Poojari Kakkan

P. Kakkan (18 June 1908 – 23 December 1981), known as Kakkan, was an Indian 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.

Early life Kakkan was born into a Tamil Paraiyar family on 18 June 1908 in a village called Thumbaipatti in Melur Taluk, Madurai district of Madras Presidency. His father Poosari Kakkan was a priest in the village shrine.

Indian independence movement

Kakkan was drawn to the independence movement from an early stage in his life. While in school, he joined the Indian National Congress. When the state government brought forth the Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act in 1939, which removed restrictions on Paraiyar and Shanars entering temples, Kakkan led the temple entry at Madurai. He also participated in the Quit India Movement and was sent to Alipore jail. In 1946, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly and served from 1946 to 1950.

Politics of Free India

Kakkan served as a member of the Lok Sabha from 1952 to 1957. When K. Kamaraj resigned as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in order to take office as the Chief Minister of Madras state, Kakkan was elected as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. Following the 1957 elections when the Indian National Congress was re-elected to power in the Madras state, Kakkan was sworn in as the Minister for Public Works (excluding Electricity), Harijan Welfare, Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes on 13 April 1957. From 13 March 1962 to 3 October 1963, Kakkan served as the Minister of Agriculture. and as Home Minister on 3 October 1963

Later life and death In the 1967 Assembly elections, Kakkan stood for elections from Melur (South) constituency and lost to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate O. P. Raman. Following his defeat in the 1967 elections, Kakkan retired from politics.

Work

Some of Kakkan's achievements as Minister have been the construction of the Mettur and Vaigai reservoirs an advocate, was a former Vice-President of the Hindu Munnani and a well-known devotee of the Shankaracharya of Kanchi, Jayendra Saraswathi. He unsuccessfully contested the 2006 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu from Perambur as a candidate of the Janata Party.