A. Nesamony

A. Nesamony, sometimes known as Marshal Nesamony, was a political leader from Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the second son of Kesavan Appavu Nadar,[1] born on 12 June 1895 at Nesarpuram, Palliyadi[2] in Vilavancode Taluk, Kanyakumari district. He graduated from Maharaja's College in Thiruvananthapuram, and studied at law college in Thiruvananthapuram. He began practising in 1921. He was among those involved with the merger of four Taluks from Southern Travancore to Tamil Nadu. Marshal Nesamony is affectionately called as Kumari Thanthai (Father of Kanyakumari district). B. Jeyamohan has written a short story - வணங்கான் inspired from his life.

A. Nesamony
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) for Nagercoil
In office
1952–1957
In office
1962–1968
Personal details
Born(1895-06-12)12 June 1895
Nesarpuram, Palliyadi, Vilavancode Taluk, Southern Travancore, Travancore
Died1 June 1968(1968-06-01) (aged 72)
NationalityIndian
Political partyTravancore Tamil Nadu Congress (TTNC) and Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)Caroline
EducationB.A., B.L.
ProfessionPolitician, Lawyer

Early life

He was educated at Scott Christian High School and then at C.M.S. College in Tirunelveli. While studying at C.M.S. College, he was elected as students' leader, which provided him with an opportunity to attend the Congress Conference at Calcutta. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi at that time, he chose to wear only Khadi cotton dresses throughout his life. He graduated with a BA degree from Maharaja's College, Trivandrum, after which he began teaching, spending a year at Kurnool Bishop Heeber High school. He later became headmaster at Salvation Army Middle School in Trivandrum. Simultaneously he pursued his law studies at Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. He married in September 1914.

Nesamony registered as a lawyer at Nagercoil Sessions Court in 1921.[3] He became a criminal lawyer[3] at Nagercoil Bar. He was elected as the president of Nagercoil Lawyers' Association in 1943.[3] In the same year he was also elected as the chairman of Nagercoil Municipal Council. [4] Shri Nesamony is a distinguished lawyer. [5]

Public life
  • 1943-1947: Chairman of Nagercoil Municipality [6]
  • December 1944: Founded Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress (TTNC) movement
  • 1945-1947: Member of Travancore Legislative (Thirumoolam) Assembly and nominated member to the Senate of the Travancore University
  • 1948- 1952: Member of Travancore - Cochin Legislative Assembly
  • October 1947: Launched TTNC as a political party
  • 1948-1952: Member of Travancore-Cochin Constituent Assembly & leader of TTNC parliamentary party in assembly
  • 1955-1956: President of Travancore, Tamilnadu Congress Party
  • 1952-1957: Member of Parliament, Nagercoil Constituency
  • 1957-1962: Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
  • 1962-1968: Member of Parliament, Nagercoil Constituency

Role in Diocese
  • 1933 - 1947 : Secretary, Travancore & Mission Church Councils
  • 1934 - 1942 : South District Pastorate Council
  • 1947 - 1960 : Vice President - South Travancore Diocesan Council, C.S.I
  • 1960 - 1968 : Vice President - Kanyakumari Diocesan Council, C.S.I

Political career

He was a Member of Parliament elected from Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Nagercoil constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate in 1951, 1962 and 1967 elections.[7][8][9]

He was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Indian National Congress candidate from Killiyur constituency in 1957 election.[10]

Kanyakumari district merger with Tamil Nadu

Background

Feudalism prevailed in the erstwhile state of Travancore. The jenmi system protected the socioeconomic and political status of the upper castes only, while the lower castes were exploited in many ways.[11] Events such as the Upper Cloth Controversy and the Temple Entry Proclamation were reactions to this.

Events

A consequence of the social oppression and political repression was an ongoing campaign for recognition by the affected groups during the later nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries. This was evidenced by, for example. the creation of the Nair Service Society[12][13] and the SNDP.[14]

The agitation intensified after Indian independence. A campaign was launched under the auspices of a political movement called the Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress (TTNC), to fight against the social ills that existed in the former state of Travancore. The TTNC later converted into a political party in order to contest elections. It culminated in the formation of Kanyakumari district and its subsequent merger with Tamil Nadu on 1 November 1956 during the linguistic reorganisation of states.[15][16][17]

Immediately thereafter, the TTNC merged with the Indian National Congress[18] and became fully integrated with the national mainstream. Shri Nesamany worked for the return of Kanyakumari to Tamil Nadu.He was known as a great champiOn, of the Tamil language and Tamilians. He was a good public worker.

Death and legacy

Nesamony died on 1 June 1968[19] while serving as a member in the Lok Sabha. This caused a by-election in his Nagercoil constituency in 1969, which was won by Kamaraj.[20]

Shri Nesamony, who had been a Member of this House, has been a relentless fighter and a doughty champion of the rights of minorities and the establishment of those riihu. He has been considered as a deliverer by the people of Kanyakumari District The affectionate and loyal people of Kanyakumari District called him as 'Raja Nesamony': He has been held in high esteem for his sincerity, Impeccable honesty and integrity. He was a man who fought heroically and saw the realisation of the rosy dream of the people of Kanyakumari District namely, the merger of Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nad. In order to achieve his goal, he had to fight with his political bosses and though ultimately they might claim that they had succeeded, the fact remains that he had conquered every thing he wanted. Till his death, his spirit was undying and he was clear in his concept. Till his death, nobody could touch him, nobody could shake him. I am glad to note that his bosses realised this fact. Whenever Shri Nesamony fought against forces, terrible and with alarming dimensions, he used to say, let the trail sparrow hurt itself against the eagle. [21]

There have been various tributes paid to his memory since that time. These include:

  • the establishment of Nesamony Memorial Christian College at Marthandam
  • the erection of a statue near Anna bus-stand in the heart of Nagercoil, together with a memorial building
  • the creation of a satellite township called Nesamony Nagar on the outskirts of Nagercoil, where the headquarters of the former Nesamony Transport Corporation (a Tamil Nadu government undertaking) existed
  • the naming of the bridge built across the Kuzhithurai river as Nesamony Paalam
  • his birthplace in Palliyadi was named Nesarpuram.
  • a park near Thingalnagar-Monday Market Bus-stand in Kanyakumari district was named Nesamony Poonga
  • The central government published commemorative postal envelopes in recognition of the centenary of his birth in 1995. [22]
  • Tamil Nadu government opened a memorial on 27 February 2014 at Nagercoil[23]

Lok Sabha Discussion on Marshal Nesamony

References
  1. Joy Gnanadason,`A Forgotten History`,1994, Gurukul L.T. College and Research Institute, Chennai, page:151
  2. Janab A.Abdul Razak,(Ex-M.P.)`Nesamony - A Turning-point in History`2009, Nagercoil, page:1.
  3. Peter, D.; Peter, Ivy (2009). Liberation oh the oppressed: a continuous struggle. Nagercoil: Kanyakumari Institute of Development Studies. pp. 45–46.
  4. http://www.nmcc.ac.in/Nesamony.aspx
  5. https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55796/1/lsd_01_11_14-12-1955.pdf page 104
  6. http://www.nmcc.ac.in/Nesamony.aspx
  7. Volume I, 1951 Indian general election, 1st Lok Sabha Archived 4 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Volume I, 1962 Indian general election, 3rd Lok Sabha
  9. Volume I, 1967 Indian general election, 4th Lok Sabha Archived 18 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  10. 1957 Madras State Election Results, Election Commission of India
  11. Nagam Aiya, `Travancore State Manual`, Vol.III, Page:116, Reprint 1989
  12. Nossiter, Thomas Johnson (1982). "Kerala's identity: unity and diversity". Communism in Kerala: a study in political adaptation. University of California Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-0-520-04667-2. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  13. Fuller, C. J. (Winter 1975). "The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste". Journal of Anthropological Research. 31 (4): 303–304. JSTOR 3629883.(subscription required)
  14. Gough, E. Kathleen (1961). "Nayars: Central Kerala". In Schneider, David Murray; Gough, E. Kathleen (eds.). Matrilineal Kinship. University of California Press. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-520-02529-5.
  15. "Birth anniversary of Nesamony". The Hindu. 15 June 2006.
  16. "Marshal Nesamony remembered". The Hindu. 2 November 2006.
  17. "Contingency plan for biomedical waste management". The Hindu. 13 June 2004.
  18. Joy Gnanadason,`A Forgotten History`,1994, Gurukul L.T.College and Research Institute, Chennai-10. Page;149.
  19. Janab A.Abdul Razak,`Nesamony - A Turning-point in History`,2009, Nagercoil. Page:413.
  20. P. Kandaswamy. The political career of K. Kamraj. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. pp. 122–124.
  21. https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2416/1/lsd_04_05_22-07-1968.pdf Page 6
  22. https://www.indianstampghar.com/2014/04/special-covers-golden-jubilee-nesamony-christian-college-marthandam-birth-centenary-marshal-nesamony-by-india-post/
  23. "Jayalalithaa declares open Nesamony memorial". The Hindu. 28 February 2014.
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