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| P. Jeevanandham |
Birth : 21st August, 1907 near Nagarcoil in Kanyakumari District.Death : 18th January, 1963
P Jeevanandhan also fondly known as Jeeva is a famous Socio-political leader, Gandhian, Journalist and an excellent orator. He was born near Boothapandi in Nagarcoil in the erstwhile Princely state of Travancore. He was originally known as Sorimuthu named after his family god.
Political life:
In 1924, he participated in the Vaikom Satyagraha which was a nonviolent agitation for access to the prohibited Temple premises. He also participated in the Suchindram temple entry movement. He took care of Gandhian Ashram in Siruvayal where he met Mahatma Gandhi, who appreciated Jeeva for his involvement in the national movement. He hoisted the national flag on top of the temple cart of Suchindram temple at the time of its procession. In 1932, he took part in Civil Disobedience Movement and was sentenced to six months in Trichy Jail. He was arrested and imprisoned for six months for having translated the banned book of Bhagat Singh, “Why I am an atheist?” into Tamil in 1934. He was one of the founding members of the Madras Provincial Congress Socialist Party and became its first secretary in 1937.
He was elected as a member of the All India Congress Committee in 1938 and served as a member of the working Committee of the State Congress unit. He took part in Anti-War activities during 1939-42 and was arrested and kept in custody under the Defence of India Rules. He was imprisoned in Vellore and Madras jails for two years. Later, he joined the Communist Party of India and became a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1952 from the Washermanpet constituency. He died on January 18, 1964.
