S. S. Ramasami Padayatchiyar

S. S. Ramasami Padayatchi (16 September 1918 – 3 April 1992) was a politician from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was the founder of the Tamil political party Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party, which is considered to be a predecessor of Pattali Makkal Katchi.

S. S. Ramasami Padayatchiyar
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 18 January 1980 – 27 November 1989
Prime Minister	Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi
Preceded by	M. R. Lakshmi Narayanan
Succeeded by	R. Ramadass
Constituency	Thindivanam
Minister of Local Administration, Madras State
In office 13 April 1954 – 13 April 1957
Chief Minister	K. Kamaraj
Preceded by	N. Sankara Reddi
Succeeded by	Lourdammal Simon
Constituency	Cuddalore
Personal details
Born	(1918-09-16)16 September 1918
Died	3 April 1992(1992-04-03) (aged 73)
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Papa Ammal
Profession	Politician

Early life

Padayatchiyar was born in a Vanniyar family at the South Arcot district of Madras Presidency on 16 September 1918.[1][2] He studied till high school and did not pursue any further education. He entered politics and founded the Tamil Nadu Toilers Party in 1951.[1]

Tamil Nadu Toilers Party

Tamil Nadu Toilers Party was created by Padayatchiyar and members of the Vanniyar caste during the 1950s.[3] In 1951, Vanniyars convened a major conference of the Vanniyar Kula Kshatriya Sangam. M. A. Manickavelu Naicker, a lawyer and S. S. Ramasami Padayatchi, 33-year-old high school graduate, Chairman of the Cuddalore Municipal school and member of the South Arcot district board were participants of the conference the conference among others. The conference which intended to organise Vanniyars on a statewide basis failed due to traditional local loyalties. South Arcot and Salem Vanniyars under Padayatchiyars's leadership formed Tamil Nadu Toilers party where as Vanniyars from North Arcot and Chengalpattu under Naicker formed Commonweal Party.[4]

In the Madras Legislative Assembly

Padayatchiyar was unsure over the choice of alliances. However, initially, he was highly skeptical of the Indian National Congress and criticized the Commonweal Party for establishing an alliance with the Congress.[5] But he significantly modified his stance when C. Rajagopalachari resigned as the Chief Minister of Madras state. He proposed negotiations with Rajaji's successor K. Kamaraj and eventually, merged his party with the Congress accepting an appointment as Minister of Local Self-Government.[6]

During the 1962 elections, Padayatchiyar quit the Congress and revived the Tamil Nadu Toilers Party. He concluded an alliance with the Swatantra Party and contested the elections as an ally of the Swarajya Party. However, Tamil Nadu Toilers Party performed poorly in the 1962 elections and Padayatchiyar himself lost his seat.[7][8] During the 1967 elections, Padayatchiyar approached the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam offering his support. But the DMK rebuffed him saying that there were enough candidates from the Vanniyar community in the DMK and the support of the Tamil Nadu Toilers Party would not be needed. The DMK performed well in the elections and captured power in the state.[7]

As Member of Parliament

After a brief lull, Padayatchiyar returned to politics in 1980. He returned to the Indian National Congress and contested in the Lok Sabha elections from Tindivanam and was elected to the lower house of Indian Parliament.[2][8] Padayatchiyar was re-elected in 1984 and served from 1980 to 1989.[8]

Philanthropy

He donated several acres of his land for public railways, government hospitals, and the bus terminal in Cuddalore.[9]

Memorial for Padayatchiyar

To honour Padayatchiyar and his Social Justice Service, on 29 June 2018 Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced in the Assembly that Padayatchiyar birth anniversary on September 16 would be officially celebrated as Government Function.[10]. And also announced that a Memorial for Padayatchiyar would be built at Cuddalore.[11]. Edappadi K Palaniswami on 14 Sep 2018 laid the foundation for the Memorial at Manjakuppam in Cuddalore, through video conferencing at the Secretariat.[12] The memorial was opened on 25 November 2019 by Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami in 1.5-acre land in the heart of the Cuddalore city with a life-size bronze statue of the late leader,also with a library at an cost of 2.15 crore.[9]

Family

Ramasami Padayatchiyar married Papa Ammal and had two sons and one daughter, Vimal.[2]

Death

Ramasami Padayatchiyar died on 3 April 1992 at Cuddalore.[8]

See also

• M. A. Manickavelu Naicker
• S. Ramadoss

Notes

1. I. Rudolph, Lloyd; Susanne Hoeber Rudolph (1969). The Modernity of Tradition: political development in India. University of Chicago. pp. 55. ISBN 0-226-73137-5.
2. Indian parliamentary companion: who's who of members of Lok Sabha : first to thirteenth lok sabha. Lok Sabha. 2003. p. 364.
3. John L. Varianno, Jean-Luc Racine and Viramma Josianne Racine (1997). Viramma: life of an untouchable. Verso. p. 293. ISBN 978-1859848173.
4. Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph (1984). The Modernity of Tradition. University Of Chicago Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0226731377.
5. I. Rudolph, Lloyd; Suzanne Hoeber Rudolph (1969). The Modernity of Tradition: political development in India. University of Chicago. pp. 56. ISBN 0-226-73137-5.
6. I. Rudolph, Lloyd; Suzanne Hoeber Rudolph (1969). The Modernity of Tradition: political development in India. University of Chicago. pp. 58. ISBN 0-226-73137-5.
7. I. Rudolph, Lloyd; Suzanne Hoeber Rudolph (1969). The Modernity of Tradition: political development in India. University of Chicago. pp. 90. ISBN 0-226-73137-5.
8. "Obituary Reference". Parliament of India.
9. "CM Palaniswami opens Ramasamy Padayachiyar memorial". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
10. "Sivaji Ganesan, Ramasamy Padayachi birth anniversaries to be government functions". DT Next.
11. "Board to be set up to protect properties of vanniyars". Times of India.
12. "Memorial for Ramasamy Padayachiyar in Cuddalore". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 March 2020.

Preceded by None	President of the Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party 1951-1954 1962-1980	Succeeded by None
Preceded by	Member of the Madras Legislative Assembly 1951-1962	Succeeded by
Preceded by N. Sankara Reddi	Minister of Local Administration (Madras state) 1954-1957	Succeeded by Lourdhammal Simon
Preceded by N. R. Lakshminarayanan	Member of Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) for Tindivanam 1980-1989	Succeeded by R. Eramadass