k.kamarajar nadar

k kamaraj nadar

K. Kamaraj was a leader of sterling qualities. His entire life spanning a little over seven decades was dedicated to the country and its people. From a simple volunteer and worker, he rose to the highest position by not only circumstances but sincere service and sacrifice. Like Lal Bahadur Shastri, his humility, affability, sincerity integrity coupled with selflessness and devotion were unparallel.

Unlike the average politicians, he never pushed himself forward. He imbibed this great quality form his school days when “once on Vinayaka Chaturthi celebration in his school the boys were asked to contribute each about half an anna. When, after the puja, the prasadam (fried rice) was being distributed, as usual, there was clamour and rush among the boys to get their share. Kamaraj quietly stood aside until the rush was over and then he went to receive the prasadam. Very little was left for him. When he went home with it, his grandmother asked why he got so little. Kamaraj said that he did not want to rush in with others.

When Mahatma Gandhi started his non-cooperation movement (1921-22), Kamaraj was a boy. Ten years later, in 1930, he offered Satyagraha to break the Salt Law. He was arrested and sentenced to two years imprisonment. During the Quit India Movement (August 1942), Kamaraj who was 39, organized party workers in Tamil Nadu. He returned to Virudhunagar after finishing his work where a police warrant was waiting for him.

He himself informed the police sub inspector that he was ready to be arrested. Though the sub inspector, a nationalist at heart, told him be could take it easy and he could arrest him later, Kamaraj said he had finished all his work and there was no point in delaying. He was taken into custody and detained under the Defence of India Rules and sent to Vellore Jail, where already there ware a number of other leaders. For three years he was under detention without trial and released in 1945.
Kamaraj became Chief Minister of Madras state on April 13, 1957. According to Ramaswamy Venkataraman (who later became the President of India) it was Jawaharlal Nehru who insisted that Kamaraj should succeed Rajaji as Chief Minister.

Kamaraj perhaps had the smallest council of ministers in India - just eight. Whenever correspondents asked him whether there would be any changes in the cabinet, he remarked cryptically “after five years”.
With a rural background, sound common sense and a burning desire to serve the people, he introduced free education upto the secondary stage, mid-day meals for indigent school children, expanded rural communication. His tenure of a decade in office was marked by all round progress and development in Tamil Nadu in industry, power, education and community development. People describe it as the “golden age” of the state.

The Congress Working Committee met in October 1963 to consider the election of a new President to succeed D. Sanjivaiah whose term expired at the end of 1963. Nehru was in favour of Kamaraj and the Working Committee unanimously proposed his name. Kamaraj himself never even dreamt that he would land himself in the Congress Presidential chair. He never sought or aspired for it. It was the force of circumstances, and cumulative effect of events that led him on to the top. Nehru had developed a great admiration for Kamaraj for his ability as an organizer and his proven success as an administrator. It is an established fact that office never tempted Kamaraj and the service of the nation came above all other considerations.

He formulated in all sincerity and with the best of intentions, the famous Kamaraj Plan, under which senior ministers in government led by Nehru were to leave office and strengthen the Congress Organization. He was of the view that the concentration of all talents in administration had depleted the organization of strong and able men for party work and that interchange of leaders from Government to party work was one of the ways of strengthening the organization. Unfortunately, neither did the leaders after leaving the Government devote themselves to party work, nor did they remain comfortable out of office. But his Plan was novel and original and truly reflected the stuff of which Kamaraj was made.

Events following his assumption of office as the President of the Indian National Congress brought to the fore his great abilities as a statesman. When the whole world was reverberating: “After Nehru, Who?” Kamaraj lent his shoulders to stabilize the nation edifice and to affect a smooth succession. After the demise of Nehru in May 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri assumed the reins of Prime Minister. Likewise, on the unexpected demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966, Kamaraj played a key- role once again in effecting smooth succession. The country was able to prove to the world that it is a strong, stable and unshakeable democracy under the leadership of Indira Gandhi.

On October 2, 1975, he felt pain in the chest. A doctor living nearby was called but before his arrival, he was no more. In recognition of his services, the country’s highest honour Bharat Ratna was conferred on him posthumously in the same year

Our God Thiru. K. Kamaraj NADAR

Our God Thiru. K. Kamaraj NADAR

Early life
Kamaraj was born on 15 July 1903 to Kumarasamy Nadar and Sivakami Ammal at Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu. His parents were from a trading family. His father Kumarasamy Nadar, was a coconut merchant. Kamaraj was initially enrolled in the Enadhy Nayanar Vidyalaya elementary school, and later in high school Kshatriya Vidyalaya. Kamaraj's father died when he was six years old and his mother was forced to support her family by selling her jewellery. In 1914, Kamaraj dropped out of school to support his family.
Start in politics and freedom struggle
Kamaraj joined as an apprentice in his maternal uncle Karuppiah's cloth shop after dropping out of school. He would slip out from the shop to join processions and attend public meetings addressed by orators like Dr. P. Varadarajulu Naidu . His relatives frowned upon Kamaraj 's budding interest in politics. They sent him to Thiruvananthapuram to work at another uncle's timer shop.
At the age of 16, Kamaraj enrolled himself as full-time worker of the Congress Party. He invited speakers, organized meetings and collected funds for the party. He also participated in the march to Vedaranyam led by C. Rajagopalachari as part of the Salt Satyagraha of March 1930.
Kamaraj was arrested and sent to Alipore Jail in Calcutta for two years. He was 27 at the time of his arrest and was released in 1931 following the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Kamaraj was implicated in the Virudhunagar bomb case two years later.Dr P. Varadarajulu Naidu and George Joseph argued on Kamaraj's behalf and proved the charges to be baseless. Kamaraj was arrested again in 1940 and sent to Vellore Central Prison while he was on his way to Wardha to get Gandhiji's approval for a list of satyagrahis.
While still in jail, Kamaraj was elected Chairman of the Municipal Council of Viruthunagar. Nine months later, upon his release, Kamaraj went straight to the Municipality and tendered his resignation from his post. He felt that "one should not accept any post to which one could not do full justice."
Kamaraj was arrested once more in 1942 and sentenced to three years in the Amaravathi prison for spreading propaganda material for the Quit India movement initiated by Gandhiji. While in prison, Kamaraj read books and continued his self-education.
In 1945 C. Rajagopalachari tried to make a comeback within the Congress organisation in Tamil Nadu. He had the support of Gandhi and Sardar Patel, but the majority of in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee opposed him. A conference was held in Tirupparankundram, in which the leadership should be elected. Chaos broke about during the conference, as warring factions confronted each other. Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar interrupted the disputes and passed a motion reelecting Kamaraj as the TNCC President.
With Satyamurti
Kamaraj's political guru and inspiration was S. Satyamurti, orator and parliamentarian. Satyamurti found in Kamaraj "an efficient, loyal, indefatigable worker and skillful organizer (p. 147, Pakshirajan)." Both developed a deep friendship and complemented each others' skills. In 1936, Satyamurti was elected President of the Provincial Congress Committee and he appointed Kamaraj the General Secretary. Four years later they swapped positions. The party base was strengthened under their leadership. So deep was Kamaraj's devotion to Satyamurti that when India gained independence, he first went to Satyamurti's house and hoisted the Indian flag there. On his election as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Kamaraj went to Satyamurti's house and garlanded his photo and paid his respects to the leader's widow.
Chief Ministership
On 13 April 1954, K. Kamaraj became the Chief Minister of Madras Province. To everyone's surprise, Kamaraj nominated C. Subramaniam and M. Bhakthavatsalam, who had contested his leadership, to the newly formed cabinet.
Education
Kamaraj removed the family vocation based Hereditary Education Policy introduced by Rajaji. He reopened the 6000 schools closed by previous government for financial reasons and also added 12000 more schools. The State made immense strides in education and trade. New schools were opened, so that poor rural students were to walk no more than 3 miles (4.8 km) to their nearest school. Better facilities were added to existing ones. No village remained without a primary school and no panchayat without a high school. Kamaraj strove to eradicate illiteracy by introducing free and compulsory education up to the eleventh standard. He introduced the Mid-day Meal Scheme to provide at least one meal per day to the lakhs of poor school children (first time in the whole world). He introduced free school uniforms to weed out caste, creed and class distinctions among young minds.
During British regime the education was only 7 percent. But in Kamaraj's period it was 37% . During Rajaji's period there were 12000 schools in the state. Whereas it was 27000 in the period of Kamaraj.

Kamaraj Statue in Marina Beach, Chennai depicting his contribution to education in the state.
Apart from increasing number of schools, steps were taken to improve standard of education. To improve the standards number of working day were increased from 180 to 200. Unnecessary holidays were reduced. Syllabus were prepared to give opportunity to various abilities.
Kamaraj and Sri Bishnuram Medhi (Governor) took efforts to start the IIT Madras in 1959.[8]
Agriculture
Major irrigation schemes were planned in Kamaraj's period . Lower Bhavani, Mani Muthuar , Cauvery Delta , Aarani River , Vaigai Dam , Amravathi , Sathanur , Krishnagiri , Pullambadi , Parambikulam and Neyyaru Dams were among them . The Lower Bhavani Dam in Coimbatore district was constructed with an expenditure of Rs 10/- Crores. 207,000 acres (840 km2) of land are under cultivation.
45,000 acres (180 km2) of land are benefited through Mettur canal of Salem. Another scheme was Krishnagiri in the same district. Vaigai , Sathanur facilitate to cultivate thousands of acres of lands in Madurai and North Arcot districts respectively. Rs 30 crores were planned to spend for Parambikulam River scheme in Kamaraj's period. This has helped for the development of Coimbatore district in agriculture field.
Number of dams were constructed under his rule are

Manimuthar Dam,
Vaikai Dam.
Aliyar Dam.
Sathanur Dam.
Krishnagiri Dam.
In 1957-61 1,628 Tanks were de-silted under Small Irrigation Scheme 2000 wells were digged with outlets. Long term loans with 25% subsidy were given to farmers. Apart from formers who are having dry lands were given oil engines , electric pump sets on installment basis.
150 lakhs of acres of lands were cultivated during Kamaraj's period. One third of this i.e. 56 lakhs of acres of land got permanent watering facility.
Industrial Development
Industries with huge investments in crores of Rupees were started in his period. Neyveli Lignite Scheme, Raw photo film industry at Nilgri, Surgical instruments factory at Guindy, Sugar factories , Bi-Carbonates factories, Cement factories, Railway Coach factory at Perambur, Mettur paper industry were started in the period of Kamaraj. These are the back-bone for the development of the nation.
Other industries which were started his period are

BHEL, Trichy.
Neyveli Lignite Corporation.
MANALI Refinary Ltd.
Other
Many schemes were started to generate electicity like Guntha hydro power station, Ooty hydel power station and Neyveli thermal power station. During his period, Tamil Nadu was developing in all fronts.
Kamaraj remained Chief Minister for three consecutive terms, winning elections in 1957 and 1962. Kamaraj noticed that the Congress party was slowly losing its vigor. He came up with a plan which was called the "Kamaraj Plan".
On 2 October 1963, he resigned from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Post. He proposed that all senior Congress leaders should resign from their posts and devote all their energy to the re-vitalization of the Congress.
In 1963 he suggested to Nehru that senior Congress leaders should leave ministerial posts to take up organisational work. This suggestion came to be known as the Kamaraj Plan, which was designed primarily to dispel from the minds of Congressmen the lure for power, creating in its place a dedicated attachment to the objectives and policies of the organisation. Kamaraj was elected President, Indian National Congress, on 9 October 1963.
Well impressed by the achievements and acumen of Kamraj, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru felt that his services were needed more at the national level. In a swift move he brought Kamaraj to Delhi as the President of the Indian National Congress. Nehru realised that if he had wide learning and vision, Kamaraj possessed enormous common sense and pragmatism.
Kamaraj's First Cabinet
Kamaraj's council of ministers during his first tenure as Chief Minister(13 April 1954 - 31 March 1957)
Minister Portfolios
K. Kamaraj Chief Minister, Public and Police in the Home Department
M. Bhaktavatsalam Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries, Cinchona, Rural Welfare, Community Projects, National Extension Scheme, Women’s Welfare, Industries and Labour and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary
C. Subramaniam Finance, Food, Education, Elections and Information and Publicity and Law (Courts and Prisons)
A. B. Shetty Medical and Public Health, Co-operation, Housing and Ex-servicemen.
M. A. Manickavelu Naicker Land Revenue, Commercial Taxes and Rural Development
Raja Sri Shanmuga Rajeswara Sethupathi Public Works, Accommodation Control, Engineering Colleges, Stationery and Printing including Establishment questions of the Stationery Department and the Government Press
B. Parameswaran Transport, Harijan Uplift, Hindu Religious Endowments, Registration and Prohibition
S. S. Ramasami Padayachi Local Administration
Changes
Following the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, A. B. Shetty quit the Ministry on 1 March 1956 and his portfolio was shared between the other ministers.
Kamaraj's Second Cabinet
Kamaraj's council of ministers during his second tenure as Chief Minister(1 April 1957 - 1 March 1962)
Minister Portfolios
K. Kamaraj Chief Minister, Public, Planning and Development (including Local development Works, Women's Welfare, Community Projects and Rural Welfare), National Extension Scheme
M. Bhaktavatsalam Home
C. Subramaniam Finance
R. Venkataraman Industries
M. A. Manickavelu Naicker Revenue
P. Kakkan Works
V. Ramaiah Electricity
Lourdhammal Simon Local Administration
Kamaraj's Third Cabinet
Kamaraj's council of ministers during his third tenure as Chief Minister(3 March 1962 - 2 October 1963)
minister Portfolios
K. Kamaraj Chief Minister, Public, Planning and Development (including Local development Works, Women's Welfare, Community Projects and Rural Welfare), National Extension Scheme
M. Bhaktavatsalam Finance and Education
Jothi Venkatachalam Public Health
R. Venkataraman Revenue
S. M. Abdul Majid Local Administration
P. Kakkan Agriculture
V. Ramaiah Public Works and Revenue
N. Nallasenapathi Sarkarai Mandradiar Cooperation and Forests
G. Bhuvaraghan Publicity and Information
Electoral history
Year Post Constituency Party Opponent Election Result
1937 M.L.A Sattur INC Unopposed 1937 elections Won
1946 M.L.A Sattur-Aruppukottai INC Unopposed 1946 elections Won
1952 M.P Srivilliputtur INC G. D. Naidu Indian General Elections, 1951 Won
1954 M.L.A Gudiyatham INC V. K. Kothandaraman By Election Won
1957 M.L.A Sattur INC Jayarama Reddiar Madras legislative assembly election, 1957 Won
1962 M.L.A Sattur INC P. Ramamoorthy Madras legislative assembly election, 1962 Won
1967 M.L.A Virudhunagar INC P. Seenivasan Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 1967 Lost
1969 M.P Nagercoil INC M. Mathias By Election Won
1971 M.P Nagercoil INC (O) M. C. Balan Indian General Elections, 1971 Won
Leaving the congress
When the Congress split in 1969, Kamaraj became the leader of the INC (O) in Tamil Nadu. The party fared poorly in the 1971 elections. He remained as the leader of INC (O) till his death in 1975.
Advice to his ministers
Kamaraj gave a simple advice to his ministers, "Face the problem. Don't evade it. Find a solution, however small. People will be satisfied if you do something." Followed by him a number of Central and State ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jagjivan Ram, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Morarji Desai and S.K. Patil followed suit and resigned from their posts. In 1964, Kamaraj was elected 'Congress President' and he successfully navigated the party and the nation through the stormy years following Nehru's death. Kamaraj’s political maturity came in full view when Nehru died in 1964. How he settled the succession issue for the Prime Ministership was amply proved by his choice of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi in succession.
Death
On October 2, 1975, Kamaraj died in his sleep. He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously in 1976.
Popular culture
In 2004 a Tamil Movie about his life was released titled "Kamaraj". The English version of the film was released on DVD in 2007.