Era Sezhiyan Explained

Era Sezhiyan
Order1:Member of parliament, Lok Sabha for Kumbakonam
Term Start1:1967
Term End1:1977
Priminister1:Indira Gandhi
Predecessor1:C. R. Pattabhiraman
Successor1:constituency dissolved
Order2:Member of parliament, Lok Sabha for Perambalur
Term Start2:1962
Term End2:1967
Primeminister2:Jawaharlal Nehru,
Lal Bahadur Shastri,
Indira Gandhi
Predecessor2:M. Palaniyandi
Successor2:A. Duraiarasu
Birth Date:28 April 1923
Birth Place:Thirukkannapuram, India
Death Place:Vellore, India
Nationality:Indian
Party:Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 1952-1976Janata party1977-2001
Profession:Politician
Spouse:Dr.Prema
Order:Member of parliament of Rajya sabha
Termstart:1978
Termend:1984

Era Sezhiyan (28 April 1923 – 6 June 2017)[1] or Rajagopal Seziyan was an Indian writer and politician.[2] His original name was R.Srinivasan and changed his name to fall in line with other DMK leaders who opted for Tamil names instead of Sanskritised forms. He was known for having rediscovered and published 'Shah Commission Report' which was reported destroyed by Indira Gandhi Government

Personal life

Seziyan was born to V. S. Rajagopal on 28 April 1923. He completed his master's before entering politics. He married Dr. Prema Seziyan.

Public life

Seziyan was a well-known writer in Tamil and has written numerous short stories and one-act plays. He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam at an early age. In 1962, he stood for election from Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency and was elected to the Lok Sabha or lower house of the Indian Parliament.[3] He served as a Member of Parliament for Perambalur from 1962 to 1967. In the 1967 Lok Sabha elections, Sezhiyan defeated two-time Congress MP C. R. Pattabhiraman from Kumbakonam. He was brother of Navalar V.R. Nedunchezian and both of them were founder members of DMK.[4] Later, attracted to Jayaprakash Narayan's ideologies, he joined the Janata Party. He represented the Janata Party in Parliament as a Rajya Sabha member between 1978 and 1984. In 2001, he retired from active politics.[4]

Editing Shah Commission report

The atrocities committed during Emergency 1975 were enquired and published in Shah Commission Report during 1980 but was suppressed by next draconian Government. It was believed that all copies of Shah Commission report were either destroyed or disappeared and after three decades, Era Sezhiyan traced a copy of the report and published with editorial notes during 2010.[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Parliamentarian par excellence Era Sezhiyan passes away . https://web.archive.org/web/20180704213108/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2017/jun/07/parliamentarian-par-excellence-era-sezhiyan-passes-away-1613791--1.html . dead . 4 July 2018 . 7 June 2017 . The New Indian Express . 20 September 2019 .
  2. News: Drop Hindi option 'proposal', Era Sezhiyan tells Centre. https://web.archive.org/web/20040714124227/http://www.hindu.com/2003/12/06/stories/2003120604501200.htm. dead. 14 July 2004. 6 December 2003. The Hindu. 29 December 2010.
  3. News: Advani recalls Emergency days, hails Sezhiyan for reviving Shah Commission report. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104080157/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-20/chennai/28261992_1_bjp-leader-combat-corruption-l-k-advani. dead. 4 November 2012. 20 December 2010. The Times of India. 29 December 2010.
  4. News: Kolappan . B . Ace Parliamentarian Era Sezhiyan dead . The Hindu . The Hindu newspaper . 6 June 2017.