Panaganti Ramarayaningar

In 1921, a labour strike erupted in the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in Madras.[21] This strike was led by V. Kalyanasundara Mudaliar, a leader of the Indian National Congress.[21] The strike lasted for over six months[21] during which around 10,000 workers struck work. A crackdown was ordered.[21] Eventually, two factions emerged; one group of workers desired to return to work while another wished to continue the strike.[21][22] Violent riots broke out when striking workers prevented the others from returning to work.[21][22] The riots began to assume communal colours as the workers who wished to continue the strike were mostly caste Hindus while those who desired to end it were largely Scheduled Castes.[21][22]

Ministers in the Madras government and ruling party members supported the strike.[21] On 29 August 1921, the police opened fire and killed six of the workers on the spot.[23] Top Justice Party leaders like O. Thanikachalam Chetti severely censured the police for the measures they adopted.[21] The main reason was that the police was under the control of the governor and the government was looking for an opportunity to harass the executive.[21] Another probable reason was that the striking workers had the caste sympathies of the Justice Party government whose ministers and chief whips were caste Hindus like themselves.[22]

The Justice Party leaders were extremely vociferous in their attacks on Paraiyars and the Labour Department.[22] Their views were endorsed by the Raja of Panagal who joined Thanickachalam Chetti in admonishing the Paraiyars.[24] The party's organ Justice blamed the riots on the "pampering" of Paraiyars by the Labour Department.[22] M. C. Rajah, the leader of the Scheduled Castes in the Justice Party, in turn, retorted by describing the criticism of Scheduled Castes by Justice Party members as "the high-handed poisonous action of members of a party who after inflicting all known and unknown injury on our community shed crocodile tears and pose as friends of the Depressed classes".[22] Though the B & C mills strike was eventually settled through the mediation of C. Natesa Mudaliar,[21] the communal riots which had accompanied it estranged Scheduled Castes from the Justice Party.[22] and was one of the reasons for Rajah quitting the party at a later stage.

Polling for the second general elections in the Madras Presidency began on 11 September 1923.[25] However, owing to heavy rains, polling was not completed until 10 November.[25] Though the Justice Party returned to power, its majority had been considerably reduced.[26] Observers attribute this decline in performance to the rift between the Tamil and Telugu members of the Justice party.[25] Ramarayaningar assumed office as Chief Minister on 19 November 1923 and retained the same Cabinet with one change – K. V. Reddi Naidu, the Minister of Development was replaced with T. N. Sivagnanam Pillai.[26] In 1923, the British government bestowed upon Ramarayaningar, the honorific title of "Raja of Panagal".[6]

In 1923, a few prominent members of the Justice Party broke off to form the United Nationalist Party and projected themselves as "Democrats".[27] The dissidents were led by C. R. Reddy, a leader of the Justice Party,[27][28][29] who complained of the dictatorial rule of the Raja[30] and his insensitive, unimaginative policies.[31] On 27 November 1923, a no-confidence motion was introduced against the government of the Raja of Panagal.[27][28] The no-confidence motion was defeated by a margin of 65 votes to 44.[32]

Ramarayaningar introduced a number of reforms during his tenure as Chief Minister.[33]

Hindu Religious Endowments Bill

In 1921, the Raja of Panagal introduced the Hindu Religious Endowments Bill.[34] As per this bill, trusts were established to maintain temple funds and given complete power over the administration of temples.[34] This act evoked severe protests from some sections of the assembly which felt that this was an intrusion in the religious affairs of the populace.[34] However, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi gave his support to the bill even while expressing his concern over some of its provisions.[35]

Madras State Aid to Industries Act

In 1922, the Madras State Aid to Industries Act was passed. Through this act, the government made it a state policy to advance loans to developing industries.[34] It received less opposition in the assembly. This eventually became Madras Act V of 1923.[36]

Educational reforms

The Madras University Act was passed in the year 1923. The bill was introduced by Education Minister Sir A. P. Patro.[37][38] As per the provisions of this bill, the governing body of the Madras University was completely reorganised on democratic lines. The bill asserted that the governing body would henceforth be headed by a Chancellor who would be assisted by a pro-Chancellor who was usually the Minister of Education. Apart from the Chancellor and the pro-Chancellor who were elected, there was to be a Vice-Chancellor appointed by the Chancellor.[37] In 1925, the Andhra University Act was passed which included similar reforms in Andhra University.[37]

However, the tenure of the Justice Party government of the Raja of Panagal is largely remembered for the introduction of caste-based reservations in 1921.[38][39] In August 1921, the First communal Government Order (G.O. No.613[40]) was passed.[39] As per the order, 44 percent of jobs were reserved for non-Brahmins, 16 percent for Brahmins, 16 percent for Muslims, 16 percent for Anglo-Indians and Christians and eight percent for the Scheduled Castes.[40]

In 1923, M. C. Rajah, a Justice Party leader from the Scheduled Caste community protested against the government order arguing that the act did not guarantee adequate representation of scheduled castes who he felt deserved 30% reservation in the administration and the services. When the Justice Party failed to respond, he resigned from the primary membership of the party.[41]

Dr. Gour's Bill

Dr. Gour's Bill, introduced in 1921, brought about an amendment in the Special Marriages Act, sanctioning the legal validity of inter-caste marriages.[42]

Municipal development

Map of Madras city in 1921, before the draining of Long Tank

Madras city in 1955, after Long Tank had been drained out

The rapid growth of the population of Madras necessitated the expansion of the city and the creation of more residential colonies. To fulfill this requirement, the Madras Town Planning Act of 1920 had been passed on 7 September 1920 before the dyarchy was established.[43] As per the provisions of this Act, numerous town planning measures were taken during the tenure of the Raja of Panagal. The 5 km (3.1 mi) long and 2 km (1.2 mi) broad Long Tank, which extended from Nungambakkam to Saidapet, forming an arc along the city's western frontier, was drained out in 1923.[44] The development of the tract to the west of the Long Tank had been initiated by the British Government in 1911 with the construction of a railway station at the village of Marmalan or Mambalam.[44] Following the draining out of the Long Tank, the Justice Party government of the Raja of Panagal conceived the creation of a residential colony adjoining this little village.[44]

The residential colony was named Theagaroya Nagar after Justice Party stalwart Sir Pitti Theagaroya Chetty, who had died shortly before the township was inaugurated, and was centred around a park named Panagal Park after the Raja of Panagal.[44] The streets in this new locality were named after prominent members of the Justice Party or officials in the municipal administration.[44]

Other reforms

The Raja of Panagal reorganised the Public Works Department in the Presidency, improved medical facilities, water supply and communications in rural areas and patronised Siddha medicine. Sir Muhammed Usman, later minister in the government of the Raja of Bobbili was appointed Secretary of the Committee on siddha medicine.[45] He also sponsored endowments to the University of Madras to produce scientific literature in Telugu.[6]