Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute to C. Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, on his birth anniversary and recalled his contributions to India’s freedom struggle and public life.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Freedom fighter, thinker, intellectual, statesman…these are some descriptions that come to the mind when one recalls Shri C. Rajagopalachari. Tributes to him on his birth anniversary. He remains one of the sharpest minds of the 20th century, who believed in creating value and upholding human dignity. Our nation remembers his enduring contributions with gratitude.”
“On Rajaji’s birth anniversary, sharing some interesting material from the archives, which includes a picture of a young Rajaji, the notification on his appointment as a Cabinet Minister, a picture with volunteers from the 1920s and a Young India edition from 1922 edited by Rajaji because Gandhi Ji was in jail,” he added.
Born on December 10, 1878, Rajagopalachari was India’s last Governor-General and the only Indian to hold the post. A close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, he left his legal career in 1919 after meeting Gandhi and went on to play a leading role in several major movements, including the protests against the Rowlatt Act, the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha, and the Civil Disobedience Movement. He was imprisoned five times between 1912 and 1941 for his role in the freedom struggle.
Rajaji also served as the Premier of the erstwhile Madras Presidency, founded the Swatantra Party later in his political career, and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954 for his contributions to politics, literature and public service. He passed away on December 25, 1972.
(With IANS inputs)
