Rajaji
Rajaji
At one time considered Gandhi's heir, this brilliant lawyer from Salem was regarded in pre-independence years as one of the top five leaders of the Congress along with Nehru, Prasad, Patel, and Azad. He was perhaps the sole Congress leader in the forties to admit to the likelihood of Partition. He prophesied even then that Pakistan might break up in twenty-five years! Later, C.R. became a strident critic of Nehru and the Congress. As a founder of the Swatantra party in the fifties, he attacked the 'permit-license Raj' fearing its potential for corruption and stagnation, even while the tide was in favour of Nehru's socialistic pattern.
After serving time in British prisons for his work in Gandhi's independence movement, he became a member of the Governor's Council in 1946. In 1948, when Indian independence was recognized, he replaced Mountbatten, becoming the only Indian Governor-General of India, serving until 1950. When a government was installed with the new constitution of January 26, 1950, the office was replaced that of President Rajendra Prasad.
Rajaji became a member of Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet, first without portfolio, then as Minister for Home Affairs. He was chief minister of Madras from 1952 to 1954. On leaving government, he was among the first recipients of the Bharat Ratna, the Indian government's highest civilian award.
As a writer, besides his own material, he published English translations of many important Indian and Hindu works: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and Bhaja Govindam. He also translated the Ramayana into Tamil.
Kurai Onrum illai (meaning - I have no unfulfilled desires left, oh! God) is a song written by Rajaji and was beautifully sung by MS Subbulakshmi.
Rajaji died in December, 1972 after a short illness. His full 94 years are perhaps best recognized by Mahama Gandhi's reference to him as: "the keeper of my conscience"'.
