P. Subbarayan
Encyclopedia
Paramasiva Subbarayan (September 11, 1889 – October 6, 1962) was an India
n politician
, freedom fighter and diplomat
and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador
to Indonesia
and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru
's government. He is the father of General P. P. Kumaramangalam who served as India's Chief of Army staff and politician Mohan Kumaramangalam
. He is also the grandfather of Indian National Congress
and BJP
politician and Union Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
.
Subbarayan was born on September 11, 1889 in the family estate at Kumaramangalam, Salem district
and had his education at Presidency College, Madras, University of Dublin
, the University of London
and Christ Church, Oxford
. In 1922, he was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council
. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from December 4, 1926 to October 27, 1930 .
In 1933, Subbarayan joined the Indian National Congress and served as the Minister of Law and Education in Rajaji's cabinet and the Minister of Police and Home in Ramaswamy Reddiar's cabinet. Subbarayan participated and was imprisoned in the Quit India Movement
. He served as independent India's ambassador to Indonesia and as Union Minister from 1959 to 1962. Subbarayan died on October 6, 1962 at the age of 73. He was the Governor of Maharashtra at the time of his death.
, Salem district
on September 11, 1889. He belonged to the family of Zamindars. He graduated from the Presidency College, Madras and obtained his M.A. and LLD from the Christ Church, Oxford
and the University of Dublin
respectively. He started practising as an advocate
of the Madras High Court
in 1918.
as an independent candidate representing the landowners of the South-Central division of the Madras Presidency
. and served as a Council Secretary. He took the side of C. R. Reddy and the Swarajists and voted against the Raja of Panagal during the no-confidence motion of 1923.
won 41 of the 98 seats and emerged as the single largest party while the Justice Party
won 21. It was a setback for the Justice Party and its incumbent Chief Minister, the Raja of Panagal. However, none of the parties could form the Government as they did not have a clean majority.
The Governor invited the Swarajya Party to take the lead in forming a coalition government but the latter refused. The Justice Party did not have enough seats. Hence, the Governor chose Subbarayan, who was not affiliated to either of these parties, to form the Government and nominated 34 new members to the Madras Legislative Council to support him. An independent ministry was formed with A. Ranganatha Mudaliar and R. N. Arogyaswamy Mudaliar as the second and third ministers. The Justice Party took the place of an opposition.
Because of the fact that Subbarayan's regime was appointed and largely controlled by the Governor, it became the target of strong criticism both from the Justicites as well as the Swarajists. In March 1927, P. Munuswamy Naidu
of the Justice Party passed a motion recommending salary cuts for Government ministers. However, they were defeated by a margin of 41 votes. A no-confidence motion was passed on August 23, 1927, but was defeated 56 to 67 with the support of the Governor and the members nominated by him.
The Simon Commission was appointed by the British Parliament in 1927 to report on the working of the progress of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. The Swarajya Party moved a resolution to boycott the Commission and this was passed 61 to 50 with 12 remaining neutral. Subbarayan opposed the resolution but his cabinet ministers Ranganatha Mudaliar and Arogyaswamy Mudaliar supported it. Subbarayan resigned as Chief Mnister, but at the same time, he also compelled his ministers to submit their resignations. Fearing the possibility of the formation of a Swarajya Party-Justice Party coalition Government, the Governor stepped in to foster discord amongst the opposition. In order to obtain the support of the Raja of Panagal,he appointed Krishnan Nair, a leading member of the Justice Party as his Law Member. Led by the Raja of Panagal, the Justice Party switched sides and lent its support to the Subbarayan government. Soon afterwards, the Justice Party passed a resolution welcoming the Simon Commission. The Simon Commission visited Madras on February 28, 1928 and February 18, 1929 and was boycotted by the Swarajya Party and the Indian National Congress. However, the Justicites and the Subbarayan Government accorded the Commission a warm reception.
In the 1930 elections, due to the non-participation of the Indian National Congress and the Swarajya Party, the Justice Party won an overwhelming majority and was voted to power. Subbarayan was succeeded as Chief Minister by Munuswamy Naidu.
Subbarayan introduced the Madras District Municipalities Act and Local Boards Act during his tenure. The Annamalai University
, founded by Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar was opened by Subbarayan in Chettinad
in 1929. The Annamalai University is the first residential university in Madras Presidency.
in Salem district
in 1930. Prohibition was enforced in Salem till 1943 when it was scrapped by the British. In 1932, C. S. Ranga Iyer
passed the Untouchability Abolition Bill in the Imperial Legislative Council
. On November 1, 1932, Subbarayan proposed the Temple Entry Bill which permitted low-caste Hindus and Dalits enter Hindu temples and made their prohibition illegal and punishable. He also passed a copy of the resolution and the proceedings of the Council to Mahatma Gandhi
who was in jail. The Viceroy, however, refused permission explaining that temple entry was an all-India problem and should not be dealt with in a provincial basis even while clearing Ranga Iyer's bill. The Temple Entry Bill was not passed until the Indian National Congress came to power in 1937. Subbarayan had been a follower of Mahatma Gandhi from his early days and he officially joined the Indian National Congress
in 1933 He also served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Harijan Sevak Sangh.
leader Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) right from his early days. Rajaji had been his personal lawyer in property cases. In 1937, when the Indian National Congress swept to power in the Madras Presidency and Rajaji took over as the Chief Minister of the Presidency, he appointed Subbarayan the Minister of Law and Education. Subbarayan resigned along with other members of the Rajaji cabinet when war was declared in 1939. Subbarayan also served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
from 1937-38 to 1945-46.
Subbarayan actively participated in the Quit India Movement
and was arrested along with other Congress leaders as Sathyamurthy and M. Bakthavatsalam
.
In 1947, he served as a Minister for Home and Police in the Ramaswamy Reddiar Cabinet in Madras and was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India
He served as a member of the Provincial COnstitution Committee.
. He was instrumental in the signing of a mutual treaty of friendship with the Indonesian Foreign Minister Mohammed Roem on March 3, 1951. Subbarayan's tenure came to an end in 1951 and he was succeeded by Alagappan.
On his return to India, Subbarayan was elected President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC).
from 1954 to 1957. In 1957, Subbarayan was elected to the Lok Sabha
from Tiruchengode
and served as a member till 1962. He was elected again in 1962 but was instead made Governor of Maharashtra.
Subbarayan was a member of the First Official Language Commission constituted by Prime minister Nehru on 7 June 1955, under the chairmanship of B. G. Kher
. The commission delivered its report on 31 July 1956. It recommended a number of steps to eventually replace English
with Hindi
as the sole official language of India. Subbarayan and another member - Suniti Kumar Chatterji
from West Bengal
- did not agree with its findings and added dissenting notes to the report. Later when the Indian President Rajendra Prasad
sought his opinion on making Hindi as the sole official language, Subbarayan advised against it.
and was the Founder-President of the Indian Cricket Federation, the first association in the Madras Presidency to represent Indian cricketing interests. He also served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India during the Second World War. He also served as the President of the Madras Olympic Association and the Madras Hockey Association.
of Brahmin parentage, who was his colleague in Presidency College, Madras, by Brahmo rites despite opposition from family members. Radhabai Subbarayan
was an active campaigner for women's rights and served as a member of the Indian parliament.
Subbarayan's eldest son Mohan Kumaramangalam
was a minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet. His second son, General P. P. Kumaramangalam was a Second World War veteran and served as India's Chief of Army staff. A third son Gopal Kumaramangalam headed important public sector undertakings. Mohan's son and Subbarayan's grandson Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
was a minister in Indian National Congress and NDA governments. Subbarayan's daughter Parvathi Krishnan
was a politician belonging to the Communist Party of India
. She was a Member of the Rajya Sabha
from 1954 to 1957 and represented Coimbatore
in the Lok Sabha
three times.
A portrait of Subbarayan was unveiled in the central hall of the Indian Parliament on October 16, 1989.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, freedom fighter and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
's government. He is the father of General P. P. Kumaramangalam who served as India's Chief of Army staff and politician Mohan Kumaramangalam
Mohan Kumaramangalam
Surendra Mohan Kumaramangalam was an Indian politician and communist theorist who was a member of the Indian National Congress, and later, the Communist Party of India. He served as a member of Lok Sabha for Pondicherry from 1971 to 1972.- Early life and education:Mohan Kumaramangalam was born in...
. He is also the grandfather of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
politician and Union Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Phanindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam was a prominent politician of the Indian National Congress and later the Bharatiya Janata Party and a Member of Parliament from the Salem constituency from 1984 to 1996 and Tiruchirapalli constituency from 1998 to 2000...
.
Subbarayan was born on September 11, 1889 in the family estate at Kumaramangalam, Salem district
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
and had his education at Presidency College, Madras, University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
, the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. In 1922, he was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from December 4, 1926 to October 27, 1930 .
In 1933, Subbarayan joined the Indian National Congress and served as the Minister of Law and Education in Rajaji's cabinet and the Minister of Police and Home in Ramaswamy Reddiar's cabinet. Subbarayan participated and was imprisoned in the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
. He served as independent India's ambassador to Indonesia and as Union Minister from 1959 to 1962. Subbarayan died on October 6, 1962 at the age of 73. He was the Governor of Maharashtra at the time of his death.
Early life and education
Subbarayan was born to Paramasiva Gounder in the family estate of Kumaramangalam near TiruchengodeTiruchengode
-Location:Tiruchengode is in south India in the state of Tamil Nadu, approximately 18 km from the City of Erode, 44 km from Salem, and 35 km from Namakkal.-Major Occupations:...
, Salem district
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
on September 11, 1889. He belonged to the family of Zamindars. He graduated from the Presidency College, Madras and obtained his M.A. and LLD from the Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
and the University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
respectively. He started practising as an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
of the Madras High Court
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
in 1918.
Politics
In 1922, Subbarayan was nominated to the Madras Legislative CouncilMadras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
as an independent candidate representing the landowners of the South-Central division of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. and served as a Council Secretary. He took the side of C. R. Reddy and the Swarajists and voted against the Raja of Panagal during the no-confidence motion of 1923.
As Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
In the Assembly elections which took place on November 8, 1926, no party was able to get a clean majority. The Swaraj PartySwaraj Party
The Swaraj Party, Swarajaya Party or Swarajya Party, established as the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party, was a political party formed in India in 1922 that sought greater self-government and political freedoms for the Indian people from the British Raj. It was inspired by the concept of Swaraj...
won 41 of the 98 seats and emerged as the single largest party while the Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
won 21. It was a setback for the Justice Party and its incumbent Chief Minister, the Raja of Panagal. However, none of the parties could form the Government as they did not have a clean majority.
The Governor invited the Swarajya Party to take the lead in forming a coalition government but the latter refused. The Justice Party did not have enough seats. Hence, the Governor chose Subbarayan, who was not affiliated to either of these parties, to form the Government and nominated 34 new members to the Madras Legislative Council to support him. An independent ministry was formed with A. Ranganatha Mudaliar and R. N. Arogyaswamy Mudaliar as the second and third ministers. The Justice Party took the place of an opposition.
| Subbarayan's Cabinet | |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | Minister |
| Education, Local Self-Government | P. Subbarayan (Also Chief Minister) (1926–1930) |
| Public health, excise | A. Ranganatha Mudaliar A. Ranganatha Mudaliar Arcot Ranganatha Mudaliar was an Indian politician and theosophist from Bellary. He served as the Minister of Public Health and Excise for the Madras Presidency from 1926 to 1928.- Early life :... (1926–1928) |
| S. Muthiah Mudaliar S. Muthiah Mudaliar S. Muthiah Mudaliar CIE was an Indian politician and legislator of the Justice Party and later, the Swarajya Party and an independent minister in the Madras Presidency. He is largely remembered for introducing the Communal Government Order implementing reservations in the Presidency.Muthiah... (1928–1930) |
|
| Development | R. N. Arogyasamy Mudaliar R. N. Arogyasamy Mudaliar Diwan Bahadur R. N. Arogyasamy Mudaliar was an Indian civil engineer and politician who served as the Minister of Development in the Madras Presidency from 1926 to 1928.- In the Subbarayan ministry :... (1926–1928) |
| M. R. Sethuratnam Iyer M. R. Sethuratnam Iyer M. R. Sethuratnam Iyer was an Indian politician who served as the Minister of Development in the Madras Presidency from March 16, 1928 to October 27, 1930.-Early life:... (1928–1930) |
|
| Source: Encyclopaedia of Political Parties | |
Because of the fact that Subbarayan's regime was appointed and largely controlled by the Governor, it became the target of strong criticism both from the Justicites as well as the Swarajists. In March 1927, P. Munuswamy Naidu
P. Munuswamy Naidu
Bollini Munuswamy Naidu was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from October 27, 1930 to November 4, 1932. He was conferred 'Diwan Bahadur' by British Government....
of the Justice Party passed a motion recommending salary cuts for Government ministers. However, they were defeated by a margin of 41 votes. A no-confidence motion was passed on August 23, 1927, but was defeated 56 to 67 with the support of the Governor and the members nominated by him.
The Simon Commission was appointed by the British Parliament in 1927 to report on the working of the progress of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. The Swarajya Party moved a resolution to boycott the Commission and this was passed 61 to 50 with 12 remaining neutral. Subbarayan opposed the resolution but his cabinet ministers Ranganatha Mudaliar and Arogyaswamy Mudaliar supported it. Subbarayan resigned as Chief Mnister, but at the same time, he also compelled his ministers to submit their resignations. Fearing the possibility of the formation of a Swarajya Party-Justice Party coalition Government, the Governor stepped in to foster discord amongst the opposition. In order to obtain the support of the Raja of Panagal,he appointed Krishnan Nair, a leading member of the Justice Party as his Law Member. Led by the Raja of Panagal, the Justice Party switched sides and lent its support to the Subbarayan government. Soon afterwards, the Justice Party passed a resolution welcoming the Simon Commission. The Simon Commission visited Madras on February 28, 1928 and February 18, 1929 and was boycotted by the Swarajya Party and the Indian National Congress. However, the Justicites and the Subbarayan Government accorded the Commission a warm reception.
In the 1930 elections, due to the non-participation of the Indian National Congress and the Swarajya Party, the Justice Party won an overwhelming majority and was voted to power. Subbarayan was succeeded as Chief Minister by Munuswamy Naidu.
Reforms
The Raja of Panagal government had introduced the Communal Government Order (G. O. No. 613) in 1921 which introduced reservations in the Presidency. However, the provisions of this act were not implemented till 1927. The Subbarayan government, therefore, introduced the Communal G. O. Ms No. 1021 to implement the 1921 order. The act was introduced by S. Muthiah Mudaliar, the Education Minister in Subbarayan's cabinet on April 11, 1927. This act, it is believed, introduced provisions for reservations for Dalits and increased representation for Indian Christians and Muslims. At the same time, it reduced the reservations for Brahmins from 22% to 16% and non-Brahmins from 48% to 42%. This act was in effect till India's independence on August 15, 1947.Subbarayan introduced the Madras District Municipalities Act and Local Boards Act during his tenure. The Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
, founded by Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar was opened by Subbarayan in Chettinad
Chettinad
Chettinad is a region of the Sivaganga district of southern Tamil Nadu state, India. Karaikudi is known as the capital of Chettinad , which includes Karaikudi and 74 other villages...
in 1929. The Annamalai University is the first residential university in Madras Presidency.
From 1930 to 1937
Subbarayan was re-elected as an independent to the Madras Legislative Council in 1930. As a member of the legislature, Subbarayan was instrumental in introducing prohibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in Salem district
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
in 1930. Prohibition was enforced in Salem till 1943 when it was scrapped by the British. In 1932, C. S. Ranga Iyer
C. S. Ranga Iyer
C. S. Ranga Iyer was an Indian journalist, politician, Indian independence activist and social reformer.- Personal life :C. S. Ranga Iyer was born in the Madras Presidency in 1895. He had his education in Madras Presidency and on completion of his education, started a career as a journalist. He...
passed the Untouchability Abolition Bill in the Imperial Legislative Council
Imperial Legislative Council
The Imperial Legislative Council was a legislature for India during the middle years of the British Raj.The Indian Councils Act 1909 increased the number of members of the Legislative Council to sixty, of which twenty-seven were to be elected...
. On November 1, 1932, Subbarayan proposed the Temple Entry Bill which permitted low-caste Hindus and Dalits enter Hindu temples and made their prohibition illegal and punishable. He also passed a copy of the resolution and the proceedings of the Council to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
who was in jail. The Viceroy, however, refused permission explaining that temple entry was an all-India problem and should not be dealt with in a provincial basis even while clearing Ranga Iyer's bill. The Temple Entry Bill was not passed until the Indian National Congress came to power in 1937. Subbarayan had been a follower of Mahatma Gandhi from his early days and he officially joined the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in 1933 He also served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Harijan Sevak Sangh.
In the state cabinet and the Quit India Movement
Subbarayan was an admirer of Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
leader Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) right from his early days. Rajaji had been his personal lawyer in property cases. In 1937, when the Indian National Congress swept to power in the Madras Presidency and Rajaji took over as the Chief Minister of the Presidency, he appointed Subbarayan the Minister of Law and Education. Subbarayan resigned along with other members of the Rajaji cabinet when war was declared in 1939. Subbarayan also served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
from 1937-38 to 1945-46.
Subbarayan actively participated in the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
and was arrested along with other Congress leaders as Sathyamurthy and M. Bakthavatsalam
M. Bakthavatsalam
Minjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967...
.
In 1947, he served as a Minister for Home and Police in the Ramaswamy Reddiar Cabinet in Madras and was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India
Constituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
He served as a member of the Provincial COnstitution Committee.
India's Ambassador to Indonesia
From 1949 to 1951, Subbarayan served as independent India's first ambassador to IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. He was instrumental in the signing of a mutual treaty of friendship with the Indonesian Foreign Minister Mohammed Roem on March 3, 1951. Subbarayan's tenure came to an end in 1951 and he was succeeded by Alagappan.
On his return to India, Subbarayan was elected President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC).
Member of Indian Parliament
Subbarayan also served as a member of Rajya SabhaRajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
from 1954 to 1957. In 1957, Subbarayan was elected to the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from Tiruchengode
Tiruchengode
-Location:Tiruchengode is in south India in the state of Tamil Nadu, approximately 18 km from the City of Erode, 44 km from Salem, and 35 km from Namakkal.-Major Occupations:...
and served as a member till 1962. He was elected again in 1962 but was instead made Governor of Maharashtra.
Subbarayan was a member of the First Official Language Commission constituted by Prime minister Nehru on 7 June 1955, under the chairmanship of B. G. Kher
B. G. Kher
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher was the first chief minister of Bombay State which consisted of present day Maharastra and Gujrat States of India. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 1954...
. The commission delivered its report on 31 July 1956. It recommended a number of steps to eventually replace English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
as the sole official language of India. Subbarayan and another member - Suniti Kumar Chatterji
Suniti Kumar Chatterji
Suniti Kumar Chatterji was an Indian linguist, educationist and litterateur. He was born on 26 November 1890 at Shibpur in Howrah...
from West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
- did not agree with its findings and added dissenting notes to the report. Later when the Indian President Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician and educator. He was one of the architects of the Indian Republic, having drafted its first constitution and serving as the first president of independent India...
sought his opinion on making Hindi as the sole official language, Subbarayan advised against it.
In the Union cabinet
Subbarayan served as the Minister of Transport and Communications in the Government of India union cabinet from 1959 to 1962.Other interests
Subbarayan took a keen interest in sports during his lifetime. He wrote numerous articles on cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and was the Founder-President of the Indian Cricket Federation, the first association in the Madras Presidency to represent Indian cricketing interests. He also served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India during the Second World War. He also served as the President of the Madras Olympic Association and the Madras Hockey Association.
Family and legacy
Subbarayan married Kailash Radhabai Kulmud, a Mangalorean BrahmoBrahmo
A Brahmo is either an adherent of Brahmoism to the exclusion of all other religions, or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his faith...
of Brahmin parentage, who was his colleague in Presidency College, Madras, by Brahmo rites despite opposition from family members. Radhabai Subbarayan
Radhabai Subbarayan
Kailash Radhabai Subbarayan nee Kudmul was an Indian politician, women's rights activist and social reformer. She was the wife of Indian politician P. Subbarayan and mother of Mohan Kumaramangalam, P. P. Kumaramangalam and Parvathi Krishnan.- Early life and education :Radhabai Kulmud was born to...
was an active campaigner for women's rights and served as a member of the Indian parliament.
Subbarayan's eldest son Mohan Kumaramangalam
Mohan Kumaramangalam
Surendra Mohan Kumaramangalam was an Indian politician and communist theorist who was a member of the Indian National Congress, and later, the Communist Party of India. He served as a member of Lok Sabha for Pondicherry from 1971 to 1972.- Early life and education:Mohan Kumaramangalam was born in...
was a minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet. His second son, General P. P. Kumaramangalam was a Second World War veteran and served as India's Chief of Army staff. A third son Gopal Kumaramangalam headed important public sector undertakings. Mohan's son and Subbarayan's grandson Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Phanindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam was a prominent politician of the Indian National Congress and later the Bharatiya Janata Party and a Member of Parliament from the Salem constituency from 1984 to 1996 and Tiruchirapalli constituency from 1998 to 2000...
was a minister in Indian National Congress and NDA governments. Subbarayan's daughter Parvathi Krishnan
Parvathi Krishnan
Parvathi Krishnan is an Indian politician from the Communist Party of India.-Early life:Parvathi was born on March 15, 1919 to P. Subbarayan and Radhabai Subbarayan. She did her B. A...
was a politician belonging to the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
. She was a Member of the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
from 1954 to 1957 and represented Coimbatore
Coimbatore (Lok Sabha constituency)
Coimbatore is one of the largest Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamilnadu.-Assembly segments:Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:#Singanallur#Coimbatore West#Coimbatore East#Perur#Palladam...
in the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
three times.
A portrait of Subbarayan was unveiled in the central hall of the Indian Parliament on October 16, 1989.
See also
- Political Families of The World