Thread by @PUKOSARAVANAN

A short thread on #Kamarajar. Remembering Kamarajar one of the towering leaders of Post Independence India. He was an ardent follower of Gandhi and participated in freedom movement. In Independent India he emerged as formidable leader of Congress in Erstwhile Madras State. 1/n

According to his biographer Gopanna, Nehru brought the first amendment to legalise Reservations after consulting Kamarajar in view of widespread agitations led by Periyar against the SC judgment in Champakam Dorairajan case striking down reservations as unconstitutional 2/n

A school dropout he pioneered the mid day meals scheme in TN along with able assistance of bureaucrats like N.D.Sundaravadivelu. As @ShankkarAiyar points out the idea hardly had takers outside TN, yet, it proved to be a game changer and changed educational landscape of TN 3/n

@ShankkarAiyar The base for making TN as a manufacturing hub was laid during his period. Many dams were constructed and primary education was given due importance. By using Secessionist demands of DMK as bargaining chip, Kamarajar had got central govt assistance on various fronts 4/n

@ShankkarAiyar In 1959 he enacted a new law to regulate hindu temples which according to Suhrith Parthasarathy, today virtually serves as a model for the country. His nine year rule is remembered even today. Based on Kamaraj plan he renounced his position as CM and went on to head Congress 5/n

@ShankkarAiyar After Nehru's death, when obituaries were written for India all across the world he ensured the transition was smooth. He was instrumental behind electing two Prime ministers and earned the title 'King Maker'. It turned as a blunder wrt of Indira Gandhi 6/n

@ShankkarAiyar When Indira Gandhi who was made as PM by the syndicate led by him wrested power & proclaimed emergency in future Kamarajar remarked, 'Ellam pochu, en thappu' (All gone,my mistake).Historians had opined tat syndicate wanted to control Indira thru the Backdoor& miserably failed 7/n

@ShankkarAiyar Some critics point that Kamarajar could have been more proactive during reorganization of states which led to loss of regions in which tamils were dominant in present day kerala. . He assured, 'In my presence, hindi would never dare to enter Tamilnadu?' 8/n

@ShankkarAiyar But, hindi was imposed when he was president of Congress. He reacted too late and too little was done.When he was defeated in 1967 elections, when people blamed it to malpractices and fake propaganda he gracefully accepted that 'This is democracy'.
9/n

@ShankkarAiyar Foreign policy expert V.Suryanarayan notes that it was Kamarajar's intervention that had made Shastri to not accept large numbers of Tamils of Indian origin from Srilanka as Indian citizens. The reasons behind such a decision were multifold 10/n

@ShankkarAiyar The reasons being that it will be a huge burden on the state after Indo-Sino war and many plantation workers were not willing to return. In retrospect, the agreement landed lakhs of people stateless and India has offered sentimental interest for the same. 11/n

@ShankkarAiyar The electoral choices made during his period were the beginning of making people of affluent and dominant caste backgrounds to contest in elections. At the same time, dalits were given important positions in ministry. 12/n

@ShankkarAiyar Congress of Kamarajar times was not all encompassing party tat gave due representation according to social composition of TN. Prof Narendra Subramanian shows it mostly remained as a party of elites & landlords.DMK's arrival has led 2 emergence of real 'plebeian party' of TN 13/n

@ShankkarAiyar Kamarajar laid the foundations for a vibrant Tamilnadu.He remains a colossus & its ironical tat the Indira congress which had ensured Kamarajar is out of power politics of delhi coined the term 'Kamarajar rule'.An era has eclipsed when he died on his icon Gandhi's birthday 14/14