Rama Subbaiah: Difference between revisions

{{refimprove|date=December 2021}}

 

{{Indian name|Subbaiah|Rama}}{{Infobox officeholder

| birth_place        = [[Arimalam]], [[Pudukkottai State]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]<br />(now in [[Pudukkottai district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]])

| death_place        = [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]

| otherparty          = [[Self Respect Movement]]<br />(1930-1944)<br />[[Image:Flag DK.png|24px]] [[Dravidar Kazhagam]]<br />(1944-1949)

| children            = Lenin (1934-38/39)<br />[[ S. P. Muthuraman]] (1935-)<br />Kanagalakshmi (1936-)<br />Selvamani (1939-)<br />Indhira (1942-74)<br />Swaminathan (1946-)<br />[[Suba Veerapandian]] (1952-)

'''Karaikudi Rama Subbaiah''' (14 November 1908 - 21 May 1997) was an Indian [[Tamils|Tamil]] [[Politics of Tamil Nadu|politician]] and a forerunner of the [[Dravidian movement]]. He served as a member of the erstwhile [[Tamil Nadu Legislative Council]] from 1972 to 1978.  

Subbaiah was born on 14 November 1908 in a [[Nattukottai Nagarathar]] family in [[Arimalam]] (in [[Pudukkottai district]]). Despite his family's religiousness, he was attracted by the [[Rationalism|rationalist]] thoughts of [[Periyar|"Periyar" E.V. Ramasamy]], to whom he got introduced during 1924-25.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|title=சமதர்மம் சுப்பையா - காரைக்குடி இராம.சுப்பையா நினைவலைகள் / எழுத்தும் குரலும் இரா. உமா|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK5plbh9gGo|language=en|access-date=2021-10-26}}</ref>  

In the 1930s Subbaiah successfully conducted "[[Adi Dravida|Adi Dravidar]] Welfare Conference". He also gained the friendship of [[Communism|communist]] icons like [[Malayapuram Singaravelu|M. Singaravelu]], [[P. Jeevanandham]] and [[P. Ramamurthi]]. In 1935, Singaravelu suggested that Subbaiah name his house as "சமதர்ம விலாஸ்" (translit. "''camatarma vilās''"; meaning "[[Socialism|Socialist]] Villa"),<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=தமிழ்நாடு முதலமைச்சர் சமூகநீதிக்கான சரித்திர நாயகரின் மேலான பரிசீலனைக்கு!|url=https://www.viduthalai.page/2021/09/blog-post_157.html|access-date=2021-10-26}}</ref> and even provided a marble plaque with the name etched on it. From that point, some of Subbaiah's friends called him as "Samadharmam Subbaiah".<ref name=":0" />

In 1932, amidst much opposition, Subbaiah conducted "[[Ramanathapuram district]]'s "Self-Respect Movement Conference" in Karaikudi. <ref name=":0" />  

Subbaiah stayed with the Self-Respect movement as it metamorphosed into the [[Dravidar Kazhagam]] (DK) on 27 August 1944. The DK held its first state conference (called "Blackshirt Conference") in [[Madurai]] during 11-12 May 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|last=மா.செங்குட்டுவன்|first=கவிக்கொண்டல்|title=திராவிட இயக்க வரலாற்றில் கருஞ்சட்டைப் படை|url=https://keetru.com/index.php/2016-10-05-08-08-14/nimirvom-jan19/36546-2019-01-28-10-01-44|access-date=2021-11-11|website=keetru.com|language=ta-in}}</ref> On 12 May, some miscreants set fire to the conference [[Shamiana|''pandal'']] set up in the sandy banks of [[Vaigai River]], as part of a few other violent incidents (which the DK later claimed happened at the behest of [[A. Vaidyanatha Iyer]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=இயக்கத்தில் கட்டுப்பாடான ஒற்றுமையையும் கூட்டுப் பொறுப்பையும் உண்டாக்க வேண்டியது மிகவும் அவசியம்|url=https://www.viduthalai.page/2020/07/ujHmSr.html|access-date=2021-11-11}}</ref>). Following the chaos, Subbaiah, [[K. Anbazhagan]] and a few other participants fled Madurai. After crossing [[Manamadurai]] and [[Thirukoshtiyur]], they reached Karaikudi. On 14 May, Subbaiah arranged a meeting in a village near Karaikudi. There too, some unidentified people pelted stones.<ref name=":3" />  

Subbaiah also played an important role in drawing many youth to the DMK in the Karaikudi region. Those mentored by him include [[R. M. Veerappan]] (later founder of [[MGR Kazhagam]]) and poet Sami Palaniappan (Kollywood lyricist [[Palani Bharathi]]'s father).<ref name=":0" />   

In 1953, Subbaiah became involved in the protests against the [[Chief Ministership of C. Rajagopalachari|Rajagopalachari government's]] [[Modified Scheme of Elementary education 1953|Modified Scheme of Elementary education]], a short-lived initiative that gained notoriety as the "Kula kalvi thittam (Hereditary/Caste Education Scheme)". Around the same time, he led the second batch of protesters [[Kallakudi demonstration|against the renaming of Kallakudi as Dalmiapuram]], the first and third batch being led by Karunanidhi and Kannadasan respectively. He was arrested and sentenced to three months of imprisonment at [[Tiruchirappalli Central Prison]]. Karunanidhi was among his prison-mates. After release, Subbaiah became a member of the DMK's general council. In the [[1957 Madras Legislative Assembly election|1957 Madras Assembly election]], he unsuccessfully contested against [[M. A. Muthiah Chettiar]] (of the [[Indian National Congress|INC]]) in [[Karaikudi (state assembly constituency)|Karaikudi constituency]].<ref name=":0" />  

Subbaiah married Visalatchi (d.19 September 1987), who was also a member of the Self Respect Movement since 1930. They had seven children. Owing to his interest in socialist ideals, Subbaiah named his eldest child (b. 17 January 1934) after [[Lenin]]. The boy died of fever when he was just four or five years old. Indhira (Subbaiah's daughter; b. September 1942) too died early aged 32, leaving behind two sons. <ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bs_yILhtmrAC|title=Bs_yILhtmrAC}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" />  

In 1985, Subbaiah's biography titled நானும் என் திராவிட இயக்க நினைவுகளும் [translit.''Nāṉum eṉ Tirāviṭa Iyakka niṉaivukaḷum''; meaning ''Me and my Dravidian Movement Memories''] came out after being edited by Subavee. Kanimuthup Pathipagam (Chennai) was the publisher.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Cuppaiyā|first=Kāraikkuṭi Irāma|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bRu5AAAAIAAJ|title=Nāṉum eṉ Tirāviṭa Iyakka niṉaivukaḷum|date=1985|publisher=Kaṉimuttu Patippakam|language=ta}}</ref> It was launched by Karunanidhi (then an MLC) at [[Periyar Thidal]].

" Dear Father,

You're the last child too !

Had it not been for Mother’s sternness, waves would have went astray.

You plucked [fruits]; We quenched our appetites.

You walked; We rested.

...The one with a motherly heart, the one who speaks so [eloquently] that even a diabolic heart may be moved. He has impressed not only me, but the frontline warriors of the movement, not today or yesterday, but [since the very beginning]...  

Karunanidhi held the birth centenary celebration of Subbaiah on 10 May 2008, during his fifth term as Chief Minister.<ref name=":0" />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suba Veerapandian }}