Madurai Shri M.Venkatarama Iyer

At the outset, I wish you and your family warm greetings on the advent of New Year 2010. Wishing you continued success, health, happiness and prosperity to one and all.

It has been quite some time that I had put down pen to paper. While going through a file handed over to me by Shri C.R.Natarajan (Papa mama), I found a small pamphlet containing the below information. It is about one of our Ancestors titled
“ The life of the Honourable Mr. M.Venkatarama Iyer – B.A B.L”

I immediately thought that this should be put to the blog without wasting any further time. Thanks to Papa mama for preserving this pamphlet for well over 45 years and handing it over to me, else valuable information about this great person would have gone down the drain.

Shri M Venkatama Iyer was the son of Muthuswamy Iyer's. Muthuswamy Iyer was the man who is said to have been a tahsildar and was owner of vast stretches of land in Devadanappatti and a few other villages that were inherited. Muthuswamy Iyer's daughter, was Meenakshi and was married to Naganatha Sasthri of Tanjore (originally from Pudukkottai and son of Venku Iyer).

For continuity readers may refer to the below links
Mr. Venkatarama Iyer is the brother in law of Shri Thanjavur Naganatha Sastry . Thanjavur Shri P.V. Naganatha Sastry:
http://snp-roots.blogspot.com/2008/08/thanjavur-p-v-naganatha-sasthri-1867-to.html

Plz also refer to the Madurai family link
http://snp-roots.blogspot.com/2008/08/madurai-muthuswamy-iyer-family.html

We read with awe and majesty, on how our pre-Independence leaders have fought for Social upliftment, Child Marriages abolition , establishment of homes for widows ,formation of Banks, being part of pre-Independence Shipping Company etc etc. How great it would be to know, there was one such great luminary in our own family fold. Read below article about a legal Luminary, who achieved all the above and much more within a life span of just 20 years, after he has been educated.

Background information:

A function has been organized on 8-11-1965 at ‘Victoria Edward Hall’ Madurai to celebrate the Centenary of Honorable Shri M. Venkatarama Iyer.
I’m reproducing the contents in the pamphlet printed as part of this occasion.

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The life of the Honorable Mr. M.Venkatarama Iyer, B.A.B.L

Mr. M. Venkatarama Iyer was born on 08-09-1865 in Madurai and died on 28-12-1909. He was a student of government High school, Madura and after matriculating in 1879, he went to Kumbakonam to study his F.A. at the Kumbakonam college. After passing creditably in F.A. he joined Presidency College Madras to take his degrees in Arts and Law. He got many gold medals and prizes. He was then apprenticed under Sir S.Subramania Iyer and enrolled as High court Vakil on 27th April 1888.

For the first 4 years he was editing a local weekly paper ‘Madura Mail’. In that period he has advocated various social reforms like Temperance Movement, Abolition of child marriage, Establishment of Widows’ homes. He has condemned the practice of arranging Nautch party for festivals, and wanted abolition of Jamabandhi Hukh swinging festival and Jellicut. He has advocated Indianisation of public services and wanted separation of Judiciary from the executive. He wrote a powerful editorial about the Preservation of Tamil literature. He has advocated industrial development of the district by raising power from the Periyar and Talayar. He wanted abolition of Criminal Tribes Act.

He was an ardent congressman ever since 1890 when Madras Standing congress committee was formed. He was elected District Congress Committee member and held the post till his death. He has attended various congress sessions and served as Reception committee member. He formed the Madura District People’s association in 1904 like Madras Mahajan Saba. He took shares in Swadeshi steam Navigation company and gave loans.

He was a member of the Union Club since 1888 and was its secretary for some years. He has filed suits, for arrears of subscription. He has invited many national leaders like Dadhaboy Nowroji, Tilak to the Club.

He was a member of The Native College Committee from 1889 and was Secretary of the Madura College board from 1908. He has collected large funds to the College and through his efforts the Sethupathi High school and Victoria Hostel were annexed to the college board. He was also associated with Sree Meenakshi Vidayasala with Mr. A. Rengaswami Iyer.

• He was one of the 16 directors who started the Hindu Permanent Fund 0n 01-02-1894.
• He was one of the 7 pioneers who started the co-operative urban bank in 1906.
• He was the founder secretary of Vicoria Edward hall and collected about Rs 60000.
• He was Municipal councilor from 1899, brought various reforms like Vice chairmanship, sewage farms etc.
• He was member of the taluk board from 1892 and was its first elected vice-president from 1894.
• He was member of the Dsitrict board since 1901 and member of the Temple Committee of Meenakshi Devasthanam.
• He was Government Pleader and top leader of the Bar
• He was responsible to start the Madura Branch of the Indian Bank Ltd. And was its advisory committee member. (He resigned the Govt. Pleadership and sought election. He won by thumping majority, but alas he died in 1909 and could not sit even in the 1st session)

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Additional Information:

• The function was presided over by Sir P.T. Rajan B.A (OXON) BAR-AT-LAW .
• Mr K.R.Acharya F.C.A – Honorary Manging Editior Wealth and Welfare Madras was the chief guest.
• A souvenir has been released on the occasion by V.Kameswara Iyer ( Son of Venkatarama Iyer) to the chief guest on this occasion
• Welcome Speech given by Dr. T.V.Venkatesan Secretary Madura College Board.
• Portait of M.Venkatarama Iyer has been released in 2 places
o For Indian Bank by Sri.L. Alagusundaram Chettiar
o Fot Edward hall by Sri V.Santhanam
• Vote of thanks by Sri Sankaran M.L.A