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Brief Bio-data
Member of Rajya Sabha

 

GOPALSAMY, SHRI V.:

M.A. (Economics), B.L.; Independent (Tamil Nadu); son of Shri Vaiyapuri and Shrimati Mariamma; born : at Killingapatti, May 22, 1944; educated at (i) St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, (ii) Presidency College and (iii) Law College, Madras; married to : Shrimati G. Renugadevi, June 14, 1971; 1 son and 2 daughter

Advocate; got Gold Medal in Economics and Best Speaker award in St. Xavier's College in 1964; won, (i) First Prize in InterCollegiate Tamil Oratorical competitions during 1964-65 and 1965-66 representing Presidency College, Madras, (ii) First-Prize-Silver Cup in Inter-Collegiate elocution competition conducted by Madras City Police to celebrate Road Safety Week in 1965 and (iii) Best Orator Award in Law College, Madras in 1969; detained, (i) under MISA from February 1, 1976 to February 2, 1977 and (ii) again for 40 days for organising Black Flag Demonstration against late Smt. Indira Gandhi's visit to Tamil Nadu in October, 1977; jailed, (i) four times, during 1978--81 for peaceful demonstrations and picketing against Tamil Nadu State Government, (ii) four times during 1982-83 for organising Volunteer Camps of D.M.K., (iii) three times during 1984 86 for participation in agitations against the State Government and (iv) during 1986-87 for anti-Hindi agitations; President, (i) Presidency College, Victoria Hostel, Tamil Association, 1965-66, (ii) Land Development Bank, Kuruvikulam, 1971--75 and (iii) M.D.K. Co-operative Supervisors' Training Institute, 1971--76; Chairman, (i) Panchayat Union, Kuruvikulam, Tirunelveli District, August, 1970 to December, 1976 and (ii) Tirunelveli District Co- operative Central Bank, 197273; Propaganda Secretary, D.M.K. Party for Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari Districts, May, 1977-- 79; Secretary, Election Campaign, DMK Headquarter since August, 1983; Convener, Dr. Karunanidhi Voluntary Blood Donors' Association, Tirunelveli; Organiser of Youth Forums; State Joint Organiser, DMK Students wing since 1970; Member, (i) Action Committee, All India anti-Hindi Agitation Council, 1965, (ii) Executive Committee, D.M.K. Party since 1970, (iii) Railway Convention Committee, 1982-83 and 1983- 84, (iv) Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 1983-84, (v) Committee on Petitions, 1986-87 and (vi) Committee on Papers Laid on the Table; visited several countries of the world in 1984 to address meetings on the ethnic Tamil problem of Sri Lanka; became General Secretary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on May 6, 1994; elected to the Rajya Sabha in April, 1978, re-elected April, 1984 and again in April, 1990.

Clubs: President, Jothi Sports Club (Hockey), Palayamkottai, 1971--76.

Travels abroad; U.S.A., United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Australia and Thailand.

Special interest: Agriculture, literature, research, sports, addressing public meetings etc. and organising Youth Forum.

Favourite pastime and recreation: Reading.

Permanent address: Kallingapatti (P.O.) Sankarankoil (Taluk), Tirunelveli (Distt.), Tamil