C. Chittibabu

Chockalinga Chittibabu commonly known as Mayor Chittibabu was an Indian politician and former Member of Parliament elected from Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chengalpattu constituency as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in 1967 and 1971 elections.[1][2] He was first elected to the Madras Corporation in 1958 and was the Mayor of Madras in 1965.< He was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act after Indira Gandhi declared emergency and the DMK government was dismissed in 1976.He was jailed along with DMK leaders and Chittibabu died of injuries and police torture suffered while trying to save M.K.Stalin in Central Prison, Madras .[3][4][5][6][7][8]

The year of 1975 was a tough time for India and its democracy. That year, Indira Gandhi, the then Congress Prime Minister of India, declared Emergency on the Country, suppressing civil rights and unleashing a rein of terror.

MK Stalin a leader of DMK, was just beginning to step into politics. MK Stalin did not expect it to get as bad as it did end up becoming. C. Chittibabu, decided to accompany MK Stalin as both were taken away to prison. All top leaders were taken under arrest. He (Stalin) later recalled that "for that moment, it was comforting to see a few known faces." Having Chittibabu, Arcot Veerasamy, Neela Naryanan and V.S.Govindarajan around helped in dispelling the fear of uncertainty.

That relief would never last. Cramped cells, unhygienic floors and walls that served to urinate and heavily salted porridge with chillies for breakfast was enough to break the strongest man. Everyday, C. Chittibabu's family would try to visit and he himself tried his hardest to send letters. MK Stalin was singled out, one night, and was beaten in the most inhuman way by jail supervisors. They had not expected him to live to tell of this. Chittibabu lunged forward and took several of these blows. But they were fatal.

In the next couple of days, his health deteriorated. He died shortly. As a result of the sacrifice he made at a young age of 46, he was called "Thyaga Maravan", the sacrifice that never can be forgotten. Mayor Chittibabu was an avid reader and was interested in the dravidian principles that was preached by Periyar and Peraringar Annadurai. He was very close to Anna as well as Kalaignar karunanidhi and was well respected by everyone. His death came as a shock to thousands of people and for his funeral, many people from all over Tamil Nadu came to Chennai to pay their respect.

Mr Chittibabu produced a film titled "Nambikai Natchithiram" in partnership with M.K. Stalin and casting Mr. M.karunanidhli's son Muthu as the lead character. He also acted in several dramas and was an orator.