India@75 Freedom Fighters: Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, India's first and last Governor-General

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was considered to be the prime personality in modern Indian politics.

Mumbai, First Published Mar 24, 2022, 2:29 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 24, 2022, 2:39 PM IST

India's first and last Governor-General, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, born on December 9, 1878, was mainly known as Rajaji. A loyalist to Mahatma Gandhi and a member of the Indian National Congress during the pre-Independence era. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was considered to be the prime personality in modern Indian politics.

Born to a Chakravarti Venkatarya Iyengar and Singaramma Iyengar in the British presidency of Madras, Rajagopalchari completed his law education from Presidency College. While he was practicing law in Salem, Rajagopalchari learned about a lawyer swearing ideas of civil disobedience in South Africa named Mahatma Gandhi. In 1913, Rajagopalachari printed the Gandhij's jail experience on pamphlets at his own expense.

In 1919, it was the first time Rajagopalachari met Gandhi in Madras (now Chennai). He was a part of Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement. He was too jailed for two years in Vellore in 1920. Post his release, he opened his ashram to encourage Gandhi's principles of Hindu-Muslim harmony and the dissolution of untouchability. Rajagopalachari was also a great supporter of Khadi.

In 1930, when Gandhi directed the Dandi March to break the salt law, Rajagopalachari carried out an identical march at Vedaranyam in the Madras Presidency. Rajagopalachari was also the editor of Gandhi's newspaper, Young India. Being an ardent Gandhi supporter, he never feared to express his opposition to Gandhi. During Quit India Movement,

He was of stand British are going to leave the country eventually, launching new Satyagrapha is not a good decision. He was also in turn of dialogue to end the differences between Hindus and Muslims.

In 1948, Mountbatten was ready to exit from India, and Rajagopalachari was assigned the position he held till January 1950. When the Indian Constitution was passed and declared a republic, he wished to retire from politics. Still, Congress legislators forcefully made the Chief Minister of Madras in April 1952.

Rajagopalachari was honoured with India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1955. He died on December 25, 1972.

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