• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to freedom fighter C. Rajagopalachari on his 146th birth anniversary and said he is remembered for his rich contribution to India’s freedom struggle and efforts to further India's progress.

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid floral tributes to Rajagopalachari in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on his birth anniversary on December 10.

• Deputy Chairman in Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Members of Parliament, former Members of Parliament and Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh also paid floral tributes on the occasion.

• Rajagopalachari was a statesman, lawyer, freedom fighter and the only Indian Governor-General of the country, an office that was abolished after India achieved independence from British rule.

• In recognition of his commendable service to the nation, Rajagopalachari was awarded ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1954. 

Key Points:

• Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, was born on December 10, 1878.

• Studied law at Presidency College in Madras (now Chennai), and started legal practice in Salem in 1900.

• In 1916, founded the Tamil Scientific Terms Society to translate scientific terms into simple Tamil words.

Pre-Independence:

• Joined the Indian National Congress and served as a legal advisor.

• Defended Indian independence activist P. Varadarajulu Naidu in 1917 against charges of sedition.

• Elected the first Premier of the Madras Presidency in 1937.

• Played a key role in the Madras Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act (1939), allowing Dalits to enter temples, combating untouchability.

• Appointed as Governor of West Bengal during Partition.

• Temporarily served as Governor-General of India in 1947, making him the last Governor-General before India became a republic.

Post-Independence:

• Became Home Affairs Minister after Sardar Patel’s death in 1950.

• Became Chief Minister of Madras in 1952, where he reformed the education system and introduced Hindi as a compulsory language. His policy led to protests, and he eventually resigned.

• Advocated for a free market economy and was a social conservative, supporting the reintroduction of the Varna system.

• In 1959, he resigned from the Indian National Congress and founded the Swatantra Party.

Role in the Freedom Struggle:

• Non-Cooperation Movement (1919): Met Gandhiji and participated in the movement; jailed in 1920 for two years.

• Opened an ashram to promote Gandhi’s principles of Hindu-Muslim harmony and abolition of untouchability.

• Vaikom Satyagraha: Fought against untouchability.

• Dandi March (1930): Led a similar march at Vedaranyam in Madras Presidency to break the salt law.

• Editor of Gandhi’s Young India.

• Opposed the Quit India Movement (1942), believing the British would leave without another Satyagraha.

Literary Contributions:

• Wrote a Tamil translation of the Ramayana, later published as Chakravarthi Thirumagan, which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)