K. Kamaraj : Man who led in shaping India's political destiny
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Today ( October 2) is the death anniversary of Kumaraswami Kamaraj, who led in shaping India's political destiny. Twice he played a leading role in choosing the Prime Minister of India. After the passing away of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, he was the man who proposed Lal Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister. Later when Shastri Ji passed away, it was K Kamaraj who played a vital role in choosing Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister.
Kamaraj became Chief Minister of Madras in 1954. He was perhaps the first non-English-knowing Chief Minister of India. But it was during his nine years of administration that Tamilnadu became known as one of the best-administered States in India.
Kamaraj Plan
In 1963 K Kamaraj suggested to Jawahar Lal Nehru that senior Congress leaders should leave ministerial posts to take up organisational work. This suggestion came to be known as the 'Kamaraj Plan’. Nehru liked his proposal and the plan was later approved by the Congress Working Committee and was implemented within two months. As a result, Six Chief Ministers and six Union Ministers resigned under the plan. Kamaraj was later elected President of the Indian National Congress on October 9, 1963.
Kamaraj was born in a backward area of Tamil Nadu on July 15, 1903. He was a Nadar, one of the most depressed castes of Hindu society.
When he was eighteen, he responded to the call of Gandhiji for non-cooperation with the British. At twenty he was picked up by Satyamurthy, one of the leading figures of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, who would become Kamaraj's political guru.
In April 1930, Kamaraj joined the Salt Satyagraha Movement at Vedaranyam and was sentenced to two years in jail.
Kamaraj was elected President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in February 1940. He held that post till 1954.
He was on the Working Committee of the AICC from 1947 till the Congress split in 1969.
Kamaraj was the third Chief Minister of Madras State ( Tamilnadu) from 1954–1963 and a Lok Sabha during 1952–1954 and 1969–1975.
Kumaraswami Kamaraj was honored posthumously with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1976.
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