Mohan Kumaramangalam
Encyclopedia
Surendra Mohan Kumaramangalam (b. November 1, 1916 - d. May 30, 1973) was an Indian politician and communist theorist who was a member of the Indian National Congress
, and later, the Communist Party of India
. He served as a member of Lok Sabha
for Pondicherry from 1971 to 1972.
to P. Subbarayan
, then zamindar
of Kumaramangalam in Salem district
and later, Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
and his wife, Radhabai Subbarayan
on November 1, 1916. He was their third and youngest son, P. P. Kumaramangalam and Gopal Kumaramangalam being elder to him. Kumaramangalam was educated at Eton
and King's College, Cambridge
, serving as President of the Cambridge Union Society
in 1938. During his period at Cambridge he was deeply influenced by communism.
Kumaramangalam was called to the bar from the Inner Temple
. He returned to India in 1939 and participated in the Indian Independence Movement
.
, C. S. Subramaniam and R. Umanath for distributing seditious pamphlets in what came to be known as the Madras Conspiracy Case. Kumaramangalam was later released. During the Second World War Kumaramangalam served as the editor of the communist magazine, People's War, which on the conclusion of hostilities he renamed as People's Age.
and established the Indo-Soviet Cultural Society. However, with the onset of the 1960s Kumaramangalam began distancing himself from communism. Following the victory of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
in the 1967 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Kumaramangalam resigned from the Communist Party of India and joined the Indian National Congress
.
Kumaramangalam was loyal to Indira Gandhi
when the party split and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Pondicherry in the 1971 elections. He served as the Minister of Steel and Mines from 1971 until his death in 1973.
in 1943. Ajoy Mukherjee, later, served as the Chief Minister
of West Bengal
. The couple had a son, Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
and two daughters. Rangarajan Kumaramangalam was a member of the Indian National Congress and later, the Bharatiya Janata Party
and served as a minister in the Narasimha Rao
and Atal Behari Vajpayee governments. Mohan's daughter, Lalitha Kumaramangalam contested the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Tiruchirapalli and lost on both occasions.
Mohan Kumaramangalam's brother P. P. Kumaramangalam was a distinguished army officer who served as India's Chief of Army Staff. His sister, Parvathi Krishnan
was a politician of the Communist Party of India and served three terms as Member of Parliament from Coimbatore.
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, and later, the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
. He served as a member of Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
for Pondicherry from 1971 to 1972.
Early life and education
Mohan Kumaramangalam was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to P. Subbarayan
P. Subbarayan
Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and diplomat and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government. He is the father of General P. P...
, then zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
of Kumaramangalam in Salem district
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
and later, Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
and his wife, Radhabai Subbarayan
Radhabai Subbarayan
Kailash Radhabai Subbarayan nee Kudmul was an Indian politician, women's rights activist and social reformer. She was the wife of Indian politician P. Subbarayan and mother of Mohan Kumaramangalam, P. P. Kumaramangalam and Parvathi Krishnan.- Early life and education :Radhabai Kulmud was born to...
on November 1, 1916. He was their third and youngest son, P. P. Kumaramangalam and Gopal Kumaramangalam being elder to him. Kumaramangalam was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, serving as President of the Cambridge Union Society
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society in Cambridge, England and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of...
in 1938. During his period at Cambridge he was deeply influenced by communism.
Kumaramangalam was called to the bar from the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. He returned to India in 1939 and participated in the Indian Independence Movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
.
In the Indian Independence movement
In 1941, Kumaramangalam was arrested along with P. RamamurthiP. Ramamurthi
P. Ramamurti was an Indian politician and a politburo member of the Communist Party of India .Ramamurti was born in Chennai to Panchapakesan, a Sanskrit scholar. He obtained his education from Hindu High School, Presidency College, Madras and the Banaras Hindu University...
, C. S. Subramaniam and R. Umanath for distributing seditious pamphlets in what came to be known as the Madras Conspiracy Case. Kumaramangalam was later released. During the Second World War Kumaramangalam served as the editor of the communist magazine, People's War, which on the conclusion of hostilities he renamed as People's Age.
Post-independence politics
In the days following India's independence Madras Presidency was gripped by a peasant rebellion, which compelled the provincial government to launch a crackdown on communists. Kumaramangalam was arrested along with other communist leaders and released after the rebellion had subsided. Kumaramangalam favoured friendly relations with the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and established the Indo-Soviet Cultural Society. However, with the onset of the 1960s Kumaramangalam began distancing himself from communism. Following the victory of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar...
in the 1967 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Kumaramangalam resigned from the Communist Party of India and joined the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
.
Kumaramangalam was loyal to Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
when the party split and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Pondicherry in the 1971 elections. He served as the Minister of Steel and Mines from 1971 until his death in 1973.
Family
Mohan Kumaramangalam married Kalyani Mukerjee, sister of Bengali politician Ajoy MukherjeeAjoy Mukherjee
Ajoy Mukherjee was the fourth chief minister of West Bengal, India. He hailed from Tamluk, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal.He was one of the leaders of Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar , which came into effect on 17 December 1942 during the Quit India Movement, a programme of civil disobedience...
in 1943. Ajoy Mukherjee, later, served as the Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. The couple had a son, Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Phanindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam was a prominent politician of the Indian National Congress and later the Bharatiya Janata Party and a Member of Parliament from the Salem constituency from 1984 to 1996 and Tiruchirapalli constituency from 1998 to 2000...
and two daughters. Rangarajan Kumaramangalam was a member of the Indian National Congress and later, the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
and served as a minister in the Narasimha Rao
Narasimha Rao
Narasimha Rao or Narasimharao is one of the Indian names.* Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao served as the 10th Prime Minister of India.* Modireddy Venkat Narasimha Rao, is a former Indian cricketer....
and Atal Behari Vajpayee governments. Mohan's daughter, Lalitha Kumaramangalam contested the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Tiruchirapalli and lost on both occasions.
Mohan Kumaramangalam's brother P. P. Kumaramangalam was a distinguished army officer who served as India's Chief of Army Staff. His sister, Parvathi Krishnan
Parvathi Krishnan
Parvathi Krishnan is an Indian politician from the Communist Party of India.-Early life:Parvathi was born on March 15, 1919 to P. Subbarayan and Radhabai Subbarayan. She did her B. A...
was a politician of the Communist Party of India and served three terms as Member of Parliament from Coimbatore.