Tamil Nadu’s last Congress Chief Minister Bhaktavatsalam’s virus remark that went viral
October 9 marked the 128th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam (1897-1987), the last Congress President of the State (1963-67). Known for his fervent patriotism, self-effacing and dedication, the former Prime Minister was a stickler for the rules. “He was an unsmiling person but he was not corrupt,” says veteran political writer and social activist SV Rajadurai.
However, Bhaktavatsalam continues to be evaluated negatively by some sections of historians and political leaders for the way he handled the acute rice shortage and anti-Hindi imposition agitation in the state. He is still held responsible for the defeat suffered by the Congress in the 1967 Assembly elections.
However, a statement he made after the results of the 1967 Assembly elections were announced remains a matter of intense debate among the political class and students of contemporary history. The observation was: “I see a virus spreading all over Tamil Nad[u]. I pray that God will save people.” In fact, this was part of his statement in private. HinduAccording to a report published on February 24, 1967. Graciously congratulating the DMK, the outgoing CM stated that he accepted the defeat as “people’s decision against the Congress”.
That the poll results stunned the Congress party was an understatement as not only were the incumbent Prime Minister and most of his Cabinet colleagues defeated, but the then all-India president of the organization and former Prime Minister K. Kamaraj also had to settle the dust. In Virudhunagar, young student leader P. Srinivasan from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) edged Kamaraj by a margin of slightly less than 1,300 votes, while another DMK candidate D. Rajarathnam defeated Bhaktavatsalam by almost 9,000 votes in Sriperumpurken.
DMK chief CN Annadurai, who became the Prime Minister on March 6, 1967, in an hour-long interaction with journalists at his residence in Nungambakkam, termed his predecessor’s statement as “unfortunate” and sounded somewhat bitter, saying “it is completely unbecoming of him”. reported this newspaper on February 25. M. Karunanidhi, who succeeded Annadurai two years after his death, memoir, Nenjukku Neethi (Volume 1) [which he originally wrote in 1975]He likened Bhaktavatsalam’s observation to “vomiting poison”.
The CM, who left office two days later, clarified his controversial statement, which he said was “misunderstood”. There was no “implication” towards any person or party in his words. “The most important thing in his mind was that there should be some introspection and that the Congress should see its shortcomings and rectify them. All he was worried about was the obsession with which politics had been taken over. He did not want to make any reference to the DMK and hence used the expression ‘virus’ and not ‘virus’ or ‘cancer’. ‘God can save the people’ he said because he saw that his party men could not deal with this obsession. ‘In our own organization and sense of organisation.’ They had shortcomings. “In fact, he was telling this to his friends before the elections.” Hindu It was reported on February 28.
Three years later, in an interview given to a popular Tamil magazine, KumudamThe former Prime Minister made another statement about what he meant by the term “virus”. This interview was published in December 1970 and its contents appeared in Bhaktavatsalam’s memoir Enadhu Ninaivugal, published in 1971. When the memoir was published, he was on the side of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had fallen out with senior leaders, including Kamaraj. The Congress, led by Indira Gandhi, had become an ally of the DMK.
In the interview, he explained that the people rejected the Congress, which gained freedoms. [from the British] He had worked for the people and strived for the welfare of the people by formulating various development plans, making him reflect on the confusion gripping the people. “I only used the term virus to express this state of confusion,” he explained.
He did not describe the DMK MLAs or the DMK as a “virus”. Had it been otherwise, Bhaktavatsalam stated that it would have been “against my nature”, recalling that he had made his position clear to Annadurai, VR Nedunchezhian and Karunanidhi, who visited him at his home before taking up the post. Karunanidhi, who was the Public Works Minister in the Annadurai Cabinet, said that he and his colleagues also got the wrong impression initially. They now had clarity after the statement.
In February 1987, Bhaktavatsalam died at the age of 89. At that time, AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran, as the Prime Minister, ensured that the former CM was given a state funeral at a special spot in Gandhi Mandapam, Guindy. Eleven years later, the DMK government built a befitting memorial for him at a cost of ₹ 25 lakh and declared the memorial open in 1998, with the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi praising Bhakthavatsalam for his administrative abilities. In a report published by this newspaper on March 14, 1998, he told the audience that he had learned the basics of government management from his predecessor.
He also remembered how Bhakthavatsalam was. [as Finance Minister] Despite stiff opposition from local Congress members, she inaugurated a mother-child care center set up by herself (Karunanidhi, then in Opposition) in her hometown Thirukuvalai near Thiruvarur in 1962. [an incident of which was recounted in Enadhu Ninaivugal too]. Similarly, when he was released from prison in Palayamkottai, Bhakthavatsalam had called him to his house and explained to him why he was imprisoned. When he (Karunanidhi) gave him the list of people still in jail, the latter as Prime Minister ordered their immediate release. These examples brought out, as Karunanidhi said, the “human side” of the said daily Bhakthavatsalam.
The inauguration of the memorial was attended by Bhakthavatsalam’s daughter and social activist Sarojini Varadappan and her granddaughter Jayanthi Natarajan, the then Minister of State for Civil Aviation.
It was published – 15 October 2025 06:00 IST
