Hermann Minkowski’s current net worth is unknown. Kumaraswamy Kamaraj was a powerful Indian politician, activist, and statesman who played a key role in Indian politics both before and after independence. Kamaraj began his political career at a young age, coming from a moderate middle-class household. During India’s war for independence, his growing interest in the country’s political system culminated when he became a full-time worker for the Congress. Kamaraj’s lowly beginnings did not stop him as he fought tirelessly to aid the Congress in its fight to remove foreign authority. He went from being an activist to becoming a legislator in the Madras Presidency. When he became the Chief Minister of Madras, he reached the pinnacle of his career. Madras grew and prospered under his leadership. With the opening of new schools and education reforms, the education rate grew from 7% to a magnificent 37 percent. Irrigation and industry thrived, propelling Madras to the forefront of industrialization. Kamaraj, as President of the Indian National Congress, continued to contribute even after stepping down as Prime Minister. He was posthumously awarded the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, for his enormous service. The cost is projected to be between $1 million and $5 million. He amassed this fortune through his work as a mathematician.
Childhood and Adolescence
Kumaraswami Kamaraj was born in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, on July 15, 1903. His parents were Kumaraswamy and Sivakamiv Ammaiar. His father was a businessman. Nagammal was his younger sister.
Kamaraj enrolled at a traditional school in 1907. He joined at Yenadhi Narayana Vidhya Salai the following year, but after a year, he transferred to Virudupatti High School.
When Kamaraj was only six years old, tragedy struck. After his father died, his mother was left to sustain her family on her own. Kamaraj dropped out of school in 1914 to help his mother sustain his family.
Career of K. Kamaraj
Kamaraj began his professional career doing odd jobs. He worked in his uncle’s supply store. Kamaraj took an interest in politics around this time. He was a regular newspaper reader who was well-informed about current affairs. He quickly became active in political processions and public gatherings, learning about the Indian Home Rule Movement in the process.
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 marked a watershed moment in Kamaraj’s life. The assassination of innocent people inflamed Kamaraj’s indignation, and he resolved to participate actively in India’s war for independence and the abolition of the British Raj.
Kamaraj’s developing interest in politics did not go unnoticed by his family, who moved him to Thiruvananthapuram to dwell with his second uncle. Kamaraj’s political zeal, on the other hand, could not be contained in Thiruvananthapuram. He took part in the Vaikom Satyagraha, headed by Congressman George Joseph, to protest higher caste Hindus’ crimes against the Harijans. At the Congress meeting in Madurai, Kamaraj met Mahatma Gandhi, India’s face of the freedom struggle. The latter’s simplicity and nonviolence movement influenced him.
His political activities in Thiruvananthapuram irritated his family to the extent where he was summoned to return home. Although the family’s elders tried to urge Kamaraj to stay out of politics, their efforts were in vain. They even attempted to marry him off, but Kamaraj was adamantly against.
He became a full-time employee of Congress in 1920. He worked as a political campaigner, organizing public meetings and disseminating propaganda for the Congress.
He took part in various Non-Violent Movement events early in his career as a political activist, including the Nagpur Flag Satyagraha, Sword Satyagraha, Neil Statue Satyagraha, and so on. He took part in practically all anti-British agitations and protests after joining the Congress.
In Vedaranyam, Kamaraj took part in the Rajagopalachari-led Salt Satyagraha Movement in 1930. He was given a two-year sentence. However, his sentence was reduced after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, which resulted in his release in 1931.
Despite a ban on public gatherings and procession in Madras in 1932, he conducted processions and rallies that resulted in his detention and one year in prison. Kamaraj was charged with connection in the Virudhunagar bomb case once more in 1933. Despite not being proven guilty, he was acquitted.
Satyamurti, Kamaraj’s guru, was chosen President of the Provincial Congress in 1936. Kamaraj was named General Secretary by the latter. Four years later, the two swapped places, bolstering the party’s foundation with their leadership abilities.
He attended the All India Congress Meet in Bombay in 1942, which was the birthplace of Gandhi’s Quit India Movement. He was caught and imprisoned for three years for spreading propaganda material to Trichy, Tanjore, Ranipet, and Madurai. He read and schooled himself during his time in prison.
He was elected to the Congress’s Working Committee after India’s independence in 1947. He also served on the Constituent Assembly, which created the country’s constitution. In the first Lok Sabha elections in 1951, he ran for and won a seat.
He was elected Chief Minister of the Madras State in 1954. He grudgingly accepted the position and named C. Subramaniam and M. Bhakthavatsalam as members of his cabinet. As Chief Minister, Kamaraj’s motto was to work for the people’s welfare.
Madras achieved enormous strides in education and trade under Kamaraj’s leadership. New schools were built, and education was declared free and mandatory for all students up to the eleventh grade. Every Panchayat had a high school, and every village had a primary school. He even pioneered the notion of a Mid-Day Meal Program for tens of thousands of impoverished and disadvantaged youngsters. He proposed school uniforms to eliminate caste, creed, and class distinctions. The education rate increased from 7% to 37% under his presidency, indicating that he made significant progress.
Kamaraj’s government prioritized education, but he did not neglect other sectors. Indeed, he devised massive irrigation systems that resulted in the construction of dams and canals. Farmers were provided access to resources and loans that were subsidized. He also oversaw the establishment of significant companies such as the Neyveli Lignite Corporation, BHEL, Manali Oil Refinery, Hindustan Raw Photo Film Factory, Surgical Instrument Factory, and a Railway Coach Factory, among others. During this time, new industries such as paper, sugar, chemicals, and cement were founded.
The fact that Kamaraj remained Chief Minister of the State for three consecutive terms, being re-elected in 1957 and 1962, demonstrates his ability as a leader and administrator. Nehru said that Madras was the “best run state in India” under his presidency.
He resigned as Chief Minister in 1963 to devote his time to a bigger cause. Congress, which had lost its vim and luster, needed a makeover. He devised the ‘Kamaraj Plan,’ which he named after himself. He urged that all top Congress leaders resign from their positions and devote their energies to the Congress’s revival.
It was primarily done to keep party leaders from succumbing to the temptations of power and to recommit them to the party’s goals and motto. A number of ministers, including Lal Bahadur Shastri, Jagjivan Ram, Morarji Desai, and S.K. Patil, resigned as a result of the Plan.
He was elected President of the All India Congress in 1964. During his presidency, he effectively guided the country through the turbulent years following Nehru’s death. In 1964 and 1966, he refused to accept the Prime Ministership twice, instead handing it up to Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi.
Kamaraj became the leader of the Indian National Congress (Organisation) in Tamil Nadu after the Congress split in 1969. Despite the fact that the party lost terribly in 1971, he remained in office until his death in 1975.
Major Projects of Kamaraj
Though Kamaraj’s contribution to politics was considerable throughout his career, beginning as a political activist and later as a major leader of the Indian Independence Movement, it was as Chief Minister of Madras State that he made the most significant contribution. Madras became one of the best-managed states in the country during his reign. He placed a strong emphasis on educational reforms, including the introduction of free compulsory education.
He developed new schools and pioneered the noon meal program, which gave nourishment to tens of thousands of underprivileged and deprived youngsters. He also attempted to eliminate caste and religious divisions. Irrigation and industry flourished and expanded under his three-term presidency.
Personal History and Legacy
Kamaraj died peacefully in his sleep on October 2, 1975. He was 72 years old at the time.
In 1976, Kamaraj was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor.
In Tamil Nadu, he was given the title of ‘Kalvi Thanthai,’ or Father of Education.
The domestic terminal of Chennai Airport is known as the ‘Kamaraj Terminal.’
Several roads and avenues across the country have been named after Kamaraj in recognition of his contributions to Indian politics and governance, including the ‘Kamarajar Salai’ on Chennai’s seaside road. North Parade Road in Bangalore and Parliament Road in New Delhi have both been called ‘K. Kamaraj Road.’
In Madurai, a university named after him, Madurai Kamaraj University, was established to honor his educational policies as Madras Chief Minister.
Estimated Net Worth
K. Kamaraj is one of the wealthiest politicians and one of the most well-known. K. Kamaraj’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.