Back to Leadership Archive
Lifetime
? — 2020
founding
K. Anbazhagan
கி. அன்பழகன்
Founding member and longest-serving General Secretary of the DMK; former Education Minister of Tamil Nadu
K. Anbazhagan was a founding member of the DMK and its longest-serving General Secretary, holding the post from 1977 until his death in 2020. A Tamil scholar and former minister, he was widely regarded as the organisational anchor and elder statesman of the party.
Detailed Biography
K. Anbazhagan joined the Dravidian movement in his youth and was among the founding members of the DMK in 1949. A scholar of Tamil, he served as Education Minister of Tamil Nadu in the DMK governments led by Annadurai and Karunanidhi, and held other portfolios over his career. He became the General Secretary of the DMK in 1977 and held the position for over four decades, the longest tenure in that office in the party's history. Known for his integrity, organisational discipline and command of Tamil, he was respected across party lines as an elder statesman of the Dravidian movement. He remained General Secretary until his death in Chennai in 2020.
Key Contributions & Impact
1
Founding member of the DMK in 1949
2
Longest-serving General Secretary of the DMK, from 1977 until 2020
3
Served as Education Minister of Tamil Nadu under Annadurai and Karunanidhi
4
A respected Tamil scholar and writer
5
Regarded as the organisational anchor and elder statesman of the party
Legacy Assets
0
Welfare Initiatives
1
Historic Milestones