Annai Meenambal Sivaraj -- National Level Woman Leader From The Scheduled Classes of India.

            Annai Meenambal Sivaraj, Dr. Ambedkar and Thanthai Sivaraj.

India's First National Level Scheduled Classes Woman Leader - Annai Meenambal Sivaraj:

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's beloved sister, and Women Icon Annai Mennambal Sivaraj was blessing to the aboriginal people. She had been endowed with knowledge, capability and prosperity. She is one of the most famous personalities in the Scheduled Classes Movement. She is entitled to have a special place in the history of the struggle of the aboriginal people. Such an august personality she was.

Annai Meenambal Sivaraj was born to V. G. Vasudevapillai and Meenakshi on 26th December 1904. It is not merely an exaggeration to say that our Annai's birth itself was a glory. One of her grand fathers P. M. Madurai Pillai was a big merchant from Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Madurai Pillai was her grand father through her mother's lineage. He was an eminent Ship Merchant in Rangoon. Loving able people around him and he had earned a name as a benefactor. At the same time he possessed such huge money that could even buy ships of his own. Annai Meenambal's father, V. G. Vasudevapillai was the famous among the Adi-Dravida Leaders. He was the first elected person to the Corporation of Madras from the aboriginal people. In 1923, he was elected as a nominated member to the Madras Legislature Council.

It was historic that Annai Meenambal's public service had started from her first address in 1928 in favour of the Simon Commission. Since the year 1930, she continued to spread the message of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in South India. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar himself fondly called her as, "My dear Sister". It was Annai Meenambal who rendered the title 'PERIYAR' to E. V. Ramasamy a well known leader of Tamil Nadu on 13 November 1938. She was very active in public service till the year of 1980. She died on 30th November 1992.

True to her fervent labour towards the people's advancement, she had earned a lot of opportunities to serve. She was the first Scheduled Classes Woman to become a member of Madras Corporation and Deputy Mayor of Madras Corporation. She was the honorary Magistrate for Madras Province, Senate Member of Madras University and the member of Post-war Reconstruction committee. She was the forefront leader of the anti-Hindi agitation in Madras province in 1938.

                                 

Annai Meenambal Sivaraj

Annai Meenambal had paid her service joining force with Adi-Dravida leaders who admired her for her service. She advocated that women's liberation is the human liberation. So, she initiated the women audience to actively participated in social uplift of the Scheduled Classes and they should impart education to their children, improve their confidence and inculcate in them good moral culture. She advised women to fight and liberate themselves from untouchability, casteism and oppression. In spite of this, she was never hesitant to prove her individuality. There were hundreds of conference and meetings which she blessed with her Presidentship. Her irrefutable advice that she gave at the Tirunelveli Adi-Dravida conference which was convened on 31st January 1937. She said:

"It is said that a family without unity will perish. For this reason it must be known that a society, nation or anything else needs the strength of unity to gain its progress. Although it will take a long time to do away with this sin of case consciousness from our country, all the people of our community must unite together with each other to prove that we are too human beings"

Annai Meenambal Shivaraj

I dunno how many PERIYARISTS know about her?

* She gave the title 'PERIYAR' (Great one) to E. V. RAMASAMY in the women conference held in Madras on 13 November 1938. But facts like these were covered up and did not reach the popular discourse. Even I dunno how many of Periyarists know about this.

* Her husband Thanthai Sivaraj was the President of "All India Scheduled Castes Federation". AISCF was the first all India political party exclusively for the Scheduled Classes of India. It was founded by Prof. Thanthai Sivaraj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in the national convention of the Scheduled Classes held at Nagpur during 17-20 July 1942. It was presided by Thanthai N. Sivaraj and he was elected as its President. When the Republican Party of India was founded in 1957, he was again elected as its First President and continued working to establish the party's organization until he died in 1964. He served as a Member of Parliament once during British India and once after Independence on behalf of the Republican party from 1957 to 1962.

* Annai Meenambal was initially chosen to preside over 'The All India Depressed Classes Women's conference' held at Mohan Park, Nagpur, on July 20, 1942. Due to certain unavoidable reasons, she could not come to Nagpur. So that Sulochanabai Dongre of Amravati was chosen to preside over this conference.

* Annai Meenambal was the First President of 'All India Scheduled Castes Women's Federation'. She presided over the first AISCF Women’s conference held at Madras, in 1944. Also she presided over the Second AISCF Women’s conference held at Bombay, on May 6th, 1945. These conferences were attended by both Thanthai Sivaraj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

                                       

Words of Annai Meenambal:

"I think the year was 1938…we were running an organisation for Tamil Nadu’s women. A person called Narayaniamma was a professor at Queen Mary’s College then. She told me, “All important people in Madras Presidency have special titles…but, E.V.R. alone does not have any such title. We have to give him some title through our Association.”.. I gave the suggestion – ‘E.V.R. shows us all the way and is the father of Rationalism here…He occupies a higher place than any others we can compare him to, we can give him the title of ‘Periyar’ (the great one)’ And so, we organised a meeting at the Victoria Public Hall that was near Moore Market then and announced this title formally. E.V.R. was in jail at the time, after having been arrested during the anti-Hindi agitation. After the meeting was over, we went to see him in person and told him the news of having given him the title of ‘Periyar’. He laughed. From this, we took it that he had accepted the ‘Periyar’ title…” said Meenambal Sivaraj.

Remembering Dr.Babaeaheb Ambedkar, Meenambal Sivaraj says, “Ambedkar was skilled at cooking. Once, I participated in a meeting of the Scheduled Caste Federation at Bombay. Returning from the meeting, we were really hungry…Ambedkar took some of us who had participated in the meeting to his ‘Rajgriha’ home and served us food with his own hands. The important thing here is, he had cooked the food himself! When he came to Chennai, the Chettinad Raja Sir Muthiah Chettiar would ask him teasingly, “Do you have any dear ones in Chennai?” To which Ambedkar would reply, “But my sister Meenambal is in Madras.”

I dare to say here, leaders like Pandit Iyothee Thass, Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan, Perunthalaivar M. C. Rajah, Prof. Thanthai Sivaraj, Rao Saheb L.C. Gurusamy, Annai Meenambal Sivaraj etc., have been neglected by our own fellows and the Shudra (OBC) fellows of Tamil Nadu. My special thanks to Paari Chelian Ayya, Gowthama Meena Akka and Srithar Anna.

Compiled:
Ambeth,
Dharmapuri,
Tamil Nadu.

Reference:
1. 'Our Leaders' by Anbu Ponnoviam, Siddhartha Publications, Chennai.
2. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Tamil Vol- 37 / English Vol- 17, Part-III.
3. 'Words of Annai Meenambal' taken from Paari Chelian article.

Jai bheem..!

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Annai Meenambal Shivaraj

Three Questions To Communist Friends: By Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Dr. Ambedkar delivering his historic speech “Buddha or Karl Marx”

There are two or three questions which I have always asked my Communist friends to answer and which, I must frankly say, they have not been able to answer. They establish by means of violence what they call the dictatorship of the proletariat. They deprive all people who have property, of their political rights. They cannot have right to vote, they must remain what they call second grade subjects of the state, the ruled, not sharing authority or power. When I asked them, "Do you agree that the dictatorship is a good method of governing people" ? They say, "No, we don't like dictatorship". Then we say, "How do you allow it" ? But they say, "This is an interim period in which dictatorship must be there." You proceed further and ask them, "What is the duration of this interim period" ? How long ? Twenty years ? Forty years ? Fifty years ?" No answer. They only repeat that the proletarian dictatorship will vanish, somehow automatically.

Very well, let us talk the thing as it is that dictatorship will vanish. Well, I ask the question, "What will happen when dictatorship disappears ? What will take its place ? Will men not need Government of sort ?" They have no answer. Then we go back to the Buddha and ask this question in relation to his Dhamma. What does he say ? The greatest thing that the Buddha has done is to tell the world that the world can not be reformed except by the reformation of the mind of the man, and the mind of the world. If the mind is changed, If the mind accepts the communist system and loves it loyalty and carries it out, it is a permanent thing, it does not require a soldier or a police officer to keep a man in order. Why ? The answer is: The Buddha has energized your conscience itself that is acting as a sentinel in order to keep you on your path. There is no trouble when the mind is converted the thing is permanent.

The Communist system is based in force......... Such a system can take no root, and therefore in my judgement unless the communist are able to answer these questions, what would happen to their system ? When force disappears, there is no use pursuing it. Because, If the mind is not converted, force will always be necessary, and this is what I want to say in conclusion that one of the greatest things I find in Buddhism is that its system is a democratic system.

~ Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Source:

* Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches, English Volume 17, Part Three, ( Extracted from 'Buddha or Karl Marx') (Page: 554 - 556).

My Special Thanks To: Videesha Umare [For the aforementioned book].

November 26: Constitution Day of India.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Constitution of India

                                   

It is one of the greatest historical days in the history of India. It was the day of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" based Democracy had came on 26th November 1949 in India. The Constituent Assembly accepted the draft Constitution. Though born as an Indian, I never proud for being an Indian. On one thing I thank to one of the founding fathers of Modern India, Revolutionary Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar who gave 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity' based Democracy in India irrespective of Caste, Class, Gender and Religion. Although India attained her independence on August 15, 1947, till 1949 it had no permanent constitution of its own and not functioning under the laws enacted. After many amendments the Constitution was approved and Revolutionary Ambedkar presented the draft Constitution was accepted on November 26, 1949. Then it was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in the name of the people of India that came into force on January 26, 1950 marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India. In fact it was the day that the Constitution of India came into effect.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, an eminent lawyer in India, was appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee set up by the Constituent Assembly in August 1947 to frame the Constitution of India. It was not a simple work but to sculpt the big mountain to share all people rights equally. The Indian Constitution is greatly influenced by his revolutionary ideas and thoughts. Many fellows wrongly thought that Babasaheb's inclusion into constituent assembly was by Mr. Gandhi. But the entry of Babasaheb was mainly due to his professional approach, his excellent knowledge of constitution and his great work in "States and Minorities" which is a part foundation of our constitution today. Even the Congress choice was someone else from the Congress or foreign constitutional experts. 

In the 1946 Provincial Assembly elections, the AISCF won only two seats. Jogendranath Mandal of Bengal won the election. In Bombay Assembly, none of the AISCF candidates were elected. Because of this, Babasaheb contested from Bengal and was able to enter the Constituent Assembly with the support of Jogendranath Mandal and other independent members from the Scheduled Classes. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was the sole Scheduled Classes representative in the Constituent Assembly on behalf of the AISCF. Consequent upon the partition of Bengal, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar ceased to be a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1947. The work done by Babasaheb in various sub-committees ( Advisory Committee, Fundamental Rights sub-committee, Minorities sub-committee, Union Constitution Committee ) of the Constitutional Assembly was considered very useful. He submitted a memorandum to the Fundamental Rights sub-committee in which he gave concrete shape ideas. This memorandum was later published for wider circulation under the title 'States and Minorities, what are their rights and how to secure them in the Constitution of free India'.

The Congress Party which had earlier opposed tooth and nail his entry into the Constituent Assembly came forward and sponsored his candidature. In his letter dated 30th June 1947, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly requested Mr. B. G. Kher, the then Prime Minister of Bombay to elect Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar immediately. He wrote, "Apart from any other consideration we have found Dr. Ambedkar's work both in the Constituent Assembly and the various committees to which he was appointed to he of such an order as to require that we should not he deprived of his services. As you know, he was elected from Bengal and after the division of the Province he has ceased to be a member of the Constituent Assembly. I am anxious that he should attend the next session of the Constituent Assembly commencing from the 14th July and it is therefore necessary that he should be elected immediately". Accordingly, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was re-elected in July 1947 from Bombay as a member of the Constituent Assembly. Soon after Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited him to join the Cabinet he formed on 15th August 1947 on the eve of independence. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar accepted the invitation and became India's first Law Minister. On 29th August the Assembly unanimously elected him as Chairman of the Drafting Committee which was assigned the task of framing the Constitution. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who was a strong opponent of Congress had now become philosopher and guide in the Constitutional matters of India. After the completion of his work, Babasaheb said "I feel the Constitution is workable; it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country together both in peace time and in war time".

T. T. Krishnamachari in his speech in Constituent assembly about Babasaheb's dedicatory contribution. He said that: "Out of the seven members selected to prepare the draft constitution, one resigned, one died, one left for America, one was busy with his work in princely state, one or two live away from Delhi, some had to be excused for health reasons, Dr. Ambedkar was the only one who had to bear the burnt."

The first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, praised the services rendered by Babasaheb in the making of the Constitution. He said, "I have carefully watched the day-to-day activities from the presidential seat. Therefore, I appreciate more than others with how much dedication and vitality this task has been carried out by the Drafting Committee and by its chairman Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar in particular. We never did a better thing than having Dr. Ambedkar on the Drafting Committee and selecting him as its chairman." V. I. Muniswamy Pillay from Madras said: "Mr. President, Sir, I stand before this August Assembly to support the motion moved by my Honourable Friend, Dr. Ambedkar. Sir, I proceed now to appreciate the great services that have been rendered by the Drafting Committee whose services are so valuable to us; they have not spared days and nights in coming to decisions on important articles. I must say a word of praise to the caliber and capacity of the Chairman of the Drafting Committee - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Coming as I do from a community that has produced Dr. Ambedkar, I feel proud that his capacity has now been recognized, not only by the Scheduled Castes but by all communities that inhabit India. The Scheduled Castes have produced a great Nandanar, a Tirupazanalwar, and above all a Tiruvalluvar, the great philosopher whose name and fame is not only known throughout the length and breadth of India but of the whole world. To that galaxy of great men of Scheduled Castes now we have to add Dr. Ambedkar, who, as a man has been able to show to the world that the Scheduled Castes are no less important but they can rise to heights and give to the world their great services. I know, Sir, that he has served the community of the Scheduled Castes and also of India by his great service and sacrifice in preparing a Constitution which will be the order of the day from the 26th of January 1950 and I also feel. Sir, of the Chief Draftsman and of the staff that have worked in preparing the Constitution cannot be littled; they equally receive our praise."

Babasaheb in his speech in Constitutional Assembly, "I shall not therefore enter into the merits of the Constitution. Because I feel, however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depend are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics. Who can say how the people of India and their parties will behave ? Will they uphold constitutional methods of achieving their purposes or will they prefer revolutionary methods of achieving them ? If they adopt the revolutionary methods; however good the Constitution may be, it requires no prophet to say that it will fail. It is, therefore, futile to pass any judgement upon the Constitution without reference to the part which the people and their parties are likely to play. The constitution I offered, may be good or bad, it will depend on how the men in office use it. India lost its independence because one of us, one in power, betrayed. We must spend the last drop of blood to defend the freedom of our country".

With Regards,
Ambeth,
Dharmapuri,
Tamil Nadu.

Jai bheem..!
Long Live Ambedkarism....!!
Reference:
* Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches: English Volume 13, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar – The Principal Architect of the Constitution of India.

Written: November 2012.