It was not without a reason that E.V.K. Sampath (1926-1977), one of the founding members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), who later became a prominent leader of the Congress, was called Sollin Selvar or the master of words. “The gifted Sampath enjoyed a special relationship with Anna [DMK founder-leader C.N. Annadurai]. Seventeen years younger, he was sharp, a wee extra principled and widely read”. This was how diplomat-turned-political writer R. Kannan began a chapter in his book The DMK Years.
In fact, at one stage, Sampath regarded the practice of giving titles for politicians as “vulgar”. He was quicker than many of his contemporaries in acquiring a larger world-view. Despite being a first-time Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), that too representing the DMK, which had only two MPs in the House and stood then for secession, Sampath could strike a rapport swiftly with the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. In a sense, he was ahead of Annadurai in realising the futility of pursuing the demand for a Dravida Nadu, a separate State, under the Indian constitutional framework. It was another matter that he did not and could not become as successful as Annadurai or M. Karunanidhi. Sampath’s birth centenary falls on March 6, 2026.
