H. Vasanthakumar

Vasanthakumar was born in Agastheeswaram in the Kanniyakumari district to Harikrishnan Nadar and Thangammal on 14 April 1950.{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=DC Web|date=29 August 2020|title=Kanyakumari MP H Vasanthkumar, the founder of Vasanth and Co, dies of COVID-19|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/290820/kanyakumari-mp-h-vasanthkumar-the-founder-of-vasanth-and-co-dies-of.html|access-date=29 August 2020|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|archive-date=30 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830065355/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/290820/kanyakumari-mp-h-vasanthkumar-the-founder-of-vasanth-and-co-dies-of.html|url-status=live}} He completed his primary education from a Panchayat board school in Kanniyakumari, later obtaining his bachelor's and master's degrees in Tamil literature from Madurai Kamaraj University.{{Cite web|title=Tamil Nadu Congress MP Vasantha Kumar dies of COVID-19|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2020/08/28/tamil-nadu-congress-mp-vasantha-kumar-dies-of-covid-19.html|access-date=29 August 2020|website=The Week|language=en|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828192010/https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2020/08/28/tamil-nadu-congress-mp-vasantha-kumar-dies-of-covid-19.html|url-status=live}} His brother, Kumari Ananthan, was also a legislator from the Indian National Congress.

He started his career as a salesman in the early 1970s, including working with VGP. In 1978, he started his own home appliances sales showroom Vasanth & Co, with its first store in the T. Nagar neighborhood in Chennai. The company went on to become one of the leading retail chains with showrooms across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Puducherry. Vasanthakumar and his company are credited with pioneering sales of consumer electronics goods on equated monthly installments in the Indian market, as well as centralized after-sales support.{{Cite web|last=Vignessh|date=28 August 2020|title=The story of Vasanthakumar: a driven, resourceful, self-made entrepreneur|url=https://thefederal.com/obituary/the-story-of-vasanthakumar-a-driven-resourceful-self-made-entrepreneur/|access-date=29 August 2020|website=The Federal|language=en-US|archive-date=1 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901061821/https://thefederal.com/obituary/the-story-of-vasanthakumar-a-driven-resourceful-self-made-entrepreneur/|url-status=live}}

Vasanthakumar founded the Tamil satellite television network Vasanth TV in 2008.{{Cite web|date=5 May 2008|title=Sonia Gandhi launches satellite TV channel Vasanth|url=https://www.oneindia.com/2008/05/05/sonia-gandhi-launches-satellite-tv-channel-vasanth-1209981960.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901061819/https://www.oneindia.com/2008/05/05/sonia-gandhi-launches-satellite-tv-channel-vasanth-1209981960.html|archive-date=1 September 2020|access-date=29 August 2020|website=One India|language=en}}

Vasanthakumar started his political career as a worker with the Indian National Congress political party taking up multiple local organizational roles. His first electoral politics stint was in 2006, as the MLA of Tamil Nadu from the Nanguneri constituency in Tamil Nadu. He won the elections by defeating S.P. Sooryakumar of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party. This was a significant win for the party because it was after three decades that the party was able to win this electoral seat.{{Cite web|title=Tamil Nadu loses Lok Sabha MP H Vasanthakumar to COVID-19|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/aug/28/blow-to-retail-trade-tamil-nadu-loses-lok-sabha-mp-h-vasanthakumar-to-covid-19-2189612.html|access-date=29 August 2020|website=The New Indian Express|archive-date=29 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200829023828/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/aug/28/blow-to-retail-trade-tamil-nadu-loses-lok-sabha-mp-h-vasanthakumar-to-covid-19-2189612.html|url-status=live}} One of his campaign promises included the establishment of a Special economic zone with a hi-tech park in Nanguneri.{{cite news|date=5 May 2006|title=Congress on strong wicket in Nanguneri|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/05/stories/2006050516380300.htm|access-date=3 August 2010|archive-date=7 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107014208/http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/05/stories/2006050516380300.htm|work=The Hindu|url-status=dead}} He contested the election from Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 against Pon Radhakrishnan and lost the elections.{{Cite news|last=Seetharaman|first=G.|title=Pon Radhakrishnan: BJP's lone ranger in Tamil Nadu|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pon-radhakrishnan-bjps-lone-ranger-in-tamil-nadu/articleshow/35270324.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2021-03-09}}{{Cite web|date=2014-05-26|title=Pon Radhakrishnan: BJP's sole Tamil Nadu MP becomes minister again|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/409823/pon-radhakrishnan-bjps-sole-tamil.html|access-date=2021-03-09|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}} In his second term as a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, he represented Nanguneri again in 2016. He served the constituency until 2019 when he went on to become the MP, as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha from the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency. He won this election, against the incumbent Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan, by winning with a margin of over 250,000 votes.{{Cite news|last=Sudhakar|first=P.|date=25 May 2019|title=Religious divide obliterates good work of 'Ponnaar'|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/religious-divide-obliterates-good-works-of-ponnaar/article27243835.ece|access-date=29 August 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825105256/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/religious-divide-obliterates-good-works-of-ponnaar/article27243835.ece|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=28 August 2020|title=Tamil Nadu: Congress MP Harikrishnan Vasanthakumar passes away due to Covid-19|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tamil-nadu-congress-mp-hariskirshnan-vasanthakumar-passes-away-due-to-covid-19-6573918/|access-date=29 August 2020|website=The Indian Express|language=en|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828180343/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tamil-nadu-congress-mp-hariskirshnan-vasanthakumar-passes-away-due-to-covid-19-6573918/|url-status=live}}

He was the working President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) from 2019 through his death in August 2020.{{Cite news|last=Kolappan|first=B.|date=3 February 2019|title=K.S. Alagiri is new TNCC president|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/ks-alagiri-is-new-tncc-president/article26164726.ece|access-date=29 August 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=1 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901061822/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/ks-alagiri-is-new-tncc-president/article26164726.ece|url-status=live}} Earlier, he had served as the Vice-President of the TNCC, and also as the Chairman of the TNCC Traders wing.{{Cite news|date=29 August 2020|title=Congress MP Vasanthakumar succumbs to COVID-19|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/congress-mp-vasanthakumar-succumbs-to-covid-19/article32469824.ece|access-date=29 August 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=1 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901061826/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/congress-mp-vasanthakumar-succumbs-to-covid-19/article32469824.ece|url-status=live}}

Vasanthakumar wrote a three part autobiographical book series in Tamil, titled "Vetri Padikattu" – ({{Translation}} Ladder of Success), focusing on his entrepreneurial success and community building initiatives.{{cite web|title=Congress MP from Kanyakumari H Vasanthakumar succumbs to COVID-19|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/aug/28/congress-mp-from-kanyakumari-h-vasanthakumar-succumbs-to-covid-19-2189538.html|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=28 August 2020|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828194208/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/aug/28/congress-mp-from-kanyakumari-h-vasanthakumar-succumbs-to-covid-19-2189538.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Weaving Successful Short stories|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2015/feb/16/weaving-successful-short-stories-717883.html|access-date=29 August 2020|website=The New Indian Express|archive-date=5 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105140029/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2015/feb/16/Weaving-Successful-Short-stories-717883.html|url-status=live}}

Vasanthakumar died of complications from COVID-19 at the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on 28 August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.{{cite web|title=Vasanthakumar, Kanyakumari MP, dies of Covid-19|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/vasanthakumar-kanyakumari-mp-dies-of-covid-19/articleshow/77806833.cms|access-date=28 August 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828201356/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/vasanthakumar-kanyakumari-mp-dies-of-covid-19/articleshow/77806833.cms|url-status=live}} He was admitted to the hospital on 10 August 2020, and was on ECMO and ventilator life support, prior to his death.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit among others were amongst those who expressed their condolences.{{cite web|title=Tamil Nadu: Congress MP Harikrishnan Vasanthakumar passes away due to Covid-19|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tamil-nadu-congress-mp-hariskirshnan-vasanthakumar-passes-away-due-to-covid-19-6573918/|access-date=28 August 2020|website=The Indian Express|date=28 August 2020 |language=en|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828175254/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tamil-nadu-congress-mp-hariskirshnan-vasanthakumar-passes-away-due-to-covid-19-6573918/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Vasanthakumar was a born fighter, says T.N. Governor Banwarilal Purohit|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/he-was-a-born-fighter/article32470083.ece|access-date=30 August 2020|website=The Hindu|date=28 August 2020 |language=en|archive-date=1 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901061825/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/he-was-a-born-fighter/article32470083.ece|url-status=live}}

He is survived by his wife Tamil Selvi, two sons, and a daughter. His wife was also undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the time of his death.

{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|in-lwr}}

{{s-bef|before=Pon Radhakrishnan}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Kanyakumari |years=2019–2020}}

{{s-aft|after=Vijay Vasanth}}

|-

{{s-end}}

• [http://www.vasanth.tv/ Vasanth TV]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasanthakumar, H.}}

Category:1950 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:India MPs 2019–2024

Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople

Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople

Category:Businesspeople from Tamil Nadu

Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India

Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu

Category:People from Kanyakumari district

Category:Tamil businesspeople

Category:United Progressive Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election

Category:Madurai Kamaraj University alumni

Category:Lok Sabha members from Tamil Nadu