A case of a great human being, great politician, and great freedom fighter who belongs to the marginalized community (SC) of Tamil Nadu

 India, officially the Republic of India, is the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous country from June 2023 onwards. The country is endowed with many resources, including great human resources.  As I observed in many countries, India is popular worldwide because of its pluralistic society. In China, only the Han population, which is more than 90%, is the majority. Among some issues in our country, caste is an issue. I feel caste cannot indicate greatness; a person is great through activities. We all know there are many famous scheduled caste personalities in our country, and a few names I wish to mention here: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram, K. G. Balakrishnan, K.R. Narayanan, Dr. Narendra Jadhav, Dr Bhupen Hazarika, and many others. Regarding caste, I wish to mention that earlier, Dalit is a term used to refer to any member of a wide range of social groups historically marginalized in Hindu society. The official term now is Scheduled Caste (SC), the most common term used in India for people in these groups.

This article presents a famous SC leader’s case from Tamil Nadu. P. Kakkan ( born June 18, 1908, and passed away December 23, 1981), known as Kakkan, was a dynamic politician and freedom fighter who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, Member of Parliament, President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and in various ministerial posts in Congress Governments in the erstwhile Madras State between 1957 and 1967. Everyone respected him because of his honesty, hard work, and sincerity. 

A case is presented about his honest behaviour. In 1966, Kakkan boarded a government bus from his rented house in Mambalam, Madras/Chennai. While paying the ticket price, he found he had insufficient money,  but the bus conductor recognized the minister. With great respect and admiration, the conductor offered him a ticket using the meagre coins he possessed. Since he was a man of principles, Kakkan purchased a ticket only up to the extent his limited coins would allow.  He got off the bus at the nearest stop and journeyed on foot. This act of selflessness and unwavering honesty showcased the character of a man whose name would forever be associated with integrity in public life. His initiative to help SC/Dalit to enter a temple was a piece of great news. On July 8, 1939, the entry of five SCs (at that t time used to be called Dalits) in the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai was a historical incident. Kakkan, along with Harijan Sevak Sangh, led the group of people entering the temple despite severe opposition from upper-caste Hindus – marking a significant milestone in the temple entry movement. Kakkan was well-known for his role in the freedom struggle and the Dalit rights movement. He was arrested for his involvement in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and sentenced to imprisonment for 1.5 years. After his defeat in the 1967 elections against a DMK candidate, Kakkan retired from politics. 

Since he was endowed with a great soul, I have highlighted a few facts about him—my salute to him.

Prof Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad 

References: 

1) www.pgurus.com/kakkan-epitome-of-simplicity

2) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dalit

3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Kakkan

4) https://www.constitutionofindia.net/members/p-kakkan/