My Favorite Indian Leader : Kamaraj the ‘King Maker’

Introduction

Kumarasami Kamaraj, better known as K. Kamaraj, was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954–1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952–1954 and 1967–1975. He was known for his simplicity and integrity. In this article, I would like to bring forth, in nutshell, the life history of the great Indian leader Kamaraj.

Early life

Kamaraj was born on 15 July 1903 to Kumarasamy and Sivakami Ammaiar at Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu. His father was a merchant. At age of 5 (1907), Kamaraj was admitted to a traditional school. Kamaraj's father died when he was six years old. Kamaraj dropped out of school due to the family’s poverty. He started joining processions and attending public meetings about the Indian Home Rule Movement. Kamaraj developed an interest in prevailing political conditions by reading newspapers daily. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was the decisive turning point in his life. He decided that his aim was to fight for national freedom. At the age of 18, he became active as a political worker and joined Congress as a full-time worker.

Independence struggle

When Gandhi visited Madurai on 21 September 1921, Kamaraj met him for the first time in person. He participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement, Vaikom Satyagraha, the Nagpur Flag Satyagraha, Sword Satyagraha, Neil Statue Satyagraha, Salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movement of Gandiji. He was conducting a vigorous campaign throughout the State asking people not to support the Brittish rule. He was imprisoned six times by the British for his pro-Independence activities, accumulating more than 3,000 days in jail.

Educational reform

On 13 April 1954, Kamaraj became the Chief Minister of Madras Province. He removed the family vocation based Hereditary Education Policy introduced by Rajaji. The State made immense strides in education. New schools were opened. No village remained without a primary school and no panchayat without a high school. He strove to eradicate illiteracy by introducing the Midday Meal Scheme to provide at least one meal per day to the lakhs of poor school children. He introduced free school uniforms to weed out caste, creed and class distinctions among young minds. During the British regime the education rate was only 7 per cent. But after Kamaraj's reforms it reached 37%. Steps were taken to improve the standards of education. The number of working days was increased from 180 to 200. He took efforts to establish IIT Madras in 1959.

Agricultural development

Major irrigation schemes were planned in Kamaraj's period. Dams and irrigation canals were built across higher Bhavani, Mani Muthar, Aarani, Vaigai, Amaravathi, Sathanur, Krishnagiri, Pullambadi, Parambikulam and Neyyaru among others. 45,000 acres of land benefited from canals constructed from the Mettur Dam. The Vaigai and Sathanur systems facilitated cultivation across thousands of acres of lands in Madurai and North Arcot districts respectively. Long term loans with 25% subsidy were given to farmers. The farmers who had dry lands were given oil engines and electric pump sets on an instalment basis.

Industrial Reform

Industries with huge investments in crores of Rupees were started in his period: Neyveli Lignite Corporation, BHEL at Trichy, Manali Oil Refinery, Hindustan raw photo film factory at Ooty, surgical instruments factory at Chennai, and a railway coach factory at Chennai were established. Industries such as paper, sugar, chemicals and cement took off during the period.

conclusion

Kamaraj remained Chief Minister for three consecutive terms, winning elections in 1957 and 1962. Impressed by his achievements, the Prime Minister Nehru made him as the President of the Indian National Congress, on 9 October 1963. After Nehru's death in 1964, as president of the party, he refused to become the next prime minister himself. The great leader of Indian politics, the king maker, passed away at his age 72 on 2 October 1975 which was the birth day of Gandhiji.  He was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1976. He still lives in the memory of the people of Tamilnadu as a beloved leader, who enlightened the state with education and envisioned long lasting schemes of development. He is my favourite leader whom I would like to imitate in my life.