Sundara
38/23, Thanikachalam Street, T. Nagar |
S. Satyamurti (1887-1943) is best remembered as a gifted orator and an ardent nationalist who sacrificed everything for the cause of Indian independence which he himself, sadly, did not live to witness.
By profession he was a lawyer in the Madras High Court but it was the fight for freedom that attracted him. He is, in fact, credited with being the prime architect of the Congress party in what was then the Madras Presidency.
Satyamurti had a wide-range interests. He was active in the field of theatre, and he loved classical music. He was one of the founders of the Music Academy, Madras. Satyamurti was the first to get theatre and film artistes involved in politics as crowd-pullers. He roped in stars such as K.B. Sundarambal and S.G. Kittappa to participate in his meetings which witnessed record crowds.
Satyamurti was a member of the Madras Legislative Council from 1923 to 1929. He was Mayor of Madras from 1939 to 1940 and from 1935 to 1943 he served as a member of the Central Legislative Assembly. A hectic life coupled with chronic diabetes soon saw his health breaking down, and his arrest during the Quit India Movement in 1942 effectively finished off a promising life.
Concerned at his neglecting family matters and worried that he did not even have a house to call his own, K.B. Sundarambal gifted her ‘Anna’ this property. The house was named Sundara. Was it out of gratitude to Sundarambal or in honour of Satyamurti’s father, Sundara Sastrigal? The debate continues. (Courtesy: KalamKriya.)
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