E. SWAMIKANNU

Founder Chairman

* Mr E. SWAMIKANNU, is the Founder Chairman of E.S.Group of Institutions in Villupuram, and founder of the Tamilmaanila Parvatharajakula Meenavar Sangam an association of inland fishermen in Tamil Nadu.

* A doyen of higher education, he has made an immense contribution for the promotion of education, emancipation and empowerment of women. He is championing the cause of the inland fishing community. He is a trader with strong business acumen, and a philanthropist to the core.

* He is at the vanguard of taking up the cause of inland fishing community who eke out their living from small- time fishing in reservoirs, tanks, lakes etc.,

* All along, only the coastal fishermen have been hogging the limelight. The existence of the inland fishing community is lesser known or not known at all. The latter have been leading a hand-to-mouth sustenance for long, mainly due to neglect.

* Through the formation of the Tamilmaanila Paravatharajakula Meenavar Sangam, Mr Swamikannu has been making relentless efforts to ameliorate their sufferings.

* He has prevailed upon the Tamil Nadu Government to construct as many as 2,000 free houses to inland fishing community, including 373 shelters in Villupuram, for the inland fishing community, on the lines of the coastal fishing community.

* With the backing of Mr Swamikannu, Inland Cooperative Societies, numbering over 2,000 have come up all over Tamil Nadu. When India ceded the Kachchatheevu Island in the Palk Bay to Sri Lanka, the Tamil Nadu fishermen felt agitated. It led to the first ever shooting incidence on fishermen in 1983 in which the Sri Lankan Navy gunned down 4 Tamil Nadu fishermen.

* To help out the victims’ families, Mr Swamikannu had made a monetary assistance of Rs 6,000 each, totaling Rs 24,000. On his insistence, former Chief Minister M.G.Ramachandran inducted Killai Kalaimani, an inland fisherman from Cuddalore, as the Fisheries Minister in his second Cabinet.

* When Tsunami wrought havoc along Tamil Nadu coast in December 2004, Mr Swamikannu donated Rs 5 lakhs to the Chief Minister’s Tsunami Relief Fund on the same day. To give voice to the voiceless inland fishing community, he is running a Tamil magazine—Meenavar Kural. He also gives away scholarships regularly to meritorious students.

* To combat the raging Covid-19 pandemic, he has contributed Rs 50 lakhs to the Chief Minister’s Corona Relief Fund.  

* Born on July 10, 1941 in a thatched hut in Chooranampet village in Chengalpattu district in Tamil Nadu to the couple Elumalai and Theivanai Ammal belonging to fishermen community, he lost his dwelling unit to fire twice. With courage and conviction he has withstood all the onslaughts and after shifting to Villupuram his life has seen an upswing.

* Through his pragmatic and practical approach he has transformed his humble background to an energizing future. From being a street hawker of dry fish in his younger days, Mr Swamikannu has emerged as one of the leading sea food traders.

* Tutored in the harshest reality of life from early childhood, Mr Swamikannu’s humanitarianism has come to the fore in all his activities. This has nudged him to establish the multispecialty ES Hospital in Villupuram that has obtained “A-1 Grade” certification in 2017. from the Health Department of Tamil Nadu Government.

* He has started the first self-financing technical institution Elumalai Polytechnic College in Villupuram in 1983. Its alumni have come to occupy plump positions all over the country and abroad. The notable among them is Dr P.Veera Muthu Vel, who is serving as the Project Director of the ISRO’s Chandrayaan -3 Mission.

* Mr Swamikannu has started Theivanai Ammal College for Women (Autonomous) in Villupuram in 1989, which is imparting quality education and soft skills among the girl students hailing from poor socio-economic background, on par with any elitist institutions in the country.

* Having learnt the leaping strides made by this college in the sphere of women’s education, former President Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam visited the college in 2011 to Launch “Lead 2020” and interacted with the students on Women Empowerment.

* Mr Swamikannu has established a group of educational institutions to fulfill the needs of the society, including ES Matriculation School in 1998, ES Sports Academy in 2005, ES Engineering College in 2007, ES Music Academy in 2008, ES College of Education in 2009, ES College of Nursing and Paramedical Science in 2010, ES Arts & Science College in 2016, ES Lords International School (CBSE) in 2018.

* Till now, more than 80,000 candidates have passed out of these renowned portals of education.

* In recognition of his contribution to education, Annamalai University has appointed him as Senate Member and the Rotary Club has conferred the “SAKE OF HONOUR AWARD” on him. In recognition of his social service the Tamil Nadu Government has given him the “THANTHAI PERIYAR AWARD- IN 2008”.