N. M. R. Subbaraman

N. M. R. Subbaraman (14 August 1905 – 25 January 1983) was an Indian freedom fighter and politician from Tamil Nadu. He was a member of Parliament from the Madurai constituency (1962–1967). He was also called "Madurai Gandhi" for his Gandhian principles.^[1][2]

Biography

Subbaraman was born on 14 August 1905 to a wealthy Saurashtra family^[3] of Naatamai Malli Rayalu Iyer and Kaveri Ammal in Madurai, Madras Presidency, British India. He studied at Sourashtra High School, Madurai and Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan.^[4][5] He joined the Indian National Congress and participated in Indian independence movement at a young age. He was imprisoned for five years during the independence movement along with his wife Parvatavardhani.^[1] Mahatma Gandhi stayed at his bungalow during a visit to Madurai.^[6] As a member of the Harijan Sevak Sangh, a organisation founded by Gandhi to remove untouchability from the Indian society, he worked for the advancement of the depressed classes. He, along with A. Vaidyanatha Iyer, organised a temple entry conference and helped the people of the depressed classes to enter Meenakshi Amman Temple.^[7] He was involved in the Bhoodan movement and donated his 100 acres of land to the movement.^[1] He contributed to establishing the first Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai.^[1]

He won the 1937 and 1946 elections and served as the state legislator in the Madras Presidency. He was elected as a member of Parliament in the 1962 Lok Sabha election from Madurai.^[4][1]

He died on 25 January 1983 in Madurai. In 2006, to commemorate his 100th birthday, the Government of India issued a stamp with his image.^[8] In 2007, a women college was named after him.^[9]

References