Perumal Varadarajulu Naidu | |
---|---|
President, TNCC | |
In office 1924 - 1926 | |
Preceded by | Periyar E. V. Ramasamy |
Succeeded by | Thiru. V. Kalyanasundaram |
Personal details | |
Born | Rasipuram,Madras Presidency,British India | 4 June 1887
Died | 23 July 1957 70) | (aged
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Perumal Varadarajulu Naidu (4 June 1887 –23 July 1957) was an Indian physician,politician,journalist and Indian independence activist. [1] He was also the founder of The Indian Express,a major English-language daily,in 1932 in Madras. [2] He was described as,"a distinguished labour leader,an eminent journalist,an ardent champion of the causes of handloom weavers,small-scale and cottage industries and a spirited advocate of interests of politically and socially disadvantaged sections of society". [3]
Varadarajulu Naidu was born into a Telugu Balija Naidu family of Rasipuram near Salem on 4 June 1887. [4] His father Perumal Naidu was a rich landlord. [5] He had his early education in Madras and trained as an Ayurvedic physician.
Varadarajulu Naidu entered politics at an early age and joined the Indian National Congress. In 1917,he gave up medical practice. He participated in the Indian Home Rule Movement and was President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee at the time of the Cheranmahadevi school controversy.
Varadarajulu joined Periyar and Kalyanasundara Mudaliar and strongly opposed the practice of separate dining for Brahman and non-Brahman students in Shermadevi Gurukulam,a national school run by V. V. S. Aiyar. The issue was brought to the notice of Gandhi and Aiyar later resigned. When the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee met in April 1925 to discuss the issue,the recommendation of C. Rajagopalachari and Rajan that Congress should not interfere and that the school should instead be advised to eliminate the practice was swept aside. The resolution which prevented gradations of merit based on birth should not be observed by nationalist parties moved by Ramanathan passed. Rajagopalachari and six of his associates resigned from TNCC citing that caste prejudices could not be overcome by coercion. [6] However,Varadarajulu Naidu stayed on in the Congress even as Periyar left the party.
In his later years,Varadarajulu Naidu actively participated in the temple-entry movements in Madras Presidency.
Varadarajulu started the weekly Tamil newspaper Tamil Nadu in 1925. In 1931,Varadarajulu Naidu started The Indian Express but had to sell off the newspaper within a year due to financial difficulties. [3]
Naidu had three daughters and six sons. His eldest son,Krishnadas,died in June 2012. Three of his sons had served the Armed Forces. His son Balachandra was a World War 2 veteran,and spent more than 30 years as an officer in the Indian Army. His youngest son Dayanandan also retired in 1993 as a Colonel in the Indian Army. Naidu's son-in-law,K.L.K. Row,rose up to the level of Vice-Admiral in the Navy. [3]
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari BR, popularly known as Rajaji or C.R., also known as Mootharignar Rajaji, was an Indian statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activist. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India, as when India became a republic in 1950 the office was abolished. He was also the only Indian-born Governor-General, as all previous holders of the post were British nationals. He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Premier of the Madras Presidency, Governor of West Bengal, Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union and Chief Minister of Madras state. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party and was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He vehemently opposed the use of nuclear weapons and was a proponent of world peace and disarmament. During his lifetime, he also acquired the nickname 'Mango of Salem'.
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Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, revered by his followers as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'Father of the Dravidian movement'. He rebelled against Brahmin dominance and gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu. Since 2021, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu celebrates his birth anniversary as 'Social Justice Day'.
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, also known as Ramaswami, EVR, Thanthai Periyar, or Periyar, was a Dravidian social reformer and politician from India, who founded the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. In 1919 Periyar Ramaswamy joined the Indian National Congress after quitting his business and resigning from public posts. He was the chairman of Erode Municipality and undertook Constructive Programs spreading the use of Khadi, picketing toddy shops, boycotting shops selling foreign cloth, and eradicating untouchability. In 1921, Periyar was imprisoned for picketing toddy shops in Erode. When his wife as well as his sister joined the agitation, it gained momentum, and the administration was forced to come to a compromise. He was again arrested during the Non-Cooperation movement and the Temperance movement. In 1922, Periyar was elected the President of the Madras Presidency Congress Committee during the Tirupur session where he advocated strongly for reservation in government jobs and education. His attempts were defeated in the Congress party due to a strong presence of discrimination and indifference. He later quit the party on those grounds in 1925.
Tiruvengimalai Sesha Sundara Rajan (1880–1953) was an Indian medical doctor, politician and freedom-fighter who served the Minister of Public Health and Religious Endowments in the Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1939.
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The second legislative council election to Madras Presidency after the establishment of diarchical system of government by the Government of India Act, 1919 was held in 1923. Voter turnout was higher than the previous election. Swarajists, a breakaway group from Indian National Congress participated in the election. The ruling Justice Party had suffered a split, when a splinter group calling themselves anti-Ministerialists left the party. It won the highest number of seats but fell short of a majority. Nevertheless, Madras Governor Willington invited it to form the government. Incumbent Justice Prime Minister Panagal Raja was nominated by party leader Theagaraya Chetty to continue as Prime Minister for a second term. The government survived a no-confidence motion, brought against it on the first day of its tenure by the opposition headed by C. R. Reddy.
The second legislative council election for the Madras Presidency after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935 was held in March 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress government of C. Rajagopalachari resigned protesting Indian involvement in World War II. This was the last direct election held for the Madras Legislative Council in the presidency - after Indian independence in 1947, the presidency became the Madras state and direct elections to the council were abolished. The election was held simultaneously with that of the Legislative Assembly. The Congress swept the polls by winning 32 out of 46 seats. The years after this election saw factionalism in Madras Congress party with divisions across regional and communal lines. Competition among T. Prakasam, C. Rajagopalachari and K. Kamaraj resulted in the election of Prakasam as the Prime Minister initially. But he was later defeated by Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar with Kamaraj's support. In turn, Reddiar himself was ousted to make way for P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja with the support of Kamaraj.
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