Singapore Tamil editor V.T. Arasu passes away

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2008, 03:00 GMT]
Singapore's veteran Tamil journalist, intellectual and respected community leader Mr. V. Thirunavukkarasu (V.T. Arasu) passed away at the age of 82 in Singapore on Tuesday. He was formerly chief editor of Tamil Murasu, Singapore's Tamil daily.

Mr. Arasu was a multi faceted personality, contributed on many ways to the Tamil society as a journalist, civil servant, author, Tamil educationalist and a leader of organisations.

Born in India on 11 January, 1926, Arasu came to Singapore in 1951 and joined Tamil Murasu as its sub-editor. He was a graduate of the University of Madras.

Arasu left Tami Murasu in 1958 to join the Singapore civil service, but returned as Chief Editor of the daily in 1989. He made Tamil Murasu a part of the Singapore Press Holdings and thus ensured the stability and future of the Tamil daily.

He played a key role in the implementation of Tamil as one of the four official languages of Singapore. His first stint in civil service was in the capacity of information officer (Tamil). He became the first chairman of the Tamil Language Council, a national organisation of the government for the promotion of wider usage of Tamil.

He was also one of the secretary generals of the International Association for Tamil Research.