C. M. Poonacha Explained

C. M. Poonacha
Order:13th
Office:Governor of Odisha
Term Start:1 September 1982
Term End:17 August 1983
1Blankname:Chief Minister
1Namedata:Janaki Ballabh Patnaik
Successor:Bishambhar Nath Pande
Term Start1:4 November 1980
Term End1:24 June 1982
1Blankname1:Chief Minister
1Namedata1:Janaki Ballabh Patnaik
Predecessor1:S. K. Ray
Successor1:Ranganath Misra
Term Start2:30 April 1980
Term End2:30 September 1980
1Blankname2:Chief Minister
1Namedata2:Janaki Ballabh Patnaik
Predecessor2:B. D. Sharma
Successor2:S. K. Ray
Order4:6th
Office4:Governor of Madhya Pradesh
Term Start4:17 August 1978
Term End4:29 April 1980
1Blankname4:Chief Minister
1Namedata4:Virendra Kumar Sakhlecha
Sunder Lal Patwa
Predecessor4:N. N. Wanchoo
Successor4:B. D. Sharma
Office5:8th Minister of Railways
Term Start5:30 March 1967
Term End5:14 February 1969
Primeminister5:Indira Gandhi
Predecessor5:S. K. Patil
Successor5:Ram Subhag Singh
Office6:Chief Minister of Coorg
Term Start6:27 March 1952
Term End6:31 October 1956
1Blankname6:Chief Commissioner
1Namedata6:Daya Singh Bedi
Predecessor6:Office Established
Successor6:Office Abolished
Birth Name:Cheppudira Muthanna Poonacha
Birth Date:1910 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Attur, Coorg Province, British India
Office7:Minister for Steel and Heavy Engineering
Term Start7:15 February 1969
Term End7:17 March 1971
Constituency7:Mangalore
Office8:MoS for Transport, Aviation, Shipping and Tourism
Term8:January 25, 1966-March 12, 1967
Constituency8:Mysore State, Rajya Sabha
Office9:MoS for Finance
Term9:1 January 1966-24 January 1966
Constituency9:Mysore State, Rajya Sabha
Office10:Minister for Home, Mysore State
Term10:1957-1962
Constituency10:Virajpet
Office11:Minister for Commerce and Industries, Mysore State
Term11:1956-1962
Constituency11:Virajpet
Office12:Minister for Finance, Coorg (Kodagu)
Term12:1952-1956
Constituency12:Berriathnad
Constituency Mp13:Mangalore
Majority13:28522
Term Start13:1967
Term End13:1971
Predecessor13:Adhur Shanker Alva
Successor13:K. K. Shetty
Parliament13:Indian
Parliament14:Indian
Term14:3 April 1964-25 February 1967
Successor14:T. Siddalingaya
Constituency Mp14:Mysore State, Rajya Sabha
Office15:MLA in Coorg (Kodagu)
Term15:1952 - 1957
Predecessor15:Position Created
Successor15:Position Abolished
Constituency15:Berriathnad
Majority15:1179
Office16:MLA in Mysore State
Term16:1957-1962
Predecessor16:Position Created
Successor16:A. P. Appanna
Constituency16:Virajpet
Majority16:3221
Nationality:Indian
Party:Indian National Congress
Occupation:Freedom Fighter, Politician
Known For:Only Chief Minister of Coorg (Kodagu)
Children:4, including C. P. Belliappa & Kavery Nambisan

Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha was the Chief Minister of Coorg, Minister in Mysore State, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha), Union Railway Minister of India and Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Governor of Orissa.

Freedom Movement

C. M. Poonacha was a descendant of the Coorg Dewans. During the Freedom Movement he was sentenced to imprisonment twice during the Salt Satyagraha in 1932 and 1933. He was again imprisoned in 1940–41 and in 1942–44. He became a member of All-India Congress Committee in 1938. Also, in 1938 he was elected to Coorg District Board, became its president in 1941 and in 1945 he was elected to Coorg Legislative Council. From 1945 to 1951 he was leader of the Congress Legislative Party in the council. He hence became a prominent member of the Indian National Congress party in Coorg.

Politics

In 1947 Coorg was a separate state in South India until 1956. The other states of South India at that time were Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency, Mysore kingdom, Travancore kingdom, Cochin kingdom and Hyderabad kingdom. The Coorg State Assembly had a strength of 24 members and the Cabinet consisted of just two members.

Constituent Assembly Member (Constitution of India)

C. M. Poonacha represented the Coorg state as a member of the Constituent Assembly.[1]

Chief Minister (Coorg)

Two parties fought the 1952 state elections: the Takkadi ('Scales of Justice') party under veteran Gandhian Pandyanda Belliappa, who was a dominant political force and voice of Coorg with its anti-merger plank, and the Congress under C.M. Poonacha in Coorg. Poonacha was elected Chief Minister of Coorg State (1952–56) in the first general elections. Coorg had two MPs in the Union Parliament then, besides having a state legislative body.[2] In 1956 the State Reorganisation Act was passed. Coorg was merged with Mysore and the legislative body at Mercara dissolved. While the Chief Minister was C.M. Poonacha, (who also held the finance portfolio), the only other Minister was Home Minister, Kittur Mallappa. C.M. Poonacha had won the Beriathnad seat while K. Mallappa won the second seat from Sanivarasante.[3] The Congress won 15 seats and Independents (opposing merger), represented by the Takkadi party, won nine seats. Under various circumstances Coorg was merged with the then Mysore in 1956.[4] [5] [6]

State Minister (Mysore)

After the formation of the new Mysore State Poonacha was Minister for Home and Industries under its Chief Minister S. Nijalingappa. He was also chairman, State Trading Corporation of India from 1959 to 1963. He led the Government of India Trade delegation to some East European countries in 1960 and was the leader of the State Trading Corporation delegation to Japan in 1961.

Central Minister

Poonacha was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1964. Later Poonacha was made Union Minister without portfolio in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. From 1 to 24 January 1966, he was Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and from 25 January 1966 to 12 March 1967 Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport, Aviation, Shipping and Tourism. He contested and won the Lok Sabha seat for the Mangalore constituency in 1969. He contested again in 1971 as a candidate of NCO party, but lost.[7] [8] [9]

Union Railway Minister

After some time he became Union Minister for Railways from 1967 to 1969 (at first interim and then final) and Minister for Steel and Heavy Engineering in 1969. At that time he was the Member of Parliament representing Mangalore Lok Sabha constituency to which Coorg then belonged.[10] [11] [12]

Retirement

Governor

After his retirement from active politics, he served two terms as governor, once as Governor of Madhya Pradesh taking charge on 17 August 1978 and later as Governor of Orissa on 30 April 1980.

Family

Poonacha has two sons and two daughters. Two of his children, C. P. Belliappa and Kavery Nambisan, are well-known writers in English.

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Correspondence and Select Documents: Volume Seventeen ... - Google Books . 9788170230021 . 2016-08-01. Prasad . Rajendra . 1984 . Allied Publishers .
  2. https://www.hindu.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042958480300.htm
  3. Web site: From a princely State to two Assembly segments - KARNATAKA . The Hindu . 2008-04-29 . 2016-08-01.
  4. Web site: Kodagu fighting to maintain its existence - ANDHRA PRADESH . The Hindu . 2014-04-20 . 2016-08-01.
  5. Web site: Coorg and the reorganisation of States - NATIONAL . The Hindu . 2013-10-20 . 2016-08-01.
  6. Book: Harish Ramaswamy. Karnataka Government and Politics. 2007. 383. Concept Publishing Company . 9788180693977. 23 September 2014.
  7. Web site: Kodagu goes to LS polls with Mysore for first time - KARNATAKA . The Hindu . 2009-04-12 . 2016-08-01.
  8. Book: Janak Raj Jai. Commissions and Omissions by Indian Prime Ministers, Volume 1. 1996. 115. Regency Publications . 9788186030233. 23 September 2014.
  9. Book: Kuldeep Mathur, James Warner Bjorkman. Top Policy Makers in India: Cabinet Ministers and Their Civil Service Advisors. 1994. 84. Concept Publishing Company . 9788170225300. 23 September 2014.
  10. Web site: [IRFCA] Railway Ministers |publisher=Irfca.org |access-date=2016-08-01].
  11. http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1967-68_interim.pdf
  12. http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1968-69.pdf