Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Encyclopedia
Phanindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam (May 12, 1952 - August 23, 2000) was a prominent politician of the Indian National Congress
and later the Bharatiya Janata Party
and a Member of Parliament
(Lok Sabha
) from the Salem
constituency from 1984 to 1996 and Tiruchirapalli
constituency from 1998 to 2000. He served as the Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs in the Narasimha Rao
Government from July 1991 to December 1993 and as the Union Minister for Power in the Vajpayee Government from 1998 to 2000. He was the grandson of former Chief Minister of Madras, P. Subbarayan
and the nephew of former Indian Chief of Army, General P. P. Kumaramangalam
.
from 1925 to 1926 and a Cabinet Minister under later Governments. His uncle, General P.P. Kumaramangalam was a veteran of the Second World War and a former Chief of Army Staff while his father Mohan Kumaramangalam
was an important theorist and organiser of the undivided Communist Party of India
. His mother, Kalyani Mukherjee, belonged to one of West Bengal's famous political dynasties.
, Delhi University, he moved to Madras to practice in labour law. When the Congress was re-elected in 1980, Rangarajan was asked by his very dear friend, soon-to-be-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to play an active role in politics. He contested and won the 1984 elections from Salem Lok Sabha constituency
.
P.V. Narasimha Rao appointed him Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs in July 1991. Despite his personal sense of loyalty to Narasimha Rao
, Ranga felt himself increasingly at odds with the policy regime that was being introduced in the garb of "economic reforms". Early in 1992, he penned a personal communication to the Prime Minister, expressing his deep reservations about the direction and pace of the reforms. This was followed by rumours that he had put in his resignation as Minister. Ranga was obviously serious even as a Minister about his trade union base and had observed that the perceptions of his constituency were uniformly adverse towards the economic policy package introduced under Narasimha Rao.
In late 1993, Rangarajan resigned as Cabinet Minister. In May 1995, Rangarajan resigned from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress and along with Arjun Singh
, N.D. Tiwari, Sheila Dixit and others, founded the Congress(T). However, Rangarajan lost his seat in the 1996 Parliamentary elections during which his new party suffered a crushing defeat. In December 1997, Rangarajan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party
. He won from the Tiruchirapalli
Lok Sabha constituency in 1998 and 1999 and became one of the torch-bearers of the BJP in Tamil Nadu
. He served with distinction as the Union Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs, holding additional charge of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, and Mines, in the Second Vajpayee Ministry
from 1998 to 1999 and in the Third Vajpayee Ministry
from 1999 until his death in 2000.
One of the most charismatic and brilliant leaders in post independent India, Ranga was loved and respected across party lines. His capacity to get bills passed in parliament was unmatched, because of this unique quality. Additionally, he was one of that rare breed of Indian leaders who delivered on his promises, never forgetting the welfare of the common rural Indian, and the farmer, while, simultaneously, propelling mega power projects forward with matchless administrative and managerial capability.
at the age of 48 as a result of acute myeloid leukemia (blood cancer).
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 later the Bharatiya Janata Party
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...
and a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(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 the Salem
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...
constituency from 1984 to 1996 and Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
constituency from 1998 to 2000. He served as the Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs in the Narasimha Rao
Narasimha Rao
Narasimha Rao or Narasimharao is one of the Indian names.* Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao served as the 10th Prime Minister of India.* Modireddy Venkat Narasimha Rao, is a former Indian cricketer....
Government from July 1991 to December 1993 and as the Union Minister for Power in the Vajpayee Government from 1998 to 2000. He was the grandson of former Chief Minister of Madras, P. Subbarayan
P. Subbarayan
Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian 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...
and the nephew of former Indian Chief of Army, General P. P. Kumaramangalam
Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam
General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam, PV, DSO, MBE was the 7th Chief of Staff of the Indian Army in the period . He was the last of the King's Commissioned Indian Officers trained at Sandhurst in the Indian Army.-Early life and education:P.P. Kumaramangalam was born to the Former Chief...
.
Personal life
Rangarajan was born on May 12, 1952 in a family of Zamindars of Thiruchengode. His grandfather Paramasiva Subbarayan was the Chief Minister of Madras provinceMadras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
from 1925 to 1926 and a Cabinet Minister under later Governments. His uncle, General P.P. Kumaramangalam was a veteran of the Second World War and a former Chief of Army Staff while his father 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 an important theorist and organiser of the undivided 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...
. His mother, Kalyani Mukherjee, belonged to one of West Bengal's famous political dynasties.
Politics
Ranga was deeply involved in student politics right from the earliest stages, as one of the founding members and the first president of the National Students Union of India (NSUI). It was no less a person than Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, whose great personal favourite he was, who called him to take up this post after going through due process. By 1973, he had also been elected a member of the All India Congress Committee. In 1977, on obtaining a degree from Kirori Mal CollegeKirori Mal College
Kirori Mal College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi, located in New Delhi, India that was established in 1954. It offers undergraduate and graduate courses in science, arts, liberal arts and commerce and is known for being one of the most politically active colleges in University...
, Delhi University, he moved to Madras to practice in labour law. When the Congress was re-elected in 1980, Rangarajan was asked by his very dear friend, soon-to-be-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to play an active role in politics. He contested and won the 1984 elections from Salem Lok Sabha constituency
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...
.
P.V. Narasimha Rao appointed him Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs in July 1991. Despite his personal sense of loyalty to Narasimha Rao
Narasimha Rao
Narasimha Rao or Narasimharao is one of the Indian names.* Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao served as the 10th Prime Minister of India.* Modireddy Venkat Narasimha Rao, is a former Indian cricketer....
, Ranga felt himself increasingly at odds with the policy regime that was being introduced in the garb of "economic reforms". Early in 1992, he penned a personal communication to the Prime Minister, expressing his deep reservations about the direction and pace of the reforms. This was followed by rumours that he had put in his resignation as Minister. Ranga was obviously serious even as a Minister about his trade union base and had observed that the perceptions of his constituency were uniformly adverse towards the economic policy package introduced under Narasimha Rao.
In late 1993, Rangarajan resigned as Cabinet Minister. In May 1995, Rangarajan resigned from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress and along with Arjun Singh
Arjun Singh
Arjun Singh was an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress party. He was the Union Minister of Human Resource Development in the Manmohan Singh cabinet from 2004 to 2009....
, N.D. Tiwari, Sheila Dixit and others, founded the Congress(T). However, Rangarajan lost his seat in the 1996 Parliamentary elections during which his new party suffered a crushing defeat. In December 1997, Rangarajan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party
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...
. He won from the Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
Lok Sabha constituency in 1998 and 1999 and became one of the torch-bearers of the BJP in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. He served with distinction as the Union Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs, holding additional charge of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, and Mines, in the Second Vajpayee Ministry
Second Vajpayee Ministry
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was sworn in as Prime Minister of India for second time on 19 March 1998.Here is the list of ministers in his ministry.- Cabinet ministers :*Atal Bihari Vajpayee*L.K...
from 1998 to 1999 and in the Third Vajpayee Ministry
Third Vajpayee Ministry
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was sworn in as Prime Minister of India for third time on 13 October 1999.Here is the list of ministers in his ministry.- Cabinet ministers :*Atal Bihari Vajpayee*Yashwant Sinha,*Lal Kishenchand Advani*Jaswant Singh*Jagmohan...
from 1999 until his death in 2000.
One of the most charismatic and brilliant leaders in post independent India, Ranga was loved and respected across party lines. His capacity to get bills passed in parliament was unmatched, because of this unique quality. Additionally, he was one of that rare breed of Indian leaders who delivered on his promises, never forgetting the welfare of the common rural Indian, and the farmer, while, simultaneously, propelling mega power projects forward with matchless administrative and managerial capability.
Death
Rangarajan died on August 23, 2000 at the All India Institute of Medical SciencesAll India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences is a premier medical college and teaching hospital based in New Delhi, India. The Institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ....
at the age of 48 as a result of acute myeloid leukemia (blood cancer).