O. V. Alagesan

Ozhalur Viswanatha Mudaliar Alagesan (Tamil: ஒழலூர் விஸ்வநாத முதலியார் அழககேசன்) (6 September 1911 – 3 January 1992) was an Indian politician and freedom fighter from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He served as a Member of parliament, Lok Sabha from 1951 to 1957, 1962 to 1967 and from 1971 to 1979.

O. V. Alagesan
Member of Constituent Assembly of India [1]
In office
1946–1950
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Member of parliament, Lok Sabha for Chengalpattu
In office
1951–1957
In office
1962–1967
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru,
Lal Bahadur Shastri,
Indira Gandhi
Member of parliament, Lok Sabha for Tiruttani
In office
1971–1975
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Member of parliament, Lok Sabha for Arakkonam
In office
1977–1979
Prime Minister
Morarji Desai,
Charan Singh
India's Ambassador to Ethiopia
In office
1968–1971
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Union Deputy Minister for Transport and Railways [2]
In office
1952–1957
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Minister of State (Irrigation and Power) Fourth Nehru ministry
In office
May 1962 – July 1963
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Minister of State (Mines and Fuel)
In office
July 1963 – November 1963
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Minister of State (Petroleum and Chemicals)
In office
November 1963 – May 1964
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Minister of State (Petroleum and Chemicals) [3]
In office
June 1964 – January 1966
Prime MinisterLal Bahadur Shastri
Personal details
Born(1911-09-06)6 September 1911
Ozhalur Village, Chengalpattu District
Died3 January 1992(1992-01-03) (aged 80)
NationalityIndian
Political partyIndian National Congress
Spouse(s)Smt Pattammal, 1937
Childrens. Vamanan d. Shyamala, Brinda and Urmila
Alma materPresidency College, Chennai
Professionagriculturist
Signature

Politics

Alagesan was a member of the Constituent Assembly and Provisional Parliament from 1946 to 1951. In 1951, he was elected Member of Parliament from Chingleput.[4] He lost the elections in 1957 but was re-elected in 1962. He supported the anti Hindi agitation and opposed the Central Government's language policy. On 11 February 1965, he and C.Subramaniam two union ministers from Madras state, resigned protesting the Union government's language policy. After Shastri's assurances to Tamils that English would continue to be used for centre-state and intrastate communications and that the All India Civil Services examination would continue to be conducted in English, he and C.Subramaniam withdrew their resignations.[5] He also served as a Member of Parliament from Tiruthani from 1971 to 1975 and Arakkonam from 1977 to 1979.

As an active parliamentarian, he left an indelible imprint on the proceedings of the House. He had also served effectively on various Committees of the House. A versatile personality. he was a reputed social reformer and a distinguished administrator. He relentlessly worked for the removal of social evils like untouchability and prohibition.[6]

Alagesan served as India's Ambassador to Ethiopia from 1968 to 1971.

Indian Independence Movement

He took active part in the Indian Independence movement. He discontinued studies in 1930 to join Salt Satyagraha movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and suffered imprisonment; participated in (i) Civil Disobedience movement; (ii) Individual Satyagraha movement; (iii) Quit India movement; and was imprisoned for more than three years[7]

Development of TamilNadu (earlier Madras) State

As Central Minister and member of Parliament, he was instrumental in getting the Madras Refineries, the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant and, along with Dewan Bahadur Gopalaswamy Iyengar, the Integral Coach Factory, set up in Tamil Nadu. His contributions were acknowledged in a multi party function held to celebrate his centenary in 2011[8]

Contribution to education

He was Founder-President of Bhaktavatsalam Educational Trust registered in 1958, which runs the following institutions; (i) Bhaktavalsalam Shastiabda Purthi High School, Athur; (ii) Bhaktavatsalam Polytechnic, Kancheepuram, (iii) Sarojini Varadappan Girls High School, Poonamalle, all in Chengalpatttu District; (iv) Brindavan Public School, Coonoor, Nilgiri District; and (v) a branch of the above school at Athur. [9]

Writings

Alagesan translated Jawaharlal Nehru 's Glimpses of World History into Tamil which was published as உலக சரித்திரம்(பாகம்1,2) by Alaigal Publishers அலைகள் வெளியீட்டகம்[10]

Death

Alagesan died on 3 January 1992 at the age of 81.

Notes
  1. http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/586.htm
  2. http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/586.htm
  3. "Press Communique" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 9 June 1964. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  4. "Key highlights of the general elections 1951 to the First LokSabha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  5. Annamalai, E (1979). "Language Movements Against Hindi as An Official Language". Language movements in India. Central Institute of Indian Languages.
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615101844/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/lsdeb/ls10/ses3/01260292.htm
  7. http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/586.htm
  8. https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/ov-alagesans-contribution-to-development-of-state-recalled/article2682959.ece
  9. http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/586.htm
  10. https://www.panuval.com/ulaga-sarithiram-paagam-1-2-2070078

References
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