Coimbatore produced a couple of great leaders during the colonial era. These leaders knew how to balance the aspirations of their country men without compromising their self respect. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar, Dr.R.K.Shanmukham Chetty, Diwan Bahadur C.S.Rathinasabapathy Mudaliar and V.C.Vellingiri Gounder stood tall in this context. They represented Coimbatore and its interests in a formidable manner. Much has been spoken about these great souls and its important that we recall some facets of the good work done by them once in a way.
Coimbatore produced a couple of great leaders during the colonial era. These leaders knew how to balance the aspirations of their country men without compromising their self respect. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar, Dr.R.K.Shanmukham Chetty, Diwan Bahadur C.S.Rathinasabapathy Mudaliar and V.C.Vellingiri Gounder stood tall in this context. They represented Coimbatore and its interests in a formidable manner. Much has been spoken about these great souls and its important that we recall some facets of the good work done by them once in a way.
T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar was known as the father of the co operative movement. He occupied a number of positions during his long public life which spanned decades. He was responsible for a number of developmental projects which include the Pollachi Railway which came up during his tenure as the Chairman of the District Board. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar was drawn towards Tamil literature. He rendered a critical view of Kalithogai and also a series of articles on the lives of Tamils as revealed by the Sangam literature.
A lot of help was rendered by him to Mahamahopadhyaya Dr.U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer for the publication of a number of Tamil classics. If not for his intervention a number of educational institutions may not have existed. He ensured that the London Mission School / Union High School did well by encouraging the Head Master Sargunam for a number of years. The Government Arts College was in a critical condition and salaries had not been paid for sometime. It was the year 1920 and the question was whether to close it down or hand it over to the Government. Due to false prestige, some of the members were not in favour of either decisions. Thankfully T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar took a strong attitude and his convincing arguments made the committee to hand over the college to the Government.
Coimbatore had shown the way to the world by taking the co operative movement forward. It had produced a number of veteran co operators who included C.N.Krishnaswami Iyer, T.S.Balakrishna Iyer and K.R.Subbharayar. The co operative movement became a dynamic force in the economic life of Coimbatore District with the entry of T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar in the year 1911. For about 40 years of his life, co operation was his first love and everything else was secondary.
The consistent co operator was the head of most of the co operative institutions of the day. He was an interesting man and was a patron of art all his life. His drawing room at Coimbatore had high class specimens of Indian art. He used to visit art exhibitions and enthrall people with his knowledge on the subject. Art was just his hobby and had he taken to it on a full time basis, he would have perhaps become a good art critic. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar was keen to revive Indian folk art and dance. Once he hosted Guru Sadya Dutt ( Founder Bratachari Movement - Bengal ) and team at Coimbatore. Guru Sadya Dutt had given a new life and a new form to the folk songs, folk dances of Bengal and evolved out of them a movement of joyful living, singing and playing for building the youth of Bengal.
Guru Sadya Dutt and his troupe consisting of about 20 members were the guests of T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar and the Bratachari party gave a demonstration of songs and dances in Coimbatore. While paying encomiums top the team, T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar traced the history of folk dances and folk songs in the daily life of Tamils. He told the audience that these aspects were part and parcel of the daily rustic life in the Tamil speaking regions of the country. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar further averred that training of youth in this connection must be part of the schemes drawn out in the interest of the people. He used the oppourtunity to organize a demonstration of the folk dances and songs of hill tribes who lived round about Periyanaickenpalayam with the help of his nephew T.S.Avinashilingam Chettiar ( Founder - Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya ).
Every moment intended for the amelioration of the poor and the succor of the afflicted found in T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar an ardent champion. It was the year 1930 and the River Bhavani was in spate. It had caused damage to thousands of families from the socially depressed classes who were living along its banks. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar was part of the flood relief committee and he had invited S.R.Venkataraman ( Chennai ) of the Servants of India Society ( Founded by Gopalakrishna Gokhale ) to take charge of the relief operations all along the river bank - from Mettupalayam to Bhavani. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar took a lot of personal interest by visiting every nook and corner of the flood affected areas.
T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar was a Member of the Madras Legislative Council for 25 years and later he became a Member of the Central Legislature. He was also a part of the Constituent Assembly which drafted the Indian Constitution. His contributions to debates and discussions on the economic questions were important and his approach was memorable.
He was elected unopposed to the Parliament in the year 1952 but unfortunately passed away. His role in a new India would have been of great help to the Government and the governed. Politics, social service, scouting, legislation, religious causes, co operation, banking, education, industry, commerce and local self government claimed him in the field of public service. He derived a certain amount of pleasure from seeing his activities resulting in joy to his fellow beings.
The co operator had good business instincts. He seized the oppourtunity of the war time boom to give a great fillip to the consumers movement as well as find a renumerative outlet for the money belonging to the apex bank of the co operatives. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar the legislator did a marvelous job and the records throw much light on his speeches in Legislative Council. He pointed out to the contradictions that were inundating good governance. The good legislator pointed out the details pertaining to the contradictory statements and actions of the Finance Member ! He recommended against raising taxes at times of temporary slump.
While referring to the speech of the Finance Member seeking to shield himself by using Kautilya…" I think sir , that we are not going back to the old system of spies and spies on spies...There was then control not only of liquor but of various other things including prostitution.... Well, Sir, in this connection , the Honourable Finance Member was pleased to tell us that in time of Kautilya revenue was obtained from consumption of liquor...… If liquor is considered a bad thing, is considered that we ought to strive hard to stop drinking it, then the question will be how to stop it....if the honourable member thinks it is not possible to stop it.....he will have to investigate the question of stopping it or not stopping it and not go back to Kautilya and say because in the time of Kautilya there was liquor traffic so we ought to have it too...." T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar was a man of clean habits and lived the life of a renunciate.
The admirable speech of T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar while appreciating the services of E.S.Montague, the Secretary of State for India is worth remembering. He calls the resignation a painful surprise and states that it was due to good offices of E.S.Montague that self government became a part of governance in the country. Rich encomiums were paid by him while referring to the good work of E.S.Montague in connection with the well being of the Indian diaspora living in countries like Kenya.
He went to talk about the bad treatment meted out to Indians in South Africa and stated that India ought to be grateful to E.S.Montague with regard to his stand on this matter. He calls it a pity while talking about the representations made by E.S.Montague not being viewed suitably by the British Cabinet and wonders whether the constitutional point that had been raised had been responsible for this development. T.A.Ramalingam also expressed that the people of India should be given more control over the expenditure of the country. He also spoke about the Siruvani, the utilization of the waters of Bhavani by using them through canals.
T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar wanted to know why everything else was being kept in abeyance because of the Mettur Project. He seconded the motion of Diwan Bahadur C.V.Venkataramana Iyengar while speaking about the rain fed Coimbatore region. He stated that people were suffering and selling cattle at a third of the price and help had to rendered by creating water resources for them. The Mettur Project ought not be the reason to stop other good things from happening. He spoke about harnessing the waters of the west flowing rivers of Malabar and bringing the same eastward. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar wanted the expert committee to study the Upper and Lower Bhavani Schemes. He felt that it would engage and ensure that the Government will implement the schemes in the interest of the people. However he felt that the smaller projects connected with water should not be made to wait for the outcome of a research or study report from experts and that a regular team would be sufficient to look into the matter.
T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar promoted Coimbatore Murugan Mills and was the President of Radhakrishna Mills, Coimbatore Cotton Mills and Coimbatore Spinning & Weaving Company those days. He had been a frank and keen critic, his sound and thoughtful advice was respected by everyone. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar held many positions and was the Chairman of the Coimbatore Municipality and it was during his tenure that the new extension schemes had been ideated. It was during his term as the Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams that a road costing Rs.12 lakhs had been created for convenience of pilgrims using motor vehicles in the year 1944.
He was among the first to give up the title ' Diwan Bahadur ' after the Indian constitution came into force. Jovial and frank in talk, he was cut and dry in his conversation. He could take a decision in just a minute and a word of his was unalterable . He was afraid of none, but God. At the same time, he had a large heart which always enlarged to help his fellow countrymen. The good work of the marvelous Coimbatorean T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar will act as an inspiration for the ones who wish to serve the nation from Coimbatore.