R. Ponnappan Nadar
R.Ponnappa[1] Nadar was a congress leader from Kanyakumari district and former Member of the Legislative Assembly elected twice to Travancore-Cochin assembly and three times to Tamil Nadu legislative assembly.
Travancore-Cochin
He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly in 1952 from Killiyur constituency by defeating A. Gabriel of Congress. He received 17,084 votes against 2,718 votes for Gabriel. The total number of valid votes cast in the election was 25,512.[2] He won the interim election in 1954 from the same constituency again defeating Gabriel.[3]
Madras State
He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly three times after Kanyakumari district merged with Tamil Nadu. He was elected from Killiyur constituency in 1962 election.[4] and from Vilavancode constituency in 1967 and 1971 elections.[5] His son is Pon.Vijayaraghavan, who is also a politician.
About Ponnappa Nadar
Date of Birth: 11.04.1921
Brother's name: R.Thangappan Nadar
Sister's names: Palthangam, Thangam
Schooling
Mr.Ponnappa Nadar had a remarkable school life. He started his schooling a grade in advance, being admitted directly into the second standard. He did his schooling at three different schools, namely St. Antony's Elementary School (II to IV standard), Munchirai Government Middle School (V to VIII form), and Eraniel Higher Secondary School (IX to E.S.L.C). He completed his E.S.L.C examination in the year 1937.
Higher Studies
Mr.Ponnappa Nadar completed his B.A.(Hons) degree at the Thiruvananthapuram Maharaja College in the year 1942 with flying colours securing the third rank at the university level, thus rendering him eligible to pursue his master's degree. During his college days, he excelled in several aspects, being a sportsperson in the games of Badminton, Hockey and Basketball. He also held the position of secretary at the university Honours Association. He was highly esteemed for his excellent English oratory skills. He later completed his degree in law in the year 1944 at the Thiruvananthapram College of Law
Life as a Young Lawyer
Mr.Ponnappa Nadar's elder Brother-in-law Mr. Gnanasigamani introduced him to the field of law by enabling him to work as a junior Lawyer under the guidance of his family lawyer Mr. Nesamony. During the tenure of being a junior, his mentor Thiru Nesamony noted that Ponnappa Nadar had an excellent academic profile. He thus advised the young Ponnappa Nadar “ You can get yourself a good government job. But if you desire to become a Lawyer, you need to work hard, and you will find it difficult to make money initially. Which of these two options do you prefer to choose?”, to which he answered, “I am aware of this and I am ready to work as a junior lawyer”. He used to work with his mentor till late at nights, studying cases and learning the tactics of law. His mentor Thiru .Nesamony was greatly impressed by his dedication and made him his chief representative. Mr. Ponappa Nadar was highly skilled in preparing points of argument to be delivered to the judges while at hearings. He was a good pleader and the plaints prepared by him were incomparable.
Family Life
Mr.Ponnappa Nadar married Miss. Roselet, the eldest daughter of Mr. Arumugakan Nadar of Pattavilai near Thikkanangode on 11.11.1949. They had six children, namely
Pon Vijayaraghavan (Lawyer and member of the Legislative Assembly) Kasthuri (Homemaker) Rajeshwari (Retired Bank Officer) Ravindran (Retired Chief Engineer at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board) Krishnakumar (Lawyer) Vijayalakshmi (Asst. Professor)
His career as a Lawyer
Mr.Ponnapa Nadar excelled in his profession of law in the Kanyakumari District Sessions Court, during which he performed his duties as the President of the Nagercoil Bar Association. He was well known for his commendable oratory skills which gained him high appraisals from judges and senior Lawyers. Crowds would gather around the court hall to hear his arguments. District judges were so impressed with him that they felt his right place was at the High court. He was a legal luminary.
Political Life
When he was studying at the Munchirai Middle School, the School authorities used to provide lunch for the students after segregating them into two groups based on their caste. Mr.Ponnappa Nadar was deeply hurt by this practice and refused to have the lunch that was provided. This incident played a crucial role in urging him to enter politics and social life. Another such incident was the unfair collection of crop produce as taxes in Thiruvadhancore. The farmers were made to pay their taxes compulsorily even when their crop did not produce sufficient yields. This unfair practice further enhanced his desire to enter politics. During his college days in Thiruvananthapuram, he stayed at the Wills Students Hostel, where he provided food and accommodation to several freedom fighters. He joined the Congress movement at the age of 16 while he was still a school student. He secretly supported the freedom struggle along with the freedom fighters, former central minister Mr.Ravindravarma and the former member of the Parliament and Legislative Assembly Mr. Viswambaran, who were his colleagues, while he was at the Wills hostel.
There was a dispute between two groups at his native village where certain higher caste people at Thambadu prevented lower caste people from drawing water out of the neighbourhood well. Thiru Ponnappa Nadar opposed this practice and indulged himself in the fight for social equality. He joined the Congress in the year 1939. He then joined the Thiruvidhancore Tamil Nadu Congress in the year 1945 which was founded for the freedom of the Thiruvidhancore Tamil people and later functioned as its Secretary. He wanted to contest in the 1947 elections, but he could not do so as his date of birth as per records prevented him from being eligible, though his actual age met the criteria. The then leader of the Thiruvidhancore Congress Mr.Sam Nathaniel was his first Political mentor. He was sent to jail several times for his struggle to append Thiruvidhancore to Tamil Nadu. He won an astounding victory in the 1952 elections at the Killiyoor constituency. His five opponents had lost their election deposit. He was elected as the General Secretary of the Thiruvidhancore Tamil Nadu Congress in the year 1952. The cabinet was dissolved in the year 1954 following which he won the elections again in the same year as a candidate representing the Thiruvidhancore Tamil Nadu Congress. In the opposition led by the congress in the year 1954, he was arrested for violating the 144-prohibitory order as the fourth positioned opposition leader, and was given a sentence of 5 weeks, but was later released within 18 days. In the year 1955 a no confidence motion was held against the then chief minister Mr.Pattamthanupillai. The government had planned to arrest him before he could cast his vote. But he came to know of this and travelled to Thiruvananthapuram in disguise and stayed in the house of an Inspector General along with the then member of the Legislative Assembly Mr.Sattanadha Karayalar. He then entered the Legislative Assembly in disguise and cast his vote causing the cabinet of the chief minister to dissolve. He was then known as “Mayavi” Ponnappan for his act in disguise following this incident. Mr.Nesamony wanted to make him a minister in the Thiruvidhancore Tamil Congress Cabinet. But Mr.Ponnappa Nadar gave up his opportunity for Mr.Chidambaranadhan. After Kanyakumari was appended to Tamil Nadu in the year 1956, his mentor Mr.Nesamony desired to contest in the assembly elections held in 1957. And thus he gave up his candidature in the region of Killiyoor where he had won twice for the sake of his mentor to contest there. He was elected as the Congress district Presidentin the year 1959. During this period, when there rose a difference of opinion between his mentor Mr.Nesamony and Mr. Kamaraj, Thiru Ponnappa Nadar negotiated between them, avoiding a major rift within the party.
During the 1962 general elections, he emerged victorious as the Congress candidate at Killiyoor. He worked intensively for implementing the “Sittraru Pattanangal” scheme in Vilavankode taluk for the proper distribution of water to the people of southern regions. In the year 1967, he contested and won as the Vilavancode Congress Candidate being elected as the Deputy leader of the opposition party. He was elected again for the same post in the year 1971. The then chief minister Mr. Karunanidhi had praised him for being an “excellent parliamentarian”. He received praise from the chief minister and all the members of the assembly for his critical speech about the Emergency implemented by the government. After the demise of his mentor Mr.Nesamony, he again gave up his chance of contesting in the Parliament elections for the sake of Mr. Kamarajar, enabling him to win an astounding victory. Though he was elected as MLA five times, he lived a very simple life. He never bought himself a car but travelled by government buses. Mr. Kamarajar praised him for his simple lifestyle and urged him to take more care of his health. He never availed himself of any special facilities from the government for his family or relatives. Even when he was awarded honour and compensations for his contribution in the freedom struggle, he would insist that they be given to the poor freedom fighters. While he was the leader of the opposition party, he also refused the vehicle facility and office staff facility provided to him by the government. After the death of mr. Kamaraj on 02.10.1975, Mr.Ponnappa Nadar had brought the ashes of Mr. Kamarajar from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram, and then to Nagercoil, where it was kept for one day for public to pay their tributes, followed by which he had dissolved it in the sea of Kanyakumari.
His Death
The whole of Tamil Nadu woke to the death of the veteran statesman on 12.10.1976, the fateful day on which the exemplary life led by Mr.Ponnappa Nadar came to a tragic end. He had left for Mumbai on 08.10.1976 to attend a conference which was to be held on 10.10.1976. He had to immediately fly back to Chennai on 11.10.1976 to attend a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Congress Working Committee. He boarded the plane at around midnight and within minutes after take-off the aircraft burst into flames killing everyone on board. His body had to be cremated in Mumbai itself. Some of his ashes were brought to Chennai where they were dissolved in the Marina. The rest were brought to his native village, Paalavilai in Kanyakumari district, where the rites were performed. Later a portion of his ashes were immersed in the sea at Kanyakumari.
Achievements
He successfully implemented the “Sittraru-Pattanangal” scheme for the people of Vilavankode thus enabling them to avail good drinking water and improving their irrigation. He was responsible for the setting up of the Aralvaimozhi cooperative spinning-mill thus providing jobs for several workers. He did yeoman service to the farmers especially the harvesters by fighting against a new government law which prohibited the movement of paddy from one taluk to another. The poor farmers who received sacks of paddy as wages for harvesting were in tragic plight. But Mr.Ponnappa Nadar represented their case to the government and got them exempted from the law. Besides, he led protests against another law which prohibited free movement of rice from one district to another. He organised agitations and bandhs and finally succeeded in getting the law repealed. Thus the price of rice which had rocketed in Kanyakumari district came down. Further he fought on behalf of those who participated in the struggle for the union of Kanyakumari district into Tamil Nadu and pressurised the government to grant them pensions. Later, the government agreed to grant pensions to those who were in jail custody. He refused to accept his pension, but insisted on the poor being benefited.
Positions held
General Secretary of the Thiruvankore Tamil Nadu Congress. President of the Nagercoil Bar Association Member of the All India Congress Committee Deputy-leader of the Opposition party at the Legislative Assembly. Leader of the Opposition party at the Legislative Assembly. Vice President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Party One and only Member of the Tamil Nadu Congress Property Trust from the district of Kanyakumari President of the Nagercoil cooperative housing board
Sterling Qualities of Mr.Ponnappa Nadar
Mr.Ponnappa Nadar was a person of great humility. He was simple in his dressing and food habits. He always provided his best for those who approached him without ever turning them down. He always made sure his visitors seated themselves before conversing with them. He used to travel to meet the people of his region on foot or by bus. He lived a sacrificial life serving the poor, the neglected and the widows.
http://www.ponnappanadarfoundation.org/about-ponnappa-nadar/
References
- R.Ponnappa Nadar
- Elections to the Travancore-Cochin Legislative assembly- 1951 and to the Madras assembly constituencies in the Malabar area Archived 3 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- Interim Election to the Travancore-Cochin Assembly – 1954 Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- 1962 Madras State Election Results, Election Commission of India
- 1971 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India