T. A. Ramalingam Chettiar
Encyclopedia
Tiruppur Angappa Ramalingam Chettiar (b.May 18, 1881 - d.1952) was an India
n lawyer
, politician
, member of parliament
and businessman from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
.
merchant
and banker. At a very early age, Ramalingam was sent to Coimbatore
for schooling. He passed his matriculation with distinction and enrolled at Presidency College, Madras from where he graduated in law
in 1904. Soon after his graduation, Ramalingam began to practice at the Madras High Court
and served as the president of the Bar Council of Madras.
. In 1921, he became a member of the Madras Legislative Council
. In 1946, Ramalingam was elected a member of the Constituent Assembly of India
from Coimbatore. He participated in the debates on federalism and language policy. In 1951, he was elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha
from Coimbatore.
and was associated with the movement since 1911. He started the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Federation and published a monthly called Kooturavu. He established the Ramalingam Co-operative Training Institute in Coimbatore. He was instrumental in the formation of the Central Co-operative Bank, Urban Bank, Land Development Bank, co-operative milk union and co-operative printing press in Coimbatore.
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 lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, 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,...
and businessman from the Indian state of 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...
.
Early life
Ramalingam was born to Tiruppur Angappa Chettiar and his wife Meenakshi Ammal at Tiruppur on May 18, 1881. Angappa Chettiar was a wealthy cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and banker. At a very early age, Ramalingam was sent to Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
for schooling. He passed his matriculation with distinction and enrolled at Presidency College, Madras from where he graduated in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in 1904. Soon after his graduation, Ramalingam began to practice at 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....
and served as the president of the Bar Council of Madras.
Politics
Ramalingam developed a keen interest in politics during his term as the president of the bar council. He served first as the Vice-President and then, the President of the district board of Coimbatore from 1913 onwards. He also served as the Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Coimbatore municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
. In 1921, he became a member of 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...
. In 1946, Ramalingam was elected 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:...
from Coimbatore. He participated in the debates on federalism and language policy. In 1951, he was elected unopposed 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 Coimbatore.
Co-operative movement
Ramalingam Chettiar was one of the pioneers of the co-operative movement in Madras PresidencyMadras 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 was associated with the movement since 1911. He started the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Federation and published a monthly called Kooturavu. He established the Ramalingam Co-operative Training Institute in Coimbatore. He was instrumental in the formation of the Central Co-operative Bank, Urban Bank, Land Development Bank, co-operative milk union and co-operative printing press in Coimbatore.