Biography of Rajaji / Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari- Indian Political Leader

Known As:

Rajaji / “Moodharignar” in Tamil Meaning  “Elderly Wise Man” Rajaji / Mango of Salem / CR

Occupations:  Lawyer, Indian Independence Activist, Politician, Writer and Statesman

Date of Birth: 10th December 1878

Place of Birth:

Thorappalli Village, Salem District of Madras Presidency-
Thorappalli Village is now in Krishnagiri District of Tamilnadu State, at 6 kms from Hosur Town.

Father:  Mr. Chakravarti  Venkatarya  Iyengar- Munsiff of Thorapalli Village

Mother:  Ms.Singaramma

Education:  Central College, Bangalore / Presidency College, Madras

Date of Death: 25th December 1972 at Chennai

Rajaji In Politics: 

After education Rajaji had practiced as a lawyer and was a successful advocate and earned a lot of money and fame.

Then, Rajaji was interested in public service and entered into the Indian Political field.

Rajaji had been a devoted member and a strong leader of the Indian National Congress / INC and he was close to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

Rajaji had been along with the top leadership of the INC in many important and crucial  matters and suggested solutions to the problems faced by the high command of the INC..

Rajaji had been in the Government of the INC in various high profile capacities, including Governor, Union Cabinet Minister and Premier of Madras Province and Chief Minister of the State of Madras.

However, Rajaji was having  differences of opinions with the leaders of the Indian National Congress / INC, including Mahatma Gandhi.

Rajaji was against Mahatma Gandhi’s / INC’s ‘Quit India’ Movement and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s army activities in the Indian Freedom Struggle.

Basically, Rajaji differed from them in the concept / approach of  ‘getting’  freedom / independence from the ‘British Rule’ and the modes of freedom struggle.

However, Rajaj had  been in the INC and he was given respect and importance by the party and he had been given key posts in the Government of INC.

In the year 1959, Rajaji resigned from INC and formed his own political party by name  ‘The Swatantara Party’ and his party contested against the INC in the General Elections of 1962, 1967 and 1972.

Rajaji was instrumental in forming an “United Anti-Congress Front” in the Madras State under the leadership of ‘Perarignar’ C.N.Annadurai, the founder leader of the political party ‘Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’ / DMK.

The Madras/Tamil Nadu State’s Local Party-DMK came to power in the State of Madras in the 1967 elections with a large majority and displaced the INC from the Ruling Chair of the State of Madras / Tamilnadu.

The DMK could become the ruling party of the State of Madras due to many factors, such as the people’s wish to have an alternative to the Congress Rule, inspired by the thought provoking speeches of ‘Perarignar- C.N.Annadurai, and the support of the popular Tamil Silver Screen Hero- M.G.Ramachadran / MGR and by the support of Rajaji and his supporters.

After 1967 the Indian National Congress / INC could not become the ruling party in the State of Madras / Tamilnadu.

Only, the local  Dravidian Political Parties, especially, the DMK of C.N.Annadurai & M.Karunanidhi and the All India Anna Dravina Munnetra Kazhagam /AIAMDK of MGR & Ms. J.Jayalalitha have been dominating in the state’s politics and the ‘Vote Banks’..

Position Held By Rajaji in Indian Government:

Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari/Rajaji  had held the following Posts in the Government of India
(Right From the President of Municipality To The Governor General of India:

• President of the Salem Municipality

• The First Premier of Madras Presidency From 14th July 1939 To 09th October 1939

• Governor of West Bengal  From 15th August 1947 To 1948

• Last Governor General  of India, From 21st June 1948 To 26th January 1950, succeeding the late British Governor General of India-Lord Mountbatten, during his visit to his home country Britain. (Rajaji is the first, last and the only Indian who had been the ‘Governor General of India’, as the post itself was removed after India became  ‘Republic’. )

• Indian Union Minister of Home Affairs From 26th December 1950 To 25th October 1951

• Chief Minister of the Undivided State of Madras ( Comprising the present Linguistic States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh) from 10th April 1952 to 13th April 1954

Award/Honour  to Rajaji:

Rajaji has been respected by all the politicians of India and he  has been considered as one of the ‘rarest of rare politicians’ / leaders  in the true sense even in those days, despite his gross differences of opinions with the INC leaders and  many other Indian political leaders.

The name of Rajaji has been given to many roads in different parts of India and many parks and public places have been named after ‘Rajaji’.

The highest civilian award of the Union Government of India  the “Bharat Ratna” was conferred on Rajaji along with Dr.S.Radhakrishnan and Sir C.V.Raman in the year 1954,  when the award was first instituted and awarded.
.
On 26th January 1955, the Republic Day of India, Rajaji received the ‘Bharat Ratna’ Award from the first President of India Babu Rajendra Prasad.

Rajaji has been Praised and /or Criticized  for many of his bold and drastic steps taken and changes made by him in the State of Madras as detailed below:

In March 1938,  Rajaji  introduced the “Agricultural Debt Relief Act” to ease the burden of debt on the province’s peasant population.