Sir Pitti Theagaroya Chetty
KCSI
(b.April 27, 1852 -
d.June 23, 1925) was an
eminent lawyer, industrialist and a prominent political leader from
the erstwhile Madras
province. He was one of the founders of the
Justice Party in 1916 along with
Dr. T. M. Nair.
T.Nagar
is a
locality in Chennai
which is
named after him.
Theagaroya Chetty was born in a Telugu Chetty family of Madras
Presidency.
After graduating from Presidency
College, Madras
he served as a corporator
and legislator. He had an avid
interest in politics and served as a member of the
Indian National Congress before
founding the
South
Indian Liberal Federation in 1917. He served as the President
of the federation from 1917 till his death in 1925.
Theagaroya
Chetty is regarded as one of the founders of the non-Brahmin
movement in Tamil
Nadu
and the first to lead the movement.
Early Life
Theagaroya Chetty was born in
Egathur,
Madras Presidency in a Telugu
Devanga Chetty family on
April 27,
1852.
He did his schooling in Chennai and graduated
in law from Presidency College, Madras. On graduation, he entered public life and
served as a member of the Corporation of Madras
from 1882 to 1922. He also served terms
as the President of the Corporation of Madras, and then as a Councillor till 1922. He was
the first non-official President of the Madras Corporation.
Theagaroya Chetty was one of the founder-members of the South
Indian Chamber of Commerce and served as its President. from 1910
to 1921. When the Industrial Conference came to Madras, Theagaroya
Chetty was the Chairman of the Reception Committee. Theagaroya
Chetty fought on behalf of the
Indian Patriot newspaper
and its editor Karunakara Menon against
Dr
T. M. Nair
who later became his close associate.
The Dravidian Movement
The Madras Non-Brahmin Association was formed in 1909 by two
lawyers from Madras city, P. Subramanyam and M. Purushotham Naidu.
Sir Theagaroya Chetty did not involve himself in the movement until
1912, when the Madras United League (Later renamed as Madras
Dravidian Association) was formed.
At a meeting held in Madras in November 1916 by a group of about
thirty people, including Theagaroya Chetti and
Dr. T. M. Nair, it was resolved to start a company for
publishing newspapers advocating the cause of the non-Brahmin
community. The newspaper was named
Justice and started
publishing from February 26, 1917 onwards. Dr. T. M. Nair was its
first Editor.
The South Indian People's Association was later formed as the
mouthpiece of non-Brahmins with organizing the media arm of the
non-Brahmin Movement as its main objective. A political party was
organised by the South Indian People's Association under the
leadership of Sir P.Theagaroya Chetty and Dr. T. M. Nair and was
named the South Indian Liberal Federation. It later came to be
popularly known as the Justice Party after the English daily
Justice which the party published. The Federation was organised in
October 1917 and its objectives wore defined as :
Early Years of the Justice Party
Theagaroya Chetty was elected the first President of the Justice
Party and served as President until his death in 1925. A
constitution was drawn on October 17, 1917. District and city
boards were established all over the Presidency.
In the initial stages, the Justice Party concentrated its energies
on work of a social character than political. During this period,
the Justice Party held all-India non-Brahmin conferences to unit
non-Brahmins all over the country. The Justice Party argued for
separate electorates and reservations in government jobs and civil
service for non-Brahmins, at the British Parliament in London. In
1919, Dr. T. M. Nair, the President of the Justice Party and leader
of the delegation died in London at the age of fifty-one and was
succeeded as President by Theagaroya Chetty.
1920 elections
When elections were held in December 1920 in the Madras Presidency
as per the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms, the Justice Party obtained a
comfortable majority by winning 63 seats out of 98. The Governor of
Madras invitied Theagaroya Chetty to form the Government. However,
Theagaroya Chetty refused on account of his old age and failing
health. As a result,
A.
Subbarayalu Reddiar was
appointed Chief Minister. He served for a few months before being
succeeded by the
Raja of
Panagal.
Attitude towards Brahmins
In his speech as the President of the Reception Committee of the
First Non-Brahmin Confederation, Theagaroya Chetty spoke:
Death and Legacy
Theagaroya Chetty died on April 28, 1925 and was succeeded by the
Raja of Panagal as the President of
the Justice Party. He is usually credited for the victories of the
Justice Party in the 1920 and 1923 elections and for turning the
Justice Party into a formidable force in the Presidency.
Notes
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 146
- Some Madras Leaders
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 17
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 141
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 151
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 153-155
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 160-163
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 173-174
- Encyclopedia of Political
Parties, Pg 187
References
See also
Wikis
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