K. Kamaraj

Kamaraj breathed his last on October 2, 1975 in his sleep. He was 72 years of age.

Posthumously, Kamaraj was bestowed with the nation’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna in 1976.

He was proclaimed with the title of ‘Kalvi Thanthai’ or Father of Education in Tamil Nadu.

Kumaraswami Kamaraj was born on July 15, 1903 at Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu to Kumaraswamy and Sivakamiv Ammaiar. His father was a merchant. He had a younger sister Nagammal.

In 1907, Kamaraj enrolled at a traditional school. The following year, he enrolled at the Yenadhi Narayana Vidhya Salai but after a year of studies he shifted to Virudupatti High School.

Tragedy struck young Kamaraj when he was merely six. His father died and his mother was forced to support her family. To help his mother, Kamaraj dropped out of school in 1914 to support his family.

Kamaraj started his career doing odd jobs. He worked at his uncle’s provision shop. It was during this time that Kamaraj developed interest in politics. He was an avid newspaper reader and kept himself updated with the current events. He soon became involved with the political processions and public meetings and acquainted himself with the Indian Home Rule Movement.

The 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was a turning point in Kamaraj’s life. The killing of innocent people instigated a rage of fury and vehemence in Kamaraj who decided to work actively in India’s struggle for freedom and bring an end to British Raj.

Kamaraj’s growing interest in politics was not supported by his family who sent him to Thiruvananthapuram where his second uncle stayed. However, Kamaraj’s passion for politics could not be curtailed in Thiruvananthapuram as well. He participated in the Vaikom Satyagraha led by George Joseph of the Congress, against the atrocities of the higher caste Hindus on the Harijans. Kamaraj met Mahatma Gandhi, India’s face of freedom struggle, at the Madurai’s Congress meet. He was inspired by the latter’s simplicity and non-violence movement.

His political activities in Thiruvananthapuram annoyed his family to the point that he was called back. Though the elders in the family persuaded Kamaraj to stop getting involved in country’s politics, it was without much result. They even tried to marry him off but Kamaraj resolutely disagreed.

In 1920, he joined Congress as a full time worker. He actively worked as political campaigner, organizing public meetings and carrying the Congress propaganda.

Though Kamaraj’s role in politics was significant all through, starting off as a political activist and later as the prominent leader of the Indian Independence Movement, his most important contribution came later in his career as the Chief Minister of Madras State. Under his governance, Madras became one of the best administered states of the country. He emphasized on educational reforms, introducing free compulsory education. He established new schools and introduced the concept of midday meal scheme under which lakhs of poor and deprived children were provided food. He also tried to get rid of caste and creed differences. Irrigation and industry also prospered and grew under his three-consecutive term governance.