K Anbazhagan dies at 97: A glimpse into the life of the veteran DMK leader

Veteran DMK leader K Anbazhagan passed away at the age of 97 in Chennai in the early hours of Saturday.

Anbazhagan was considered one of the pillars of the 71-year-old Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. In this picture, he is seen with M Karunanidhi and MK Stalin. (PTI Photo/File)

Anbazhagan was highly regarded by Annadurai for his efforts in establishing DMK during its nascent stages. In this picture, he is seen with Annadurai (right). (Archive Photo)

Anbazhagan was a member of the Lok Sabha between 1967-71 and had been elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for nine terms. (Facebook/Kalaignar Karunanidhi)

In this iconic photo, Anbazhagan is seen with Karunanidhi. A picture of Periyar and Annadurai is in the background.

DMK chief M K Stalin, who addressed Anbazhagan as periyappa (like an uncle), announced a one-week mourning period for the party. (Source: ieTamil)

People pay tribute to DMK leader Anbazhagan at his funeral in Chennai on Saturday. (Source: ieTamil)

Anbazhagan was admitted to a private hospital on February 24 after having trouble breathing. He was on ventilator support for the last few days after his condition deteriorated. In this picture, Kalaignar's personal secretary Shanmuga Sundaram is seen. (Source: ieTamil)

Anbazhagan has written close to 40 books on the Tamil language, Dravidian ideology, and the self-respect movement, among other things. Among the leaders present at his funeral Saturday was Lyricist Vairamuthu and DMK functionaries KN Nehru and MA Subramanian. (Source: ieTamil)

Stalin said his heart ached for the man who gave him the greatest honour of his life by declaring him the next party chief after M Karunanidhi.

Political strategist Prashant Kishor was among the leaders who paid tribute to Anbazhagan on Saturday. (Source: ieTamil)