P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
Encyclopedia
Poosapati Sanjeevi Kumarswamy Raja (1898–1957) was the Chief Minister
of Tamil Nadu
(Madras Presidency
), India
from April 6, 1949 to April 10, 1952. He was born in Rajapalayam
in Tamil Nadu
.
to Poosapati
Sanjeevi Raja. His mother died when he was eight days old. He lost his father when he was three years old. Raja had no brothers and sisters and he was brought up by his grand mother.
He belonged to the community of Rajas
(Kshatriya Rajus
), whose ancestors migrated from the Northern Circars in Andhra Pradesh
in the late 15th Century CE.
After Schooling Raja was connected with the Congress
organisation at its every level. He took a prominent part in Panchayat Organisations, Local Board administration He was President of Rajapalayam Union , Panchayat court,District Board of Ramnathapuram
, District educational Council etc.
and Satyamurthy
had great influence on his mind and character in his formative years. It was in 1919 that he met Mahatma Gandhi for the first time and started following with great interest the events in Gandhi's life. Gandhi's epic struggle in South Africa
, the founding of the Ashram
in Ahmedabad
and the Champaran
struggle made a profound impression on him and the utter simplicity of Mahatma's life also evoked his unbounded admiration.
1932 He was arrested for disobeying the unjust laws. Thus Rajapalayam gained a distinct place in political map, the credit went to Raja's lead. In 1934 , Raja won central legislature for constituency comprising Tirunelveli
, Madurai
& Ramanathapuram
. In 1936 he was M.L.A
in C. Rajagopalachari
ministry.
He was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
(Madras Presidency
) from 1949 to 1952 and Governor
of Orissa
from 1954 to 1956.
In all the years of his life, most of Raja's wealth was spent in helping the poor and in serving public causes, particularly for the Congress movement.
Raja's life was one of noble activity, dedication and selfless service for the people of the country. He was a staunch proponent of the concept of "Separation of the Judiciary
from the Executive
". Prohibition, promotion of Khādī
and Temple
Entry Legislation were his other notable achievements. He donated his house for starting an institution of culture called "Gandhi Kalai Mandram". Rajapalayam became a great industrial centre mainly due to his drive and interest.
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 Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
(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...
), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from April 6, 1949 to April 10, 1952. He was born in Rajapalayam
Rajapalayam
Rajapalayam is a town and a special grade municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 85 km southwest of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Its main attractions are the Ayyanar Falls and the neighbour town of Srivilliputtur...
in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
Early life
He was born in RajapalayamRajapalayam
Rajapalayam is a town and a special grade municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 85 km southwest of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Its main attractions are the Ayyanar Falls and the neighbour town of Srivilliputtur...
to Poosapati
Pusapati
Pusapati or Poosapati was the ruling clan of the Kalinga Vizianagaram . They were Kshatriyas of the Suryavanshi sect.-History:...
Sanjeevi Raja. His mother died when he was eight days old. He lost his father when he was three years old. Raja had no brothers and sisters and he was brought up by his grand mother.
He belonged to the community of Rajas
Rajus
The Raju are a Telugu caste inhabiting Andhra Pradesh, India.-Etymology:Raju is a Telugu variation of the Sanskrit word Raj and Raja meaning king, prince or lord...
(Kshatriya Rajus
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
), whose ancestors migrated from the Northern Circars in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
in the late 15th Century CE.
After Schooling Raja was connected with the 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...
organisation at its every level. He took a prominent part in Panchayat Organisations, Local Board administration He was President of Rajapalayam Union , Panchayat court,District Board of Ramnathapuram
Ramnathapuram
Ramnathapuram is a small town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India....
, District educational Council etc.
Political and Social Service
The lives and writings of Annie BesantAnnie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
and Satyamurthy
S. Satyamurti
S. Satyamurti was an Indian politician and patriot. A protege of S. Srinivasa Iyengar, Satyamurti was the political mentor of Kumaraswami Kamaraj....
had great influence on his mind and character in his formative years. It was in 1919 that he met Mahatma Gandhi for the first time and started following with great interest the events in Gandhi's life. Gandhi's epic struggle in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the founding of the Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and the Champaran
Champaran and Kheda Satyagraha
The first Satyagraha revolutions inspired by Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Independence Movement occurred in Kheda district of Gujarat and the Champaran district of Bihar between the years of 1918 and 1919...
struggle made a profound impression on him and the utter simplicity of Mahatma's life also evoked his unbounded admiration.
1932 He was arrested for disobeying the unjust laws. Thus Rajapalayam gained a distinct place in political map, the credit went to Raja's lead. In 1934 , Raja won central legislature for constituency comprising Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
, Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
& Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram
Ramanathapuram , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district.-Tourism:...
. In 1936 he was M.L.A
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
in C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
ministry.
He was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
(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...
) from 1949 to 1952 and Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
from 1954 to 1956.
In all the years of his life, most of Raja's wealth was spent in helping the poor and in serving public causes, particularly for the Congress movement.
Raja's life was one of noble activity, dedication and selfless service for the people of the country. He was a staunch proponent of the concept of "Separation of the Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
from the Executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
". Prohibition, promotion of Khādī
Khadi
The term khādī or khaddar means cotton. khādī is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. The raw materials may be cotton, silk, or wool, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric, cool in the summer and warm in the winter...
and Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
Entry Legislation were his other notable achievements. He donated his house for starting an institution of culture called "Gandhi Kalai Mandram". Rajapalayam became a great industrial centre mainly due to his drive and interest.
Sources
- http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/l0799/r080799.html
- http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/mar/21karu.htm
- http://www.kamat.org/picture.asp?Name=c67.jpg
- http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/08/28/stories/2002082800200100.htm
- http://www.indiaeducation.ernet.in/insitutions/PROFILE.ASP?no=U00519
- http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/02/12/stories/2007021201150500.htm