Dr.
Tiruvengimalai Sesha Sundara Rajan
Portrait from the Haripura Congress Souvenir, 1938
Minister of Food and Public Health (Madras Presidency, later Madras state)
In office
1946–1951
PremierTanguturi Prakasam,
O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar
Minister of Public Health and Religious Endowments (Madras Presidency)
In office
14 July 1937 – 9 October 1939
PremierC. Rajagopalachari
GovernorJohn Erskine, Lord Erskine
Member of the Imperial Legislative Council
In office
1934–1936
Governor GeneralFreeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon
Personal details
Born1880
Srirangam, Madras Presidency
Died1953 (1954) (aged 73)
Madras
NationalityIndian
Political partyIndian National Congress
Alma materSt. Joseph's College, Trichinopoly,
Royapuram Medical School, Madras
OccupationDoctor, politician

Tiruvengimalai Sesha Sundara Rajan (1880–1953) was an Indian medical doctor, politician and freedom-fighter who served the Minister of Public Health and Religious Endowments in the Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1939.

Rajan was born in Srirangam in Trichinopoly district and studied medicine at Royapuram Medical School, Madras and England. He practised as a doctor in Burma and England and obtained his M.R.C.S. degree in 1911. In 1923, he set up his own clinic.

Rajan entered the Indian independence movement in 1919 and joined the Indian National Congress. He participated in the agitations against the Rowlatt Act and in the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha. He served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and as the Member of the Imperial Legislative Council of India from 1934 to 1936. From 1937 to 1939, he served as the Minister of Public Health in the Madras provincial government.

Early life

Sundararajan was born in Nagapattinam 1880. He had his early education from St. Joseph's College, Trichinopoly and graduated in medicine from Royapuram Medical School, Madras.[1] Following his graduation, Rajan moved to Burma[1] and set up practice in Rangoon.[2]

In 1907, Rajan sailed to England to pursue his higher studies.[1][3] He obtained his M.R.C.S. degree in 1911 and worked in the Middlesex Hospital. He was an acclaimed surgeon and physician.[1]

Rajan returned to Burma soon after and practised till 1914, before returning to India. In 1923, he set up his own clinic called "Rajan Clinic".[1]

In the Indian independence movement

During his days in England, Rajan was a close associate of V. D. Savarkar and V. V. S. Aiyar and was a member of the India House. However, in May 1910, Rajan had a quarrel with Aiyar.[4] On his return to India in 1914, he met Rajagopalachari and joined the Indian National Congress. He participated in the agitations against the Rowlatt Act and was jailed for a year.[1] He also coordinated and organised the activities of the Khilafat Committee from 1920 to 1922 along with T. V. Swaminatha Sastri.[5][6]

Rajan served in a number of party posts in the Indian National Congress over the years. He served as the General Secretary of the Congress and as the President, and later, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.[1] He also served as the President of the Civil, Social and Welfare League of Trichinopoly.[1]

Rajan participated in the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha organised by Rajaji and suffered imprisonment.[1] He was released in 1931 after having been in prison for eighteen months.[1] From 1932 to 1935, Rajan served as the President of the Tamil Nadu branch of the Harijan Sevak Sangh.[7]

In 1934, Rajan was elected to the Imperial Legislative Council of India and served till 1936, when he resigned owing to differences of opinion.[1] Rajan participated in the 1937 Madras provincial elections and was elected to the Madras Legislative Council.[1] He took the portfolios of public health and religious endowments in the Rajaji cabinet.[1]

Later years and death

Dr. T. S. S. Rajan at Thiruvallur Taluk Agricultural Conference, 1948, along with Sri. M. O. Krishnamachari (President, Thiruvallur Taluk Agricultural Conference, 1948) and other conference dignitaries.

In 1946, when the Congress was elected to power once again in Madras Presidency and Tanguturi Prakasam became Premier, Rajan was appointed Minister of Food and Public Health.[2]

In 1948, Dr. T. S. S. Rajan attended the Thiruvallur Taluk Agricultural Conference and unveiled the portrait of Sri. C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji). He served as minister till 1951.[8]

In 1953, Rajan had an operation for appendicitis. Shortly after the operation, he died on 14 December 1953 at the age of 73.[9]









Works

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Biography:T. S. S. Rajan from the Haripura Congress Souvenir". Indian National Congress. 1938.
  2. ^ a b Baliga, B. S. (2000). Madras District Gazetteers. Superintendent, Govt. Press. p. 239.
  3. ^ "Dr. Rajan passes away". The Hindu. 28 October 2003. Archived from the original on 28 March 2004.
  4. ^ Chopra, Prabha; Prem Nath Chopra (1998). Indian Freedom Fighters Abroad: Secret British Intelligence Report. Criterion Publications. p. 139.
  5. ^ Arnold, David (1977). The Congress in Tamilnad: nationalist politics in South India, 1919–1937. Manohar. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-908070-00-8.
  6. ^ Baliga, B. S. (2000). Madras District Gazetteers. Superintendent, Govt. Press. p. 225.
  7. ^ Mohan, Pullam Ethiraj (1993). Scheduled Castes, History of Elevation, Tamil Nadu, 1900–1955: History of Elevation, Tamil Nadu, 1900–1955. New Era Publications. p. 37.
  8. ^ Jawaharlal Memorial Fund (1972). Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru. Orient Longman. p. 440.
  9. ^ Lok Sabha Debates. Parliament of India. 1953. p. 4.
Preceded by Secretary of the Indian National Congress Succeeded by Preceded by President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Succeeded by Preceded by Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Succeeded by Preceded by1937 Minister of Public Health and Religious Endowments 1939 Succeeded byGovernor Rule Preceded by1946 Minister of Food and Public Health 1951 Succeeded by

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