The Congress had begun to enlist the local farmers and landlords after the first world war. C.Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) was the chief architect of this move. His ashram at Tiruchengode was the hub and his strategies brought in rich dividends for the Congress. Rajaji had done a lot to develop the party and to also make it an influencing factor in Western Tamilnadu. This advocate from Salem was known for his acumen and wisdom. He brought in a number of members from the agrarian communities into the freedom movement. The Congress was the key player in the movement and therefore was the most successful party in the India of those times. David Arnold has documented the role of Rajaji and V.C.Vellinigiri Gounder in an admirable manner. Naga Ganesan had done his bit by popularizing this study.
The Congress had begun to enlist the local farmers and landlords after the first world war. C.Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) was the chief architect of this move. His ashram at Tiruchengode was the hub and his strategies brought in rich dividends for the Congress. Rajaji had done a lot to develop the party and to also make it an influencing factor in Western Tamilnadu. This advocate from Salem was known for his acumen and wisdom. He brought in a number of members from the agrarian communities into the freedom movement. The Congress was the key player in the movement and therefore was the most successful party in the India of those times. David Arnold has documented the role of Rajaji and V.C.Vellinigiri Gounder in an admirable manner. Naga Ganesan had done his bit by popularizing this study.
Western educated members of the agrarian community were keen to participate in electoral politics of the times. They were not fully ready to stay away from the benefits that may accrue to them through the legislatures. V.C.Vellingiri Gounder joined the Congress in 1926 when it was rumoured that ban on holding office might be lifted.
It took time for him to confirm his role in the Congress for one more decade and Subbarayan was also in the same position. The members of the agrarian community committed themselves at a time when they felt that it was safe to gamble on the Congress. Even here the older generation among the educated were cautious but the younger people responded positively. Education and higher education in particular made them come closer to the Congress.
The young K.S.Periaswami Gounder and K.M.Makutapathi Gounder were drawn towards the freedom movement via the Congress due to the influence of their Brahmin schoolmaster who read them passages from ' Young India '. In Erode and Coimbatore khadi wearing nationalist teachers taught patriotic songs to the students. A number of students from the agrarian background joined the Vanamalar Sangam. They produced the magazine ' Pithan ' (Madman in Tamil). There were several contributors like K.S.Periaswami Gounder and C.Subramaniam who came from the same background. It was not just the intellect that attracted them to the Congress but also adventure and excitement. K.K.Subbanna Gounder of Gobi left school in order to hawk Khadi in the villages. P.R.Kandaswami of Pollachi picketed liquor shops along with his friends. He did so after learning about the arrest of Patel. It was a time when the repressive action of the cops became an acknowledgement of the success of the young activists. A term in jail or getting whacked with a lathi made the youngster a local hero.
Many of the youngsters were not as caste oriented as the elders. By 1935 there were more than 7000 members in the DCC ( District Congress Committee ) and more than two thirds of them were from the villages. Many of them who knew English would still sign in Tamil. The Congress switched from civil disobedience to constitutional action and the recruits were very helpful in creating the organization at the booth level. The success of the Congress candidate for the Coimbatore - Salem - North Arcot constituency enhanced the prestige of the party machine. The election itself was a stimulus to bring in more people. In contrast, the Justice Party organization was weak in Kongunad and not many were prepared to identify themselves with it. The leaders of the Justice Party had access to wealth and influence. It was not until the second half of 1936 that the Justice Party set up the organization. E.V.Ramaswami Naicker (Periyar) as creator of the self respect movement might have expected more. He was with the Congress earlier and had quit the party. E.V.R. Periyar made Erode the head quarters of the movement and conferences were held. There were several self respect organizations in the region but he had shifted from atheistic anti Brahminism to a close alliance with Zamindars and landlords. In spite of witnessing an under current of radicalism in Kongunad, Periyar was unable to create a big organizational form.
The Congress progressed rapidly by the 1930s in Kongunad. Between 1934 and 1937 the supporters became more open. In Pollachi one of the principal patrons M.Chinnuswami Gounder, a relative of V.C.Vellingiri Gounder (VCV) was elected President of the local committee of the Congress. Since the committees could select candidates, the members of the agrarian community wielded considerable influence. The people from the farming community sought advancement and the Congress offered the same. It seldom questioned their motive and the 'bandwagon' effect began. Of course there were issues of caste too.
In Pollachi it was sorted out due to the influence of P. Nachimuthu Gounder. He was the Municipal Chairman and he spoke for the activist P.R.Kandaswami Gounder and identified himself with the Dalit cause. His influence had ensured that the boycott disappeared.
The influx of new members created tensions but this was in check until the end of the Justice Party rule in 1937. The Central figure in the region was C.S.Rathinasabapathy Mudaliar (CSR) a supporter of the Justice Party.
He was wealthy and successful due to the support of the local mill owners, the Pattagar of Palayakottai, Zamindar of Uttukuli and P.Rathnasabapathi Gounder, a landlord from Pollachi Taluk. T.A.Ramalingam Chettiar, the father of the cooperative movement was on the other side. Ramalingam Chettiar TAR) was in the same Justice Party camp but his blunt and outspoken approach made him stay away from the Justice Party. TAR regained his prestige by allying with VCV. Both of them had known each other well since 1907. The first major clash between CSR and his opponents occurred in the District Board. Rathnasabapathy Mudaliar was a wealthy banker who had several landlords and industrialists as his clients. He wielded considerable influence.
VCP (V.C.Palaniswamy Gounder), the brother of VCV tried to oust CSR from the District Board, but the help of the Pattagar of Palayakottai helped CSR to retain his position. In 1933, VCV entered the fray and ousted CSR by getting the temporary help from the Pattagar of Palayakottai. VCV had already enhanced his prestige by being on the Council of States.
Prior to 1934, the Congress did not directly go against Rathnasabapathy Mudaliar (CSR). However it did when the Congress candidate T.S.Avinashilingam Chettiar fought the elections for the Coimbatore - Salem - North Arcot constituency. He was the affluent nephew of TAR and though the uncle and nephew did not agree with each other on certain matters, their mutual antagonist CSR kept them going in a good manner. CSR was canvassing for the Justice Party candidate but T.S.Avinashilingam Chettiar won in a big way. The Congress was on the ascendant in Kongunad. Vellingiri Gounder and Ramalingam Chettiar came out publicly in favour of the Congress. Subbarayan joined them eventually.
Later in 1936, C.S.Rathnasabapathy Mudaliar also decided to join the bandwagon. His opponents let him be on the committee but ensured that he was not given the party nomination for the election. CSR was an influential person and had been the Municipal Chairman of Coimbatore. He had done a lot of good and had the backing of the mill owners.Therefore he decided to run as an independent. CSR was under the impression that the Congress would not put up a candidate but they did. He announced his withdrawal pretty late and therefore his name could not be removed from the list. CSR lost the elections.
Meanwhile the formidable Pattagar of Palayakottai, Uthamakaminda Rao Bahadur Nallathambi Sarkarai Mandradiar was a candidate too. He had briefly supported the Congress but he soon reverted to opposing Vellingiri Gounder. The Pattagar had been alienated from the Justice Ministry in 1933 by its decision to amalgamate the wealthy Erode Circle Temple Committee with the impoverished one at Coimbatore. In December 1936, The Justice Party Chief Minister - Raja of Bobbili, Ramakrishna Ranga Rao regained his support by bifurcating the Board. V.C.Vellingiri Gounder took over the Coimbatore Board while the Pattagar of Palayakottai took control of the Erode Board.
The elections saw the Pattagar of Palayakottai running as an independent with the support of the Justice Party in 1937. The Congress leadership was not sure of defeating him and therefore offered him the seat provided he join the party. He declined for he considered his position as the Board Head in Erode sufficient to ensure his victory. The Congress workers in Gopichettipalayam (Gobi) and Erode were also not keen to work along with him. Therefore the Congress chose K.S.Periaswami Gounder, a former member of the 'Pithan' group as its candidate. He could not match the wealth of the Pattagar of Palayakottai, but he campaigned on foot while his supporters went on a cycle. V.C.Vellingiri Gounder and Subbarayan requested the voters to support the Congress.
KS Periaswami Gounder suggested they make the Pattagar of Sankarandampalayam Periyanna Venadudayar to contest in the neighbouring constituency in order to neutralize the influence of the Pattagar of Palayakottai. It was important to show that the party was not against the Pattagars as such. The Pattagar of Sankarandampalayam Periyanna Venadudayar, a long standing antagonist of the Pattagar of Palayakottai had to be reminded to wear Khadi during the campaign. K.S. Periaswami won the elections. In the neighbouring Gobi constituency, K.R.Subramania Gounder, a man of wealth and influence lost to the Congress candidates. He was an ally of the Pattagar of Palayakottai and had worked hard with all his might to fight the elections. However the strategies of Rajaji, V.C.Vellingiri Gounder and others ensured the victory of the Congress.
"Politics and elections in Kongunad during the freedom movement make an interesting study. The strategies of the leading lights like V.C.Vellingiri Gounder, Subbarayan were based on their interactions with national leaders like Rajaji. Revisting the past is really interesting," stated Aravind Sabapathy, the great grandson of V.C.Palaniswamy Gounder.
People like Dr. R. K. Shanmukham Chetty and G. D. Naidu were unable to match the strategy of Rajaji and his associate V. C. Vellingiri Gounder. Many notables lost the elections. T. A. Ramalingam Chettiar and V. C. Vellingiri Gounder had literally taken over the political leadership of the region from the landlords, Zamindars, Bankers and also the mill owners who came in later. The feudal set up saw a change and problem solving leadership took over. The strategy of Rajaji and the meticulous planning of V. C. Vellingiri Gounder ensured success.
In Kongunad all the General Urban and General Rural seats to the provincial assembly was won by the Congress. T.A.Ramalingam Chetty, V.C.Palaniswamy Gounder and Subbarayan were elected unopposed. The influence of V.C.Vellingiri Gounder and his hard work had made things happen. VCV, his brother V.C.Palaniswamy Gounder and others had taken in the suggestions of Rajaji and gone ahead. Although 15 members from the agrarian community contested the elections, only nine from the Congress won the elections. Clearly community was not the full factor but the outcome demonstrated the striking success of the party in building a base among a section of the agrarian community. The rest is history.
We must remember that in spite of having differences of opinion ,several of these well meaning leaders and party men had a decent exchange. The larger societal interest was addressed by all of them in their own sweet way.