PM Modi pays homage to K Kamraj on his birth anniversary, says "his ideals on social justice inspire us greatly"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid homage to freedom fighter and Congress leader K Kamraj on his birth anniversary and said that his noble ideals and emphasis on social justice inspire us all greatly.

Taking to X, PM Modi said, "Paying homage to Thiru K. Kamaraj Ji on his birth anniversary. He was at the forefront of India's freedom struggle and provided invaluable leadership in the formative years of our journey after Independence. His noble ideals and emphasis on social justice inspire us all greatly."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to K Kamraj, calling him "a true son of India."


"Today, we pay our sincere homage to K. Kamarajar, a true son of India, revered by the people of Tamil Nadu for his pioneering social welfare initiatives," Kharge wrote on X.

Highlighting Kamraj's active role in the freedom struggle and his "transformative impact" in nation building after independence, Kharge said, "One of the Independence movement's towering figures, a Former Congress President, and a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, Kamarajar was a tireless champion of social justice. His visionary Mid Day Meal scheme stood as a powerful catalyst, breaking down barriers and bringing education within reach for the disadvantaged."

Kumaraswami Kamaraj was born humble and poor in a backward area of Tamil Nadu on July 15, 1903. His schooling lasted only six years. At the age of twelve, he was already working as a shop assistant. He was barely fifteen when he heard of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which was the turning point in his life.

Kamaraj was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1937, unopposed. He was again elected to it in 1946. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of India in 1946 and later to Parliament in 1952.

He became the Chief Minister of Madras in 1954. In 1963, he suggested to Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, that senior Congress leaders should leave ministerial posts to take up organisational work. This suggestion came to be known as the 'Kamaraj Plan'.

He was honoured posthumously with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1976.