Perunthalaivar Prof. M.C. Rajah's Speech At The Domestic Servants Conference (1920).

Prof. M. C. Rajah's Speech in 1920

What a coincidence ..! Yesterday, I was planning to share a brief article about 'Perunthalaivar Prof. M. C. Rajah and United Punjab (India and Pakistan)'. But I was not able to do it. While reading today's The Hindu, I found that Prof. M. C. Rajah's speech has published on page 7 under 'A Hundred Years Ago April 28, 1920'.

// As regards the representation in the Legislative Council, though the Joint Parliamentary Committee had recommended six seats for us, you do not know what amount of difficulty I had in getting five seats reserved for us. //

Domestic Servants Conference:

A Conference of the Madras Domestic Servants of the European Employers was held. The Hon’ble Mr. M. C. Rajah in the course of his presidential address said: “Our demands are elementary. We have to plead hard for the most elementary rights of citizenship. We have often to ask that we may be treated as human beings. It is only the Christian missionaries among the European Employers that treat us at all sympathetically but with others our aspirations meet but with little sympathy. In the Legislative Council, I have often been reminded that my interpellations and resolutions relate to trifling matters. They may be trifling and insignificant to those engaged in the game of transcendental politics. They may not be so romantic as big political proposals. But “the toad beneath the harrow knows exactly where each tooth-point goes.” The Government seems to be under the impression that by appointing a few men of our community to the councils of the land, they have done their duty to our community. I am often told that my being on the Legislative Council is propositive of the interest the Government takes in our community. As regards the representation in the Legislative Council, though the Joint Parliamentary Committee had recommended six seats for us, you do not know what amount of difficulty I had in getting five seats reserved for us. I desire that we should be treated as office-servants and not as despicable slaves.

Lectures on Buddhism: (Madras, 1st September 1912)

Buddhism: Pandit Iyothee Thass, Appaduraiar, Ragavar, Periaswamy Pulavar

Lectures on Buddhism: (Madras, 1st September 1912)

Pandit C. Iyodhi Doss, the FIRST INDIAN BUDDHIST REVIVALIST, the founder of South Indian Sakya Buddhist Society, and the Editor of the 'Tamilian' will preside.

Place: Pudpet Opposite Corporation Building

Time: On Sunday at 2 P.M.

Lecturer and Subject:

1. M. Ragavar of Kolar: Aryan Invation.

2. G. Appaduraiar of Salem: Sivakachindamani and Periapuranum.

3. A. P. Periaswami Pulavar of Tirupettur: Buddhism and Vedanta.

With Kind Request of:

P. M. Sagathavar.

S. C. Audhikesavan.

Jai bheem...!

Image Courtesy: Via வெங்கடேஷ் சூனாம்பேடு

Prof. M.C. Rajah's Letter To Barrister. M.K. Gandhi (1938).

Prof. M. C. Rajah and  Barrister. M. K. Gandhi

"If we are not free to enter into Hindu Temples, we are No Hindus, and if we are not Hindus why should we be in a joint electorate with them? Is it for swelling their numbers as against Muslims and other communities?"

~ Prof. M. C. Rajah's letter to Barrister M. K. Gandhi (1938).

"... But he [Prof. M. C. Rajah] has declared himself openly as a bitter opponent of the Poona Pact." (in 1938)

~ Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (1945).

Experience of the Malabar temple entry bill (including the actions of Mr. M. K. Gandhi and the Congress) had updated Perunthalaivar Prof. M. C. Rajah in 1938 to the next level i.e the Scheduled Classes should be a separate minority. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar updated his thought in 1935. As the representatives of the Scheduled Classes of India in the Cripps Mission in 1942, Prof. M. C. Rajah and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar sought an assurance from Sir Stafford Cripps that they should be included in the racial and religious minorities.

Ambeth.,

Dharmapuri,

Tamil Nadu.

Reference:
* Both Perunthalaivar M. C. Rajah and Dr. Ambedkar Were Determined NOT to be Part of the Hindu Fold.

Some of The 'First' Scheduled Classes Women In India.

Scheduled Classes Women Leaders

* President of First AISCF Women Conference - Annai Meenambal Sivaraj.

* Member of Corporation (Madras) - Annai Meenambal Sivaraj.

* Deputy Mayor (Madras Corporation) - Annai Meenambal Sivaraj.

* Member of the Constituent Assembly of India - Dakshayani Velayudham (Kerala).

* Independent India's First MP - Maragatham Chandrasekar (Tamil Nadu).

* First Minister in India (Union Govt) - Maragatham Chandrasekar.

* First Minister (State Govt in India) - Jothi Venkatachalam (Tamil Nadu).

* First MoS of Home Affairs - Maragatham Chandrasekar.

* Tamil Nadu's First Non-Congress Union Minister - Dr. Sathyavani Muthu.

* Chairperson, Commission for SC/ST - Maragatham Chandrasekar.

* Chairperson, UPSC - R. M. Bethew (Meghalaya).

* Member of UPSC - Dham (Bihar).

* First M.L.A of Republican Party of India (Andhra Pradesh) - Eshwari Bai.

* Chief Minister - Behanji Mayawati (Uttar Pradesh).

* First Autobiographer - Shantabai Kamble (Maharashtra).

* World Carrom Champion - Revathy (Tamil Nadu).

* Leader of the Legislative Assembly (Andhra Pradesh) - Dr. Geeta.

* Speaker in a State Legislature - Prathiba Bharathi (Andhra Pradesh).

* India's 1st Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha - Meira Kumar (Bihar).

Ambeth.,

Dharmapuri,

Tamil Nadu.

(8 April 2012)

Perunthalaivar Prof. M. C. Rajah and The Andhra Depressed Classes Conference (1935).

Prof. M. C. Rajah at Rajahmundry (1935)

Under the Presidentship of Perunthalaivar Prof. M. C. Rajah the Andhra Depressed Classes Conference was held at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh in June 1935 (erstwhile Madras Presidency). Urdu Subbarao of East Godavari and Dr. Zeerdas of Guntur were elected Provincial Secretaries. Shanmugam of Nellore was authorised to organise District Committees.

Prof. M. C. Rajah exhorted the depressed classes to discard the distinctions that prevailing among them such as Mala and Madiga. He protested against the creation of the upper house in the provincial legislatures. He said that If in defiance of public opinion the upper chamber was created, he requested the Government to allot adequate representation to the depressed classes in the upper chamber.

Here some important resolutions passed in the conference:

1. To increase the strength of the depressed classes hostel located in Masulipatam.

2. With a view to liquidating illiteracy among the depressed classes, the Conference requested the government to introduce compulsory elementary Education among the Depressed Classes, and further requested to introduce a scheme of education which would give due important to technical education.

3. To support the Anti-Untouchability Bill introduced by Rao Bahadur M. C. Rajah in the Central Legislative Assembly (Today's Parliament)

4. Requested the Government and the local bodies to reserve at least one-fifth of the appointments under their control for the depressed classes.

5. Requested the Government and the public to place all productive land by legislation in the hands of only people who had taken to agriculture as profession. The Conference further requested the Government to set apart by legislation one-third of the annual produce for the agricultural labourer.

6. The Conference drew the attention of the public to the importance of forming the Andhra Provincial Agricultural Labour Association.

7. Out of the thirty seats reserved for the Depressed Classes in the Madras Legislative Council under the new reform scheme, the Conference requested the Government to allot 15 seats to the Andhra Depressed Classes.

Here some excerpts of Perunthalaivar Prof. M. C. Rajah's speech at this Conference:

"To take opportunity by the forelock is a golden rule for success. Unless we risk no profit can be gained. Suspicion breeds suspicion; and when there is no vision the people will perish. Everyone one of us has to live in our mother country [India]. We are the ancient inhabitants of this land and this country is dear to us and we are not going to migrate from our country. My humble suggestion is that at this juncture to advise the community to mark time in political advancement, when others are going forward with rapid strides, will be to put a brake on the progress of the community itself. Let us put our shoulders together to bring the community almost in line with the other Communities of India......The lack of unity has become an handicap to the amelioration work. It should be noted that without the unity, the interest of the people is bound to suffer....So let me conclude my address by asking you to unite among ourselves. United we stand, divided are fall."

~ Ambeth Collections ~

Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasanar And Aranganayagi Ammal.

Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasanar and Aranganayagi Ammal.

Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasanar brought the rights that the Scheduled Classes to use the public roads, wells, tanks, etc in erstwhile Madras Presidency (Present-Day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Odisha):

When the Justice Party Ministry failed to eradicate the deep seated social injustices and social barriers, on 22nd August 1924, Thatha Srinivasanar moved an adjournment motion in the Madras Legislative Council recommending the Government that the members of the 'Depressed Classes' should be allowed freely on all common streets, roads, buildings to walk, then to be allowed to draw water from common wells etc. without any restrictions. Thereupon, the Government issued an order on 25th September 1924 regarding the use of public roads, wells, etc. by members of the Depressed Classes. This was accepted and a government order to this effect was issued in 1925. On the request of his wife Aranganayagi Ammal, he brought this resolution.