Kamaraj:: Theife and Times of K. Kamaraj

History has few parallels, if any, in which a person with no advantages of birth, status, wealth and education rose to high positions of trust and responsibility as Kamaraj has done. -R. Venkatraman, the eighth President of India To many, Kumarasami Kamaraj's story is the stuff ofegends. His political career afforded him many roles, and he is recognized till today for his accomplishments as a freedom fighter, Congress party boss, chief minister, nationaleader, kingmaker and oppositioneader. Of his many achievements, the ones that Kamaraj is remembered most for are bringing school education to millions of the rural poor by introducing free education and the free Midday Meal Scheme during his tenure as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, and the role he played in bringing to power as prime minister firstal Bahadur Shastri andater Indira Gandhi. Known for his integrity and his modesty in conduct, Kamaraj exercised his political power for the benefit of the masses and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1976. Dealing with significant phases of Kamaraj'sife, Bala Jeyaraman explains his actions in aarger historical context. A concise yet comprehensive biography, this book unravels for the reader the story of this exceptional visionary andeader.