Duraisamy Rajamanickam (10 March 1933 – 11 June 1995), better known by his pen name Perunchithiranar or popularly as "Pavalareru" Perunchithiranar, was a Pure Tamil scholar, poet, journalist, and Periyarist-Communist-Tamil nationalist activist from Tamil Nadu, India. In a writing career that spanned over five decades, he composed more than 40 works, including Koyyaakkani (1956) and Kanichaaru (1979). From 1959 onwards, he ran a magazine Theṉmoḻi in collaboration with his mentor G. Devaneya Pavanar (1902-81). In the socio-political front, Perunchithiranar was a staunch opponent of caste system, Hindi imposition, and the 1975-77 Indian Emergency. He worked and wrote extensively in favour of independence of Tamil Eelam (from Sri Lanka) and Tamil Nadu (from India). Perunchithiranar is regarded as one of the foremost Tamil scholars of the twentieth century. His works have been nationalized by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He is also revered by Tamil nationalists as the "Father of Tamil Nationalism". Various organizations and educational foundations are run by Perunchitranar's descendants. Source: Wikipedia (en)