Celebrating The Legacy Of CN Annadurai, Whose Wit Stumped The Americans At Yale

Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai was famously known as Arignar Anna (the scholar), or Periagnar Anna (the elder brother) served as the fourth and last Chief Minister for the State of Madras from 1967 to 1969. He was also the first Chief Minister to Tamil Nadu and served for 20 days before his demise on 03 February 1969. An acclaimed writer in Tamil, he was well-known for his oratory skills. He was called the George Bernard Shaw of South India for his proficiency in writing and speaking in English and Tamil. As a writer, he had published 50 short novels, over two dozen dramas and over 100 short stories, which sold in the market like hotcakes.

Studied At Yale University

Anna's attractive, thought-provocative and inspiring speeches made him one of those speakers who managed to garner the largest audience. Once, he started on a world tour as an invitee at the Yale University's Chubb Fellowship Programme and was also a guest of the State Department in the USA in April–May 1968. While at the University, he requested to speak to the students, who were also allowed to ask him puzzles and witty questions to test his proficiency in the English language. One of the students amongst the audience asked him to speak a hundred words in English, which do not include the alphabets A, B, C or D.

First Non-American To Receive Chubb Fellowship

The witty Annadurai immediately started with his words: one, two, three, and so on. However, he stopped at ninety-nine, and the audience sat upright, waiting for him to say the hundredth word, and that is when Anna said, 'Stop'. The hall was filled with thundering applause for the Indian politician. Anna became the first non-American to receive the Chubb fellowship from the University. In the same year, he received an honorary doctorate from Annamalai University.

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