T. S. S. Rajan
Encyclopedia
Tiruvengimalai Sesha Sundara Rajan (1880–1953) was an Indian doctor, politician and freedom-fighter who served the Minister of Public Health and Religious Endowments in the Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1939.
Rajan was born in Srirangam
in Trichinopoly district and studied medicine at Royapuram Medical School, Madras and England. He practised as a doctor in Burma and England and obtained hos M.R.C.S. degree in 1911. In 1923, he set up his own clinic.
Rajan entered the Indian independence movement
in 1919 and joined the Indian National Congress
. He participated in the agitations against the Rowlatt Act
and in the Vedaranyam
Salt Satyagraha. He served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and as the Member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India from 1934 to 1936. From 1937 to 1939, he served as the Minister of Public Health in the Madras provincial government.
from Royapuram Medical School, Madras. Following his graduation, Rajan moved to Burma and set up practice in Rangoon.
In 1907, Rajan sailed to England to pursue his higher studies. He obtained his M.R.C.S. degree in 1911 and worked in the Middlesex Hospital. He was both an acclaimed surgeon apart from being good in physical medicine.
Rajan returned to Burma soon after and practised till 1914, before returning to India. In 1923, he set up his own clinic called "Rajan Clinic".
and V. V. S. Aiyar
and was a member of the India House
. However, in May 1910, Rajan had a quarrel with Aiyar. On his return to India in 1914, he met Rajagopalachari
and joined the Indian National Congress
. He participated in the agitations against the Rowlatt Act
and was jailed for a year. He also coordinated and organised the activities of the Khilafat Committee from 1920 to 1922 along with T. V. Swaminatha Sastri.
Rajan served in a number of party posts in the Indian National Congress over the years. He served as the General Secretary of the Congress and as the President, and later, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. He also served as the President of the Civil, Social and Welfare League of Trichinopoly.
Rajan participated in the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha organised by Rajaji and suffered imprisonment. He was released in 1931 after having been in prison for eighteen months. From 1932 to 1935, Rajan served as the President of the Tamil Nadu branch of the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
In 1934, Rajan was elected to the Imperial Legislative Council of India and served till 1936, when he resigned owing to differences of opinion. Rajan participated in the 1937 Madras provincial elections and was elected to the Madras Legislative Council. He took the portfolios of public health and religious endowments in the Rajaji cabinet.
became Premier, Rajan was appointed Minister of Food and Public Health. He served as minister till 1951.
In 1953, Rajan had an operation for appendicitis
. Shortly after the operation, he died on December 14, 1953 at the age of 73.
Rajan was born in Srirangam
Srirangam
Srirangam , Old name is Vellithirumutha gramam and Tamil name is Thiruvarangam , is an island and a part of the city of Tiruchirapalli , in South India....
in Trichinopoly district and studied medicine at Royapuram Medical School, Madras and England. He practised as a doctor in Burma and England and obtained hos M.R.C.S. degree in 1911. In 1923, he set up his own clinic.
Rajan entered 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 1919 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...
. He participated in the agitations against 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...
and in the Vedaranyam
Vedaranyam
Vedaranyam is a municipality in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Vedaraniyam is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
Salt Satyagraha. He served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and as the Member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India from 1934 to 1936. From 1937 to 1939, he served as the Minister of Public Health in the Madras provincial government.
Early life
Sundararajan was born in a Vadagalai Iyengar family of Nagapattinam 1880. He had his early education from St. Joseph College, Trichinopoly and graduated in medicineMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
from Royapuram Medical School, Madras. Following his graduation, Rajan moved to Burma and set up practice in Rangoon.
In 1907, Rajan sailed to England to pursue his higher studies. He obtained his M.R.C.S. degree in 1911 and worked in the Middlesex Hospital. He was both an acclaimed surgeon apart from being good in physical medicine.
Rajan returned to Burma soon after and practised till 1914, before returning to India. In 1923, he set up his own clinic called "Rajan Clinic".
In the Indian independence movement
During his days in England, Rajan was a close associate of V. D. SavarkarVinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar was an Indian freedom fighter, revolutionary and politician. He was the proponent of liberty as the ultimate ideal. Savarkar was a poet, writer and playwright...
and V. V. S. Aiyar
V. V. S. Aiyar
Varahaneri Venkatesa Subramaniam Aiyar , also known as V.V.S. Aiyar, was an Indian revolutionary from Tamil Nadu who fought against the British occupation of India. His contemporaries include Subramanya Bharathi and V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, who subscribed to the militant form of resistance against...
and was a member of the India House
India House
India House was an informal Indian nationalist organisation based in London between 1905 and 1910. With the patronage of Shyamji Krishna Varma, its home in a student residence in Highgate, North London was launched to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain...
. However, in May 1910, Rajan had a quarrel with Aiyar. On his return to India in 1914, he met 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...
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...
. He participated in the agitations against 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...
and was jailed for a year. He also coordinated and organised the activities of the Khilafat Committee from 1920 to 1922 along with T. V. Swaminatha Sastri.
Rajan served in a number of party posts in the Indian National Congress over the years. He served as the General Secretary of the Congress and as the President, and later, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. He also served as the President of the Civil, Social and Welfare League of Trichinopoly.
Rajan participated in the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha organised by Rajaji and suffered imprisonment. He was released in 1931 after having been in prison for eighteen months. From 1932 to 1935, Rajan served as the President of the Tamil Nadu branch of the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
In 1934, Rajan was elected to the Imperial Legislative Council of India and served till 1936, when he resigned owing to differences of opinion. Rajan participated in the 1937 Madras provincial elections and was elected to the Madras Legislative Council. He took the portfolios of public health and religious endowments in the Rajaji cabinet.
Later years and death
In 1946, when the Congress was elected to power once again in Madras Presidency and Tanguturi PrakasamTanguturi Prakasam
Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu was an Indian politician and Freedom Fighter and the first Chief Minister of the Indian province Andhra state...
became Premier, Rajan was appointed Minister of Food and Public Health. He served as minister till 1951.
In 1953, Rajan had an operation for appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
. Shortly after the operation, he died on December 14, 1953 at the age of 73.