  in  Madurai   Government   Music   School.    Mugavaiyar  had   a  total  of   8   children  and   lived   in  Puripo.   His  wife   Marakatham   Nachiyar,   whom  Mugavaiyar   married  in  1942,   passed  away   in  August  2000.