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R. Sankar | |
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| 3rd Chief Minister of Kerala | |
| In office 26 September 1962 (1962-09-26) – 10 September 1964 (1964-09-10) | |
| Preceded by | Pattom A. Thanu Pillai |
| Succeeded by | E. M. S. Namboodiripad |
| 1stDeputy Chief Minister of Kerala | |
| In office 22 February 1960 (1960-02-22) – 26 September 1962 (1962-09-26) | |
| Chief Minister | Pattom Thanu Pillai |
| Preceded by | Office Established |
| Succeeded by | C. H. Mohammed Koya(1981) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1909-04-30)30 April 1909 |
| Died | 6 November 1972(1972-11-06) (aged 63) |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Lakshmikuttyamma |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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Raman Sankar (30 April 1909 – 7 November 1972) was an Indian politician, statesman,administrator,orator, educationist, writer and editor who served as the 3rdChief Minister of Kerala from 1962 to 1964.
He was born to Raman Panicker and Kunchaliamma on 30 April 1909 in Kuzhikkalidavaka village inPuthoor,Kollam district. He did his formal education in the Puthoor Primary School and later continued in an English School in Kottarakkara. In 1924 he joinedMaharajas College and graduated with a degree inChemistry and did law fromGovernment Law College, Thiruvananthapuram in 1933.
He had four siblings and was married to Lekshmikutti Amma and had two children Mohan Sankar and a daughter.[1][2][3]
Sankar died at the age of 63 on 7 November 1972.[4]
He started his professional life as a teacher and then became theprincipal of Sivagiri High School in 1931. During this period he became closely associated withSree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam. In 1932 he became active in political space by being part ofNivarthana Agitation orAbstention movement.[5] In 1936 he started practicing in Kollam Court as an advocate and was drawn to freedom movement and became an active member of theTravancore State Congress by 1938.
Later, he took a break from the Congress party and began to work in the SNDP Yogam. During his long association with the SNDP Yogam of over 13 years, he served as its General Secretary for over a span of 10 years and President and Chief of theSN Trust. In 1944 he became the general secretary ofSNDP. Under his leadership the SNDP Yogam gave emphasis to the field of education and started many educational institutions. In the year 1952 he establishedSN Trust to manage educational institutions across the state. SNDP Yogam celebrated its Golden Jubilee year while Sankar was the General Secretary in 1953. As part of a year-long celebration he organised an Exhibition in Kollam which is marked in the history of the State as 'SNDP Kanaka Jubilee'. In 1957 he quit as general secretary and became associated withSN Trust.
Sankar returned to the Congress and was elected to theTravancore-Cochin State Assembly in 1948 and stayed as a member of the State Assembly from 1949 to 1952. Sankar was a member of theConstituent Assembly and also member of the Franchise and Delimitation Commission and the Reforms Committee constituted after the introduction of the Responsible Government. In this period he lost two elections to1952 Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly election from Kottarakkara and1954 Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly election from Kollam. In 1949 Sankar along withMannathu Padmanabha Pillai was outsted from Congress briefly and they attempted creating a Ezhava Nair unified platform namedHindu Maha Mandalam.[6]
Thereafter he led the Congress party asKerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President during theVimochana Samaram (Liberation Struggle) in 1959.[7] The Congress won the elections in 1960 under R. Sankar's leadership and Sankar won as an MLA from Kannur. Though Congress gained majority of seats in the Elections of 1960 to theKerala Legislative Assembly,Pattom Thanupillai of thePraja Socialist Party was given theChief Ministership (CM) and Sankar became theDeputy Chief Minister in thePattom Thanupillai ministry. He handled the portfolio of Finance from 1960 to 1962 when he was the Deputy CM.
R. Sankar became the Chief Minister ofKerala whenPattom Thanupillai was appointed Governor ofPunjab State. He was in the chair from 26 September 1962 to 10 September 1964. He had to resign and dismiss the Government under his leadership when aMotion of no confidence was passed in the Assembly following death ofP. T. Chacko and chain of events that led to formation ofKerala Congress.[8][9]
He lost the1965 Kerala Legislative Assembly election fromAttingal constituency and1967 Indian general election fromChirayinkil (Lok Sabha constituency) and thereafter following consecutive political and electoral setbacks andEzhava community moving closer toCommunism he stepped back from active politics and concentrated in starting and implementing Educational Institutions for SNDP Yogam by settling back inKollam.
He was the second person from backward communities who rose up toChief minister fromTravancore–Cochin (afterC. Kesavan) and first fromKerala. He brought about many economic reforms while handling the finance portfolio despite facing legislative and societal pressures and political instabilities. He was a visionary who helpedEzhava community attain empowerment andSocial mobility through education. He served as the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges from 1960 to 1964.
Sankar ministry was instrumental in constituting Justice Kumara Pillai Commission for setting upOther Backward Class reservations inKerala during 1964-65 following aKerala High Court verdict.[10] He introduced pensions forWidow andOld age in the state.[11]
After retiring from politics he started theSree Narayana Medical Mission under theSN Trust for giving away free treatment. The first hospital under the mission was started in Kollam, the hospital is also known on his name 'Sankars Hospital' which is now a multispecialty hospital. The body of Sankar was also laid to rest in the Hospital compound as a tribute to his service.
He was the president of the committee that erected the statue of poetKumaranasan inThiruvananthapuram and has also served as editor of a Malayalam daily, Dinamony.
{{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help)| Preceded by | Chief Minister of Kerala 1962– 1964 | Succeeded by |
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