P. T. Rajan
Encyclopedia
Sir Ponnambala Thiaga Rajan (1892 – 1974) was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from April 4, 1936 to August 24, 1936. He was also the last President of the Justice Party.
P. T. Rajan was born in 1892 in Uthamapalayam (Theni District) and educated at The Leys School, Cambridge and Jesus College, Oxford. He graduated in history and law and practised as an advocate for sometime before joining the Justice Party.
Rajan was elected to the Madras Legislative Council as a Justice Party candidate in 1920 and served as a legislator till his defeat in 1937. He held various offices such as the Minister of Public Works and then, the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. From 1939 to 1944, Rajan supported Periyar but broke off and headed the rebel Justice Party till 1957. Rajan was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1952 and served as a legislator from 1952 to 1957. Rajan died in 1974 at the age of 82. A road in K. K. Nagar, Chennai has been named in his memory as "Sir P.T. Rajan Road".
Rajan's son Palanivel Rajan served as a minister of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
and speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2001.
in the town of Madurai
. He was educated at Ley's School
, Cambridge
and graduated in history from Jesus College
, Oxford University in 1915. He later studied law and was called to Bar in 1917 and practised as an advocate before joining the Justice Party
in the early 1920s.
. He was also instrumental in getting W. P. A. Soundrapandian Nadar nominated to the Madras Legislative Council as a Justice Party nominee.
and the Raja of Bobbili
. On April 4, 1936, he succeeded the Raja of Bobbili was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency and held the post till August 24, 1936, when the Raja of Bobbili once again became the Chief Minister.
In 1939, he joined Periyar
and wholeheartedly supported his demand for secession from India. However, he broke off with a few others in 1944 when Periyar renamed the Justice Party as Dravidar Kazhagam
and converted the political party into a non-political social organization.
Rajan contested as an independent from Uthamapalayam in the 1957 Assembly elections and polled 24,256 votes losing to K. Pandiaraj of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 6,303 votes. Rajan did not contest any more elections after the defeat.
.
P. T. Rajan's son Palanivel Rajan was a politician of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
. He served as the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2001 and In 2006, he served as the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments in the Government of M. Karunanidhi
briefly before his death on May 20, 2006.
along with those of others, invited the wrath of the media
.
The newspaper India reported in the March 25, 1932 edition:
P. T. Rajan was born in 1892 in Uthamapalayam (Theni District) and educated at The Leys School, Cambridge and Jesus College, Oxford. He graduated in history and law and practised as an advocate for sometime before joining the Justice Party.
Rajan was elected to the Madras Legislative Council as a Justice Party candidate in 1920 and served as a legislator till his defeat in 1937. He held various offices such as the Minister of Public Works and then, the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. From 1939 to 1944, Rajan supported Periyar but broke off and headed the rebel Justice Party till 1957. Rajan was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1952 and served as a legislator from 1952 to 1957. Rajan died in 1974 at the age of 82. A road in K. K. Nagar, Chennai has been named in his memory as "Sir P.T. Rajan Road".
Rajan's son Palanivel Rajan served as a minister 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...
and speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2001.
Early life
Ponnambala Thyaga Rajan was born in the year 1892 in a family of Saiva Vellala MudaliarThondaimandala Mudaliars
Thondaimandala Mudaliar is a Tamil caste in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They trace their lineage to the ancient Chola Velirs...
in the town of 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...
. He was educated at Ley's School
The Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and graduated in history from Jesus College
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, Oxford University in 1915. He later studied law and was called to Bar in 1917 and practised as an advocate before joining the Justice Party
Justice Party
Justice Party is the name of several different political parties around the world:*Indian Justice Party*Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party *Justice Party...
in the early 1920s.
Political career
Rajan stood as a Justice Party candidate in the 1920 elections and was elected as a member of the Madras Legislative CouncilMadras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
. He was also instrumental in getting W. P. A. Soundrapandian Nadar nominated to the Madras Legislative Council as a Justice Party nominee.
In government
In 1930, when the Justice Party returned to power after a gap of 4 years, Rajan was appointed Minister of Public Works. He served as a Minister in the governments of P. Munuswamy NaiduP. Munuswamy Naidu
Bollini Munuswamy Naidu was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from October 27, 1930 to November 4, 1932. He was conferred 'Diwan Bahadur' by British Government....
and the Raja of Bobbili
Ramakrishna Ranga Rao
Raja Sri Ravu Svetachalupati Sir Ramakrishna Ranga Rao KCIE was an Indian politician and zamindar who served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from November 5, 1932 to April 4, 1936 and August 24, 1936 to April 1, 1937.Ramakrishna Ranga Rao was born in the royal family of Bobbili...
. On April 4, 1936, he succeeded the Raja of Bobbili was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency and held the post till August 24, 1936, when the Raja of Bobbili once again became the Chief Minister.
In 1939, he joined Periyar
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Erode Venkata Ramasamy , affectionately called by his followers as Periyar , Thanthai Periyar or E. V...
and wholeheartedly supported his demand for secession from India. However, he broke off with a few others in 1944 when Periyar renamed the Justice Party as Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
and converted the political party into a non-political social organization.
As President of Justice Party
Rajan along with a few dissidents floated a new Justice Party and claimed that their organisation was the original Justice Party. B. Ramachandra Reddi, who was President of the Madras Legislative Council between 1930 and 1937 was tentatively elected Party President but resigned in 1945 and was succeeded by Rajan. The Justice Party did not contest in the 1946 Assembly elections but participated in the 1951 elections, the first as a part of independent India. The Justice Party contested nine seats as an unrecognised state-level party of which the party won one. Rajan stood from Madurai North as well as Cumbum. While Rajan lost badly from Madurai North winning only 11% of the total votes polled and finished third, he won by a margin of 11,359 votes from Cumbum. The Justice Party did not contest in the 1957 Assembly elections and was eventually dissolved.Rajan contested as an independent from Uthamapalayam in the 1957 Assembly elections and polled 24,256 votes losing to K. Pandiaraj of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 6,303 votes. Rajan did not contest any more elections after the defeat.
Political activism and ideology
P. T. Rajan, as a leading non-Brahmin leader, supported the appointment of non-Brahmin trustess to temples in Tamil Nadu. In the early 1950s, through his efforts, the present panchaloha idol of Lord Iyappan was installed at Sabarimalai and a procession was taken all over Madras stateMadras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
.
Family
P. T. Rajan's uncle M. T. Subramania Mudaliar of Uthamapalayam was a member of the Dravidian Association and one of the early leaders of the Non-Brahmin Movement. He was always consulted with regard to the choice of Ministers by early Chief Ministers such as the Raja of Panagal.P. T. Rajan's son Palanivel Rajan was a politician 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...
. He served as the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2001 and In 2006, he served as the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments in the Government of M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
briefly before his death on May 20, 2006.
Criticism
Rajan's lavish spendings as Minister for Development under the Munuswamy Naidu regime at the height of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
along with those of others, invited the wrath of the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
.
The newspaper India reported in the March 25, 1932 edition: