K.

KAMARAJ

Project in the Subject of

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LEADERSHIP
NLAW 159

Submitted By
ELAN SANJEEVI .E
200401427005

Submitted To
Prof. Sunil Kumar L

Date of Submission: 27/01/2023

INTRODUCTION
Kamaraj was an extraordinary leader who rose from the ranks of poor and lowly in the distant
and remote village Virudupatti in Virudunagar District to the exalted position of King Maker
in the complex web of political atmosphere in the country. By his integrity, forthrightness and
hard work with simplicity he raised to such status. Being a dynamic organizational Chief
Minister, he concentrated on various developments which made his period a golden era of
Tamilnadu. He saw to it that every village with a population of around 1000 people to have a
school. He laid roads to the remotest areas to be linked with nearby towns so that the village
people can merchandise their produce in nearby towns and earns more income in city
markets. He brought electricity to almost all villages in Tamilnadu was responsible for
opening industrial estates all around. From his cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats he never
demands personal loyalty but a commitment to the public cause.

Legacy

 In 1976, he was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian

honor.
 In 2004, the Government of India issued a commemorative coin of ₹ 100 and ₹ 5
denomination to mark the centenary celebrations of him.
 Terminal-1 of Chennai International Airport is named "Kamaraj Terminal".
 Ennore Port in Chennai was renamed to Kamarajar Port Limited.
 Maraimalai Nagar Railway Station also named after him as Maraimalai Nagar
Kamarajar Railway Station.
 His statue was erected in Parliament of India and Marina Beach to honor him.
 Madurai University is renamed as Madurai Kamaraj University in his honor.[4][39]
 North Parade Road in Bengaluru and Parliament Road in New Delhi were named
as "Kamaraj Road".
 Marina Beach Road in Chennai and Ettayapuram Road in Thoothukudi were
named as "Kamarajar Salai".

LIFE HISTORY

Thiru Kumaraswami Kamaraj popularly known as K. Kamaraj was born on 15 July 1903 in
Tamil Nadu then Madras. He was a great visionary, human being and development
practitioner.  He was a sixth-grade dropout, but he was the first to contribute to the expansion
of free education in the Tamil Nadu during his three consecutive terms as Chief Minister.
Kumaraswamy Kamaraj was the founder and the president of the Indian National Congress
Organisation and he was widely acknowledged as the “Kingmaker” in Indian politics during
the 1960s. He played a leading role in shaping India's destiny after the passing away of
Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, to the Congress split in 1969. He also served as the president of
the Indian National Congress for two terms i.e. four years between 1964–1967 and was
responsible for the elevation of Lal Bahadur Shastri to the position of Prime Minister of India
after Nehru’s death and Indira Gandhi after Shastri’s death. Kamaraj was the 3rd Chief
Minister of Madras State (Tamil Nadu) during 1954–1963 and a Member of Parliament, Lok
Sabha during 1952–1954[3] and 1969–1975.

 MOTIVATION

As a young boy, Kamaraj worked in his uncle's provision shop and during that time he began
to attend public meetings and processions about the Indian Home Rule movement. Kamaraj
developed an interest in prevailing political conditions by reading newspapers daily. He was
barely fifteen when he heard of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre which was the turning point
in his life. Young Kamaraj was however, inspired by Periyar E V Ramasamy. Though he
rarely appeared with Periyaar in public it was a fact that his opponents rightly identified
Periyar as his mentor.

“ Two years later when Kamaraj saw Gandhiji at Madurai, he knew his
path was chosen”.
Inspired by the patriotic leader Sundara Sastri Satyamurthi’s fiery oratory against British
atrocities, Kamaraj plunged headlong into the freedom movement. From then on there was no
looking back for him. He became a member of the Indian National Congress. Kamaraj was
content for years to remain a rank and file Congress volunteer, working hard for the cause
of the freedom movement, unmindful of his personal comfort or career.
He was eighteen when he responded to the call of Gandhiji for non-cooperation with the
British. He carried on propaganda in the villages, raised funds for Congress work and took
a leading part in organising meetings. At twenty he was picked up by Satyamurthy, one of
the greatest orators and a leading figure of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, who
would become Kamaraj's political guru.
 STRATEGIES FOLLOWED BY KAMARAJ
In 1963 he suggested to Nehru that senior Congress leaders should leave ministerial posts
to take up organisational work. This suggestion came to be known as the 'Kamaraj Plan',
which was designed primarily to dispel from the minds of Congressmen the lure for power,
creating in its place a dedicated attachment to the objectives and policies of the
organisation.
The plan was approved by the Congress Working Committee and was implemented within
two months. Six Chief Ministers and six Union Ministers resigned under the plan. Kamaraj
was later elected President of the Indian National Congress on October 9, 1963.
What is Kamaraj Plan?

He proposed that all senior Congress leaders should resign from their posts and devote all
their energy to the re-vitalization of the Congress. In 1963 he suggested to Nehru that senior
Congress leaders should leave ministerial posts to take up organisational work.

 Kamaraj made the Tamilnadu State administration a model one for all the states
especially by his Educational and Industrial policies with positive highly progressive
ideas which brighten the lives of the rural people.

1.) Rural Development

Kamaraj had very positive and highly progressive ideas regarding electrification of the rural
areas. He concentrated on power development as he felt that electricity was the foremost
requirement for industry and agriculture. He was confident that electric power would bring in
not only light but also brighten the lives of the rural people. He considered it as a valuable
addition to modernizing the village. He was able to bring electricity for as many villages as
possible. In respect of utilization of power for irrigations, Madras was said to rank first five
year plan had targeted 250 villages to be covered by electrification. Tamilnadu extended
power to 1000 villages per annum. Moreover 6000 miles of HT lines were laid to extend
electricity to new industries and to cater to the needs of the additional villages that was
brought under the power grid. Today no village in Tamilnadu is without electric power
connection. This was due to the farsightness of Kamaraj in those days. Tamilnadu had more
electrically operated pump sets used for irrigation in the country than any other state. He was
able to help the farmers to systematically exploit the ground water resources for irrigation
purpose.
2.) Educational policy
Kamaraj’s contribution to the cause of education in Tamilnadu was immense. First , as soon
he had assumed office he had withdrawn the Rajagopalachari’s educational reform. That act
generated groundswell of welcome from the people. Besides the mid- day meals scheme, he
had also introduced free uniforms scheme. A scheme was carried out at the instance of
Kamaraj who had wanted to eschew discrimination of school children on the basis of their
being poor children. In 1966, 940000 children were the beneficiaries of the scheme. For
carrying out very many improvements in the schools he had mobilized voluntary donations
from the puplic which swelled to the tune of Rs. 80,000 millions. With this generous fund
schools in Tamilnadu were improved in very many directions such as repairs to building,
addition to school equipments, better furniture and additional facilities for children. Kamaraj
had declared in 1960 that poor children would get free educational up to the secondary school
level. He saw it that there was no village in Tamilnadu without a primary school. He also
took efforts to improve the standard of education also. Because of this he was hailed by one
and all as one who had brought literacy to Tamilnadu.

3.) Industrial policy

Kamaraj being a socialist was aware of the fact that mixed economy alone will be congenial
and conductive for the promotion of the economy. The state development committee meeting
helped him a lot in streaming liking the economic pursuits of the state. Due to his practical
mindedness the expansion work of the madras harbour was undertaken in the Rayapuram side
and the proposed work of expansion on the side of the fort St. George was dropped because
he felt that will spoil the beauty of the city many industries and activities assisted the
promotion of the economy of Tamilnadu and they are all the activities which came up due to
his efforts. By utilization the fund allotment made by the central government of national
policy basis he utilized the allotted amount properly and made the Madras state as a
industrially developed state.

CHARACTERISTICS ADOPTED BY KAMARAJ

THE MAN WHO TOOK EDUCATION TO MASSESS

“I was not educated. I don’t claim that I went to university. But I do know geography. I know
most of the areas of Tamilnadu. I know where the rivers are and where the water tanks are. I
know in which town people make a living which way. Are these things not geography and
only the books which contain straight and curved lines?”

– Kamaraj

KAMARAJ : THE SELFLESS LEADER – HW LONGFELLOW

Kamaraj led a simple life and was the epitome of honesty and sincerity. His aged mother
continued to live in the village even after he became Chief Minister. There was no water
connection in her house and she continued to draw water from the public well. Some over-
enthusiastic officials tried to provide the house with water connection as a favour, but
Kamaraj heard about it and stopped them. He took a stand that though he was Chief Minister,
he or his family should not be given any special privilege. They’d live like other citizens.
What a contrast to the present day values of most of our politicians.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOCIETY

As Chief Minister his contributions to agriculture, education and industrial development are
enormous. He was not a theoretical economist but was a real and practical economist and a
great visionary. During his regime, new schools were opened, so that poor students of rural
areas can attend their nearest school. He introduced free school uniforms to weed out caste,
creed and class distinctions. It is pertinent to mention that during the British rule the
education rate was only 7 per cent in then Madras but after Kamaraj’s reforms it reached 37
per cent. During his period, the number of working days in schools was increased from 180 to
200 as unnecessary holidays were reduced.
During his regime, 13 dams for irrigation and drinking water purposes were constructed.
Dams and irrigation canals were built across higher Bhavani, Mani Muthar, Aarani, Vaigai,
Amaravathi, Sathanur, Krishnagiri, Pullambadi, Parambikulam and Neyyaru among others.
During 1957–61 as many as 1,628 tanks were de-silted under the Small Irrigation Scheme,
and 2,000 wells were dug with outlets. In addition, farmers who had drylands were given oil
engines and electric pump sets on an instalment basis. Also, heavy industries were set up
during his rule, inter alia of which is Neyveli Lignite Corporation, BHEL at Trichy, Manali
Refinery, Hindustan Raw Photo film factory at Ooty, Surgical Instruments factory at
Chennai, and a railway coach factory at Chennai. Also, other industries such as paper, sugar,
chemicals and cement were built during his period.

For his activities and great service to the nation he was awarded India’s highest civilian
honour, the Bharat Ratna.

CONCLUSION
Kamaraj as Chief Minister of Tamilnadu for all but a decade from 1954 to1963. His
accomplishment, as we listed some of them as freedom fighter, King Maker, seasoned
diplomat, educational philanthropist, uncorrupted administer and up-lifter of poor, when he
passed away at the age of seventy two, 1975, were unusual and beyond any reasonable and
logical imagination. Economically, socially, educationally he brought the Tamilnadu state to
the force front. His cordial relationship and political influence with the central government
allowed him to lead the state in the right path way. He was able to up utilize all the resources
for proper progress. By setting aside conservatives, he stood for the progressive in the overall
development of Tamilnadu and also for the development of India.