Book Review Dare We Hope â€å“that All Men Be Savedã¢â‚¬â?

Known for his integrity and his modesty in bear, Kamaraj exercised his political power for the benefit of the masses. Dealing with significant phases of his life the writer explains his actions in a larger historical context.

Mention the word 'Kamaraj' to any Congress former-timer and the first matter that he volition remember is the famous Kamaraj Program. Who is Kamaraj? And what is he famous for – and why? He was both in a poor family in southern Tamil Nadu.

His begetter Kumaraswamy ran a coconut shop in a place called Virudhanagar. He was not a bang-up pupil. At the age of eleven, he dropped out of schoolhouse when he was in the 6th standard. His begetter had passed away when he was barely six and when he quit his studies he joined his uncle's wear store as a shop assistant. And then i may say, he began his political career.

The fledgling Indian Nationalist movement was on and he started participating in information technology by joining the Indian National Congress as a volunteer. He turned out to be an first-class organiser.

He became part of the Civil Disobedience Move. He also participated in the Salt Satyagraha and got arrested on  June nine, 1930 when he was hardly 24 years former. Subsequently that it was i long story of becoming a confirmed liberty fighter.

[alarm type="e.thousand. warning, danger, success, info" title=""]Getting Indira Gandhi elected was his final testify of power. Indira had no use of him, though; he resigned as AICC President on Dec 7, 1967. The Congress was split into factions. In Tamil Nadu C. Subramaniam became the caput of Indira Gandhi Congress (R). The ballot of 1971 was a
disaster for Kamaraj.[/alarm]

He got arrested for the second time in 1932, then once again in 1940 and nonetheless afterward in 1942 during the Quit Bharat movement. He happily surrendered to the police. He had established himself every bit a full-fourth dimension patriot, unafraid of going to jail. Inevitably he became a member of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and followed this upward by becoming a fellow member of the All India Con¬gress Party. After that it was one long story of unlimited success and political ladder-climbing.

He was elected secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (1936), became its president three years later and as natural leader commanded respect from the state's loftier and mighty.

Every bit one who started from the grass roots level, he would take on his rivals in the field, be he T.Prakasam, a Ramaswami Reddiyar, a Kumaraswamy Raja or even C. Rajagopalachariar by then already a neat name in Congress circles. He even had a clash with – of all people – Mahatma Gandhi himself.

In 1954 Kamaraj became the Chief Government minister of Tamil Nadu and became famous for inaugurating a free noon meal scheme with key bankroll. He made chief pedagogy compulsory in the then Madras State bringing school education to millions of the rural Poor.

A political rival, Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, was to say: "Comrades, the development Tamil Nadu has witnessed during Kamaraj'south rule has never occurred once before in our 2000-3000 year history. The three dynasties, Nayaks, Marathas, Muslim sultans, the British Government all did nothing meaning about providing education to our people. If this land has to prosper, we have to keen Kamaraj firmly in ability for another ten years. If nosotros fail to utilise of him, we will not become another chance."

Kamaraj's fame rested as much on his part equally an administrator as on his humility and total commitment to the welfare of the people. A song from the 2004 motion-picture show Kamaraj said: "Has the nation  ever seen such a man? He who cared for his  land more than  than his home, he who worked for his  country everyday of his life, he who fed the children and gave them educational activity, he who sent cattle herders to school, he who was strong yet apprehensive, he was our Blackness Gandhi with a pure white heart. Has the nation e'er seen such a man?"

Of course he had his ups and downs. Though he emerged victorious in a conspiracy case levelled against him in 1933, it led to his financial ruin and he had to sell his ancestral domicile to see the expenses. But the homo's character was so unassailable that in 1963 he was elected President of the All India Congress Committee, the greatest honour that anyone could hope to attain.

And so came the Sino-Indian State of war in which Republic of india took a shameful beating. Congress came under heavy assail. There was even a demand for Jawaharlal Nehru'southward resignation as Prime Minister. It was then that he proposed his program for a revival of his party.

The Plan proposed that vi sitting Primary Ministers  and six senior Cabinet members must resign to go back to practise party work. It was controversial, simply it was enforced. But hardly 6 months afterwards he was elected to the presidentship of the political party Jawharlal Nehru passed away and inside the party arose an unhealthy struggle for power.

Actually Kamaraj himself wanted to resign, only was dissuaded. With Nehru'due south decease the task of finding a successor brutal on Kamaraj's shoulders. He stuck to his principles and got Lal Bahadur Shastri elected to succeed Nehru, following Shastri'due south death, Kamaraj had over again to work difficult, this time to get  Indira Gandhi as Shastri's successor.

Some people even asked why Kamaraj himself should not get Prime Government minister. But was reported as saying: "No English. No Hindi. How tin I be Prime Minister?"

Getting Indira Gandhi elected was his last evidence of power. Indira had no use of him, though; he resigned as AICC President on Dec seven, 1967. The Congress was split into factions. In Tamil Nadu C. Subramaniam became the head of Indira Gandhi Congress (R). The ballot of 1971 was a disaster for Kamaraj. He took it to his heart. And then followed the Emergency on June 26, 1975.

Kamaraj who had almost retired from politics had a heart attack on Oct 2, 1975. It was the finish of an era. Posthumously he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. This book tells information technology all.

Kamaraj had powerful colleagues in politics similar Morarji Desai, to contend with. Even as Chief Minister he had his opponents, only the great affair about the human is his abstinence from nothingness. He could dare to take his questioners into his cabinet.

As Chief Government minister he did very well. He was able to get the necessary co-performance from the land bureaucracy because he carefully groomed talented administrators. He reigned long as Primary Government minister but did a splendid job. He listened to his bureaucrats more than he listened to his party men.

Only what, in the terminate gives him credit is that nobody before him, nor later on him could say that they rose to swell heights considering they were educated. That a 6th grader could stay in power for a decade and do a truly marvellous job will e'er remain to his eternal credit. He was essentially a doer and a listener.

The author says "the most important reason for Kamaraj'south success was his genuine business organisation for the poor.

Tardily M. V. KAMATH

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Published on: Sun, December 07, 2014, 12:08 AM IST

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Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/book-reviews/kamaraj-the-life-and-times-of-k-kamaraj

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