N. Mahalingam

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Mahalingam Nachimuthu
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office
1952

Nachimuthu Mahalingam (March 21, 1923 - October 2, 2014) known by many as Pollachi N. Mahalingam was an Indian educationist, industrialist, philanthropist and prominent person from Tamil Nadu. He was the chairman of the Sakthi Group, and Ethiraj College for Women between 1972 and 1980.

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Early life and education

He was born to a agricultural family, completed his B.Sc. in Physics from Loyola College, Chennai. Mahalingam was married to Mariyammal. The couple had three sons, Manickam, Balasubramaniam, and Srinivaasan; and a daughter, Karunambal Vanavarayar. [1]

Politics

Since his father Thiru P. Nachimuthu, was a municipal chairman, Mahalingam showed interest into politics at an early age. He was elected as the member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1952 as an Indian National Congress candidate for the first time at the age of 29. He was elected as a member for the same constituency in the consecutive elections 1956 and 1962. During his tenure, he provided Parambikulam-Aliyar project and various schemes for the welfare of Pollachi Constituency.

He served on the board of directors for several public sector undertakings and the State Planning Commission in two terms.

Career

Mahalingam joined the Sakthi Group business in 1943. After the banks were nationalised by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mahalingam began businesses and expanded, as more and more banks were ready to lend money easily. Today, the Sakthi Group has forayed into sugar, distilling, automobiles, and finance.

Mahalingam is the founder of many educational institutions, including Kumaraguru College of Technology, Nachimuthu Polytechnic College, Sakthi Polytechnic College and Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology. He was involved in the establishment of Institute of Asian Studies in Madras in 1981.

Honours and titles

YearAwardIssued byRef.
2007 Padma Bhushan Government of India [2]
1989-92Honorary ConsulGovernment of Mauritius [ citation needed ]
1989Indira Gandhi National Integration AwardAll India National Unity Conference, New Delhi
1983Aram Valarkkum AnnalSri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakodi Peedam
1984Doctor of Laws Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
1988Doctor of Science Anna University, Madras
2000Doctor of Science Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Spiritual life

Mahalingam had an important association with Sri Swami Satchidananda, the Indian swamiji who emigrated to the United Statesand founded the Integral Yoga Institutes.and who has faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations Mahalingham was a devoted follower of the Swamiji and contributed to the moral and financial causes of the Swamiji's works in the US, especially to the Light of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS) ecumenical temple in Virginia.

Mahalingam was also greatly associated with Vethathiri Maharishi and his teachings. He donated land for Temple of consciousness - Aliyar.

Death

Mahalingam died of a heart attack in 2014 while speaking at a celebration in Chennai. [3] [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Pollachi N Mahalingam dead | Coimbatore News - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ "தொழிலதிபர் பொள்ளாச்சி என். மகாலிங்கம் மரணம் - சொற்பொழிவின்போது மேடையில் உயிர் பிரிந்தது". 2 October 2014.
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