Arasu VT

V. Thirunavukkarasu, widely known as V.T. Arasu (1926 - 2008), was a distinguished journalist, civil servant and community leader. He made a significant impact on Singapore society through his leadership of organisations such as Tamil Murasu, Tamil Language and Cultural Society, and Tamil Language Council.

Born in Mayiladuthurai, India, Arasu earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Salem College. During his student days, he edited the monthly magazine Poonthottam. After working for several Tamil Nadu newspapers including Dinathanthi, Dinathuthu, and Viduthalai, he relocated to Singapore in 1951 at the age of 25 to serve as an assistant editor of the Tamil Murasu daily.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Arasu actively supported Sarangapany's social initiatives, including the formation of the Tamils Representative Council, the creation of an annual event called Tamilar Thirunal (Tamils Festival), and the consolidation of Tamil schools. His notable accomplishments included promoting creative writing, organising Tamil cultural events, managing Tamil educational institutions, and preparing advocacy papers for establishing a Tamil department at the then-University of Singapore.

In 1958, Arasu joined the Ministry of Culture, where he initially focused on producing high-quality current affairs publications such as Kannottam (Overview) in Tamil and Mirror in English. Later, he headed the ministry's media relations division and occasionally served as the Prime Minister's spokesperson.

As an editor, Arasu oversaw various Ministry of Culture publications, including the Singapore Bulletin, Singapore Yearbook, and Singapore Street Directory. He co-authored the bestselling historical book Singapore: An Illustrated History — 1941-1984 and served as one of the editors of The Poetry of Singapore, published in 1985 in the ASEAN Literature Series. Throughout his career, he introduced refined Tamil vocabulary into government news and reports, and his articles on Singaporean Tamil literature and journalism remain noteworthy.

Following Sarangapany's death in 1974, Tamil Murasu struggled without proper leadership. When the daily faced possible closure, Sarangapany's family appealed to Arasu, who had retired from government service, to take over as editor. He assumed this role on 27 December 1988, working without compensation as his staff faced salary challenges. He rebuilt the paper's foundation, ensuring it remained relevant to the Tamil community. He also modernised operations by computerising the paper in 1990. His most crucial achievement was facilitating the acquisition of Tamil Murasu by Singapore Press Holdings (now SPH Media) in 1995, securing its future. After restoring the newspaper's prestige and influence, he retired in 2000.

Beyond journalism and civil service, Arasu made valuable contributions to the social sector. In 1984, he assumed leadership of the Tamil Language and Cultural Society, founded by former trade union leader Devan Nair. He initiated the Tirukkural Festival to promote the study of the Tirukkural, considered by Tamils to be the greatest work of moral philosophy, an event that continues annually to this day. He also created an island-wide education campaign called "Your Child Can Do It" aimed at improving educational standards among Tamil students. He was a key representative of the Indian community in the deliberations of the Select Committee and argued for the inclusion of Indians in the Group Representation Constituency scheme.  

When the government established language-based organisations to promote Singapore's mother tongues, Arasu was appointed Chairman of the Tamil Language Council. Under his leadership, the organisation operated purposefully and substantially benefited the Tamil community. Internationally, he served as Secretary-General of the International Association of Tamil Research. 

Arasu held numerous other important positions, including member of the Board of Trustees of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) (1991–2000) and member of the Hindu Advisory Board (1974–1976). He also served national institutions as a member of the National Monuments Preservation Board (1975-1992) and the National Archives Oral History Committee.

In recognition of his services, the Government awarded Arasu the Efficiency Medal in 1985 and The Public Service Medal in 1999. 

It is worth recalling what Arasu said in an interview with Tamil Murasu in 2003 regarding his role in the resuscitation of the newspaper. He revealed that he only agreed to the family's appeal to rescue the paper on the condition that they would relinquish ownership if he found a new buyer. He also required the family to invest in computerising their operations. Arasu expressed particular satisfaction when SPH Media agreed to acquire the paper while preserving Sarangapany's name on the masthead as founder.



For more information
Gunavalli A. Sundaraju. The Tamil Murasu: The Evolution of a Local Tamil Newspaper 1935-1974. ScholarBank@NUS Repository, 1990.
Thirunavukkarasu, Vaidyanathan (V. T. Arasu). Oral history interview by Dr. Jason Lim, 5 May 2000. Transcript and MP3 audio, 15:39. National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 002307)
Ng Wei Kai. “Two ST Journalists Honoured at Inaugural Singapore Press Club Awards,” The Straits Times, 11 June 2022. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/two-st-journalists-honoured-at-inaugural-singapore-press-club-awards 
“V. T. Arasu,” Wikipedia. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._T._Arasu  
“081105 VT Arasu,” Singapore Obituaries, 18 January 2009. https://singaporeobituaries.blogspot.com/2009/01/081105-vt-arasu.html 
Sankaran, Chitra and Thinnappan, Subramanian P. First Step: Tamil in an International Arena: Conference Proceedings. Singapore: The Centre for the Arts, National University of Singapore, 2004.

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.