O. V. Alagesan

Alagesan was a member of the Constituent Assembly and Provisional Parliament from 1946 to 1951. In 1951, he was elected Member of Parliament from Chingleput.[4] He lost the elections in 1957 but was re-elected in 1962. He supported the anti Hindi agitation and opposed the Central Government's language policy. On 11 February 1965, he and C.Subramaniam two union ministers from Madras state, resigned protesting the Union government's language policy. After Shastri's assurances to Tamils that English would continue to be used for centre-state and intrastate communications and that the All India Civil Services examination would continue to be conducted in English, he and C.Subramaniam withdrew their resignations.[5] He also served as a Member of Parliament from Tiruthani from 1971 to 1975 and Arakkonam from 1977 to 1979.

As an active parliamentarian, he left an indelible imprint on the proceedings of the House. He had also served effectively on various Committees of the House. A versatile personality. he was a reputed social reformer and a distinguished administrator. He relentlessly worked for the removal of social evils like untouchability and prohibition.[6]

Alagesan served as India's Ambassador to Ethiopia from 1968 to 1971.

He took active part in the Indian Independence movement. He discontinued studies in 1930 to join Salt Satyagraha movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and suffered imprisonment; participated in (i) Civil Disobedience movement; (ii) Individual Satyagraha movement; (iii) Quit India movement; and was imprisoned for more than three years[7]

As Central Minister and member of Parliament, he was instrumental in getting the Madras Refineries, the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant and, along with Dewan Bahadur Gopalaswamy Iyengar, the Integral Coach Factory, set up in Tamil Nadu. His contributions were acknowledged in a multi party function held to celebrate his centenary in 2011[8]

He was Founder-President of Bhaktavatsalam Educational Trust registered in 1958, which runs the following institutions; (i) Bhaktavalsalam Shastiabda Purthi High School, Athur; (ii) Bhaktavatsalam Polytechnic, Kancheepuram, (iii) Sarojini Varadappan Girls High School, Poonamalle, all in Chengalpatttu District; (iv) Brindavan Public School, Coonoor, Nilgiri District; and (v) a branch of the above school at Athur. [9]

Alagesan translated Jawaharlal Nehru 's Glimpses of World History into Tamil which was published as உலக சரித்திரம்(பாகம்1,2) by Alaigal Publishers அலைகள் வெளியீட்டகம்[10]

Alagesan died on 3 January 1992 at the age of 81.

• "Obituary References". LokSabha Debates 26 February 1992. Parliament of India. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2008.