S. Satyamurti
Encyclopedia
S. Satyamurti was an Indian politician and patriot. A protege of S. Srinivasa Iyengar, Satyamurti was the political mentor of Kumaraswami Kamaraj
.
Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari nominated Satyamurti to succeed him as President of the Indian National Congress
in Tamil Nadu
in 1930. He served as Mayor of Madras in 1939, leading a campaign to restore public education, build lakes, parks, improve the water supply and generally improve the life of the citizens. Like many others in the Indian independence movement, he was jailed repeatedly.
, Madras Presidency
, British India on August 19, 1887. At school he was a fine and diligent student characteristics which he carried on into his political career. He graduated from the prestigious Madras Christian College
and later went on to do law and started practicing as an advocate prior to his initiation in the national movement. He plunged into politics at an early age winning college elections and eventually emerging as one of the foremost leaders of the Indian National Congress
and a doyen of the freedom movement. In 1919, when the Congress decide to send its representative to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (of the UK) to protest the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms
and the Rowlatt Act
, thirty-two year old Sathyamurthi was chosen as a delegate. When Sri. Sathyamurthy was in Britain, he functioned as the London Correspondent of The Hindu
, in place of the actual Correspondent who had taken a 10-days leave of absence. He was known for his honesty; integrity; his belief in racial, communal and religious harmony and equality; and firm belief in constitutional government and parliamentary democracy in India, which led him to take a view opposed to Gandhiji's which in the 1920s was not for participating in the colonial legislature.
He was also noted to be strongly opposed to the Caste
System in Hinduism
.
when he was a young man. At the time the party advocated racial equality between Europeans and Indian's of all creeds and castes; and demanded Dominion Status within the British Empire
. Which the British rulers had refused to grant.
Sri. Satyamurti was one of the leading lights of Swarajists who laid the foundation for parliamentary democracy in India, the others being C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru
. It required extraordinary courage of conviction to take a view opposed to Gandhiji's, who had captivated the entire nation, which in the 1920s was not for participating in legislature. But, it was left to the people like Satyamurti, Das and Motilal Nehru to impress upon the need for acquiring experience in legislature. Therefore though Gandhiji did not approve of the decision of the Swarajists, he did not stop them from pursuing their own path.
Thus it was due to his relentless efforts in the legislature that the Congress romped home in the 1937 elections to the Madras Legislative Assembly. Though he neither became the Premier (that was the name kept for the post of Chief Minister then) nor a Minister in the State Cabinet, his work for the party is still remembered by many.
When Sri. Satyamurti became the Mayor of Madras in 1939,World War II
had begun. The city of Madras was in the grip of an acute water scarcity and it was left to him to impress upon the British Government and colonial Governor the importance of agreeing to the proposal of Madras Corporation for building a reservoir in Poondi, about 50 km west of the city, to augment the water supply position, especially in light of catastrophic global Events namely the Second World War. In those days, the tenure of Mayorship was only for a year but due to his relentless efforts, diplomacy in dealing with the British Governor and his administrative abilities the foundation stone for the reservoir was laid in a matter of eight months. Though Satyamurti was not alive to see the commissioning of the reservoir in 1944, the completion of the work in four years is considered, even by today's standards, something that is difficult to match. Till date, the Poondi reservoir is the only reservoir built purely for the purpose of Madras water requirements.
and was arrested in 1942 for performing 'Individual satyagraha
' at the height of the Quit India Movement
. He was tried and deported to Amravathi Jail in Nagpur
and was hurt in the spinal cord during the journey. He succumbed to his injuries at General Hospital, Madras on March 28, 1943.
Sri. S.Satyamurti died on March 28 in Madras. Two years before the end of WWII(August 15, 1945) and four years before India's Independence(Aug 15th 1947). He was a highly regarded politician of rare abilities and was deeply mourned by his colleagues and the people of Madras Presidency to whom he had dedicated his life, to bring them freedom and justice.
The prominent Madras paper The Hindu
dedicated a whole column to Sri. Sathyamurthy under the caption Tribune of the people. It said "He was a born freedom-fighter, a leadmine fighter as the Scots say to whom the fight was the thing."
K. Kamaraj
Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
.
Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari nominated Satyamurti to succeed him as President of 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...
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...
in 1930. He served as Mayor of Madras in 1939, leading a campaign to restore public education, build lakes, parks, improve the water supply and generally improve the life of the citizens. Like many others in the Indian independence movement, he was jailed repeatedly.
Early life
S.Satyamurti was born in ThirumayamThirumayam
Thirumayam is a place of historical importance located about 20 km south of the town of Pudukkottai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
, 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...
, British India on August 19, 1887. At school he was a fine and diligent student characteristics which he carried on into his political career. He graduated from the prestigious Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
and later went on to do law and started practicing as an advocate prior to his initiation in the national movement. He plunged into politics at an early age winning college elections and eventually emerging as one of the foremost leaders of 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...
and a doyen of the freedom movement. In 1919, when the Congress decide to send its representative to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (of the UK) to protest the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were reforms introduced by the British Government in India to introduce self-governing institutions gradually to India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Samuel Montagu, the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I and Lord Chelmsford,...
and the Rowlatt Act
Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the British in colonial India in March 1919, indefinitely extending "emergency measures" enacted during the First World War in order to control public unrest and root out conspiracy...
, thirty-two year old Sathyamurthi was chosen as a delegate. When Sri. Sathyamurthy was in Britain, he functioned as the London Correspondent of The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, in place of the actual Correspondent who had taken a 10-days leave of absence. He was known for his honesty; integrity; his belief in racial, communal and religious harmony and equality; and firm belief in constitutional government and parliamentary democracy in India, which led him to take a view opposed to Gandhiji's which in the 1920s was not for participating in the colonial legislature.
He was also noted to be strongly opposed to the Caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
System in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
Political life
S. Satyamurti joined India's main Political Party the Indian National CongressIndian 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...
when he was a young man. At the time the party advocated racial equality between Europeans and Indian's of all creeds and castes; and demanded Dominion Status within the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Which the British rulers had refused to grant.
Sri. Satyamurti was one of the leading lights of Swarajists who laid the foundation for parliamentary democracy in India, the others being C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress, who remained Congress President twice, and...
. It required extraordinary courage of conviction to take a view opposed to Gandhiji's, who had captivated the entire nation, which in the 1920s was not for participating in legislature. But, it was left to the people like Satyamurti, Das and Motilal Nehru to impress upon the need for acquiring experience in legislature. Therefore though Gandhiji did not approve of the decision of the Swarajists, he did not stop them from pursuing their own path.
Thus it was due to his relentless efforts in the legislature that the Congress romped home in the 1937 elections to the Madras Legislative Assembly. Though he neither became the Premier (that was the name kept for the post of Chief Minister then) nor a Minister in the State Cabinet, his work for the party is still remembered by many.
When Sri. Satyamurti became the Mayor of Madras in 1939,World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had begun. The city of Madras was in the grip of an acute water scarcity and it was left to him to impress upon the British Government and colonial Governor the importance of agreeing to the proposal of Madras Corporation for building a reservoir in Poondi, about 50 km west of the city, to augment the water supply position, especially in light of catastrophic global Events namely the Second World War. In those days, the tenure of Mayorship was only for a year but due to his relentless efforts, diplomacy in dealing with the British Governor and his administrative abilities the foundation stone for the reservoir was laid in a matter of eight months. Though Satyamurti was not alive to see the commissioning of the reservoir in 1944, the completion of the work in four years is considered, even by today's standards, something that is difficult to match. Till date, the Poondi reservoir is the only reservoir built purely for the purpose of Madras water requirements.
Political Mentor
Sri. Satyamurti is also remembered today as the political mentor of Thiru. Kumaraswami Kamaraj, who was the Chief Minister of the State between 1954-1963. It was because of his strong devotion to Sri.Satyamurti that Thiru.Kamaraj got the Poondi reservoir named after Satyamurti. Additionally, the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee was named Satyamurti Bhavan in his honour and in recognition for the tireless work that he did for the Tamil Nadu Congress and for the goal of Indian independence as a parliamentary democracy.Stance against abolition of Devadasi system
Satyamurti is one of the notable opponents of the movement to abolish the Devadasi system. He argued that with the removal of the Devadasis from the Temple would trigger a similar demand, by non-Brahmin forces, to go after the Temple priests too. His maneuvers to dilute/delay Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy's legislation against the Devadasi system would end in failure.Arrests and Death
Similar to many prominent Indian patriots Sri Satyamurti was arrested and incarcerated numerous times by the British. He was arrested in 1930 while trying to hoist the Indian national flag atop Parthasarathy Temple in Madras. He was also actively involved in the Swadeshi movementSwadeshi movement
The Swadeshi movement, part of the Indian independence movement, was an economic strategy aimed at removing the British Empire from power and improving economic conditions in India by following the principles of swadeshi , which had some success...
and was arrested in 1942 for performing 'Individual satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
' at the height of the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
. He was tried and deported to Amravathi Jail in Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
and was hurt in the spinal cord during the journey. He succumbed to his injuries at General Hospital, Madras on March 28, 1943.
Sri. S.Satyamurti died on March 28 in Madras. Two years before the end of WWII(August 15, 1945) and four years before India's Independence(Aug 15th 1947). He was a highly regarded politician of rare abilities and was deeply mourned by his colleagues and the people of Madras Presidency to whom he had dedicated his life, to bring them freedom and justice.
The prominent Madras paper The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
dedicated a whole column to Sri. Sathyamurthy under the caption Tribune of the people. It said "He was a born freedom-fighter, a leadmine fighter as the Scots say to whom the fight was the thing."
Honors
His fearless action earned him a title Dheerar. He is otherwise called as Dheerar Sathyamurthy. A commemorative stamp on him was released in 1987.Further reading
- P. G. Sundararajan, The life of S. Satyamurti, New Delhi, South Asia (1988) ISBN 81-7003-090-0
- R. Parthasarathi, S. Satyamurti, New Delhi, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India (1979).
- P. Ramamurti, ed., Mr. President Sir: parliamentary speeches of S. Satyamurti, Madras, Satyamurti Foundation, (c1988).
- Ideals, images, and real lives: women in literature and history By Alice Thorner, Sameeksha Trust (Bombay, India)