Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

Indian politician and activist

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was an Indian politician, independence activist, lawyer, writer and statesman.[1] Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India.[2] He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (present Tamil Nadu), Governor of West Bengal and Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union. Rajagopalachari founded a political party called Swatantra Party and was one of the first winners of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He was against the use of nuclear weapons and was a supporter of world peace. He was also called by the nickname 'Mango of Krishnagiri'.


Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Governor-General of India
In office
21 June 1948 – 26 January 1950
MonarchGeorge VI
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Preceded byThe Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the President of India
2nd Chief Minister of Madras
In office
10 April 1952 – 13 April 1954
GovernorSri Prakasa
Preceded byP. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
Succeeded byK. Kamaraj
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
26 December 1950 – 25 October 1951
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Preceded byVallabhbhai Patel
Succeeded byKailash Nath Katju
Governor of West Bengal
In office
15 August 1947 – 21 June 1948
PremierPrafulla Chandra Ghosh
Bidhan Chandra Roy
Preceded byFrederick Burrows
Succeeded byKailash Nath Katju
11th Chief Minister of Madras Presidency
In office
14 July 1937 – 9 October 1939
GovernorThe Lord Erskine
Preceded byKurma Venkata Reddy Naidu
Succeeded byTanguturi Prakasam
Minister of Education
In office
2 September 1946 – 14 August 1947
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Succeeded byMaulana Abul Kalam Azad
Personal details
Born(1878-12-10)10 December 1878
Thorapalli, Madras Presidency, British India
(now in Hosur Taluk, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, India)
Died25 December 1972(1972-12-25) (aged 94)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Political partySwatantra Party (1959–1972)
Other political
affiliations
Indian National Congress (Before 1957)
Indian National Democratic Congress (1957–1959)
Spouse(s)Alamelu Mangalamma (1897–1916)
ChildrenC. R. Narasimhan
C. R. Krishnaswamy
C. R. Ramaswami
Lakshmi Gandhi née C. R.
Namagiri Ammal C. R.
Alma materCentral College
Presidency College, Madras
ProfessionLawyer
Writer
Statesman
Awards Bharat Ratna (1954)

Life change

Rajagopalachari was born in the village of Thorapalli in the Krishnagiri district of the Madras Presidency (now the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu).[3] He went to school at Central College, Bangalore, and Presidency College, Madras. After entering politics, he became a member and later President of the Salem municipality. He joined the Indian National Congress and was against the Rowlatt Act. He joined the Non-Cooperation movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha, and the Civil Disobedience movement. In 1930, Rajagopalachari risked going to prison when he led the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha in response to the Dandi March. In 1937, Rajagopalachari became Premier of the Madras Presidency and served until 1940, when he resigned because of Britain's declaration of war on Nazi Germany. After this, he supported co-operation with Britain's war effort and was against the Quit India Movement.

In 1946, Rajagopalachari became Minister of Industry, Supply, Education and Finance in the Interim Government of India. He then was the Governor of West Bengal from 1947 to 1948, Governor-General of India from 1948 to 1950, Home Minister of India from 1951 to 1952 and Chief Minister of Madras state (present Tamil Nadu) from 1952 to 1954. In 1959, he resigned from the Indian National Congress and founded the Swatantra Party, which stood against the Congress in the 1962, 1967 and 1972 elections. Rajagopalachari was an important person in setting up a united Anti-Congress front in Madras state under C. N. Annadurai, which swept the 1967 elections.

References change

  1. "C. Rajagopalachari: The icon India needs today". Archived from the original on 2016-12-10. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  2. "How Rajendra Prasad (and not Rajaji) became India's first president". Archived from the original on 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  3. "C. Rajagopalachari Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline". Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-09-12.