Known for his integrity and his modesty in conduct, Kamaraj exercised his political power for the benefit of the masses. Dealing with significant phases of his life the author explains his actions in a larger historical context.
Mention the word ‘Kamaraj’ to any Congress old-timer and the first thing that he will recall is the famous Kamaraj Plan. Who is Kamaraj? And what is he famous for – and why? He was both in a poor family in southern Tamil Nadu.

Kamaraj: The Life and Times of K. Kamaraj
Bala Jeyaraman
Publisher: Rupa
Pages: 128;
Price: Rs 295 |
His father Kumaraswamy ran a coconut shop in a place called Virudhanagar. He was not a keen student. At the age of eleven, he dropped out of school when he was in the sixth standard. His father had passed away when he was barely six and when he quit his studies he joined his uncle’s clothing store as a shop assistant. And then one may say, he began his political career.
The fledgling Indian Nationalist movement was on and he started participating in it by joining the Indian National Congress as a volunteer. He turned out to be an excellent organiser.
He became part of the Civil Disobedience Movement. He also participated in the Salt Satyagraha and got arrested on June 9, 1930 when he was hardly 24 years old. After that it was one long story of becoming a confirmed freedom fighter.
[alert type=”e.g. warning, danger, success, info” title=””]Getting Indira Gandhi elected was his last show of power. Indira had no use of him, though; he resigned as AICC President on December 7, 1967. The Congress was split into factions. In Tamil Nadu C. Subramaniam became the head of Indira Gandhi Congress (R). The election of 1971 was a
disaster for Kamaraj.[/alert]
He got arrested for the second time in 1932, then again in 1940 and still later in 1942 during the Quit India movement. He happily surrendered to the police. He had established himself as a full-time patriot, unafraid of going to jail. Inevitably he became a member of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and followed this up by becoming a member of the All India Con¬gress Party. After that it was one long story of unlimited success and political ladder-climbing.
He was elected secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (1936), became its president three years later and as natural leader commanded respect from the state’s high and mighty.
As one who started from the grass roots level, he would take on his rivals in the field, be he T.Prakasam, a Ramaswami Reddiyar, a Kumaraswamy Raja or even C. Rajagopalachariar by then already a great name in Congress circles. He even had a clash with – of all people – Mahatma Gandhi himself.
In 1954 Kamaraj became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and became famous for inaugurating a free noon meal scheme with central backing. He made primary education compulsory in the then Madras State bringing school education to millions of the rural Poor.
A political rival, Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, was to say: “Comrades, the development Tamil Nadu has witnessed during Kamaraj’s rule has never occurred once before in our 2000-3000 year history. The three dynasties, Nayaks, Marathas, Muslim sultans, the British Government all did nothing significant about providing education to our people. If this land has to prosper, we have to keen Kamaraj firmly in power for another ten years. If we fail to use of him, we will not get another chance.”
Kamaraj’s fame rested as much on his role as an administrator as on his humility and total commitment to the welfare of the people. A song from the 2004 film Kamaraj said: “Has the nation ever seen such a man? He who cared for his country more than his home, he who worked for his country everyday of his life, he who fed the children and gave them education, he who sent cattle herders to school, he who was strong yet humble, he was our Black Gandhi with a pure white heart. Has the nation ever seen such a man?”
Of course he had his ups and downs. Though he emerged victorious in a conspiracy case levelled against him in 1933, it led to his financial ruin and he had to sell his ancestral home to meet the expenses. But the man’s character was so unassailable that in 1963 he was elected President of the All India Congress Committee, the greatest honour that anyone could hope to achieve.
Then came the Sino-Indian War in which India took a shameful beating. Congress came under heavy attack. There was even a demand for Jawaharlal Nehru’s resignation as Prime Minister. It was then that he proposed his plan for a revival of his party.
The Plan proposed that six sitting Chief Ministers and six senior Cabinet members must resign to go back to do party work. It was controversial, but it was enforced. But hardly six months after he was elected to the presidentship of the party Jawharlal Nehru passed away and within the party arose an unhealthy struggle for power.
Actually Kamaraj himself wanted to resign, but was dissuaded. With Nehru’s death the task of finding a successor fell on Kamaraj’s shoulders. He stuck to his principles and got Lal Bahadur Shastri elected to succeed Nehru, following Shastri’s death, Kamaraj had again to work hard, this time to get Indira Gandhi as Shastri’s successor.
Some people even asked why Kamaraj himself should not become Prime Minister. But was reported as saying: “No English. No Hindi. How can I be Prime Minister?”
Getting Indira Gandhi elected was his last show of power. Indira had no use of him, though; he resigned as AICC President on December 7, 1967. The Congress was split into factions. In Tamil Nadu C. Subramaniam became the head of Indira Gandhi Congress (R). The election of 1971 was a disaster for Kamaraj. He took it to his heart. Then followed the Emergency on June 26, 1975.
Kamaraj who had almost retired from politics had a heart attack on October 2, 1975. It was the end of an era. Posthumously he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. This book tells it all.
Kamaraj had powerful colleagues in politics like Morarji Desai, to contend with. Even as Chief Minister he had his opponents, but the great thing about the man is his abstinence from pettiness. He could dare to take his questioners into his cabinet.
As Chief Minister he did very well. He was able to get the necessary co-operation from the state bureaucracy because he carefully groomed talented administrators. He reigned long as Chief Minister but did a splendid job. He listened to his bureaucrats more than he listened to his party men.
But what, in the end gives him credit is that nobody before him, nor after him could say that they rose to great heights because they were educated. That a sixth grader could stay in power for a decade and do a truly marvellous job will always remain to his eternal credit. He was essentially a doer and a listener.
The author says “the most important reason for Kamaraj’s success was his genuine concern for the poor.
Late M. V. KAMATH