O.P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar: Madras’s First CM

Weeks before India even became independent, O.P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar was already Premier of Madras, and already legislating. Within his first two months in office, he had opened Hindu temples to Dalits by law, something no one had managed to pass before him.

MCQ Questions

ModHist0237

O.P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar: Madras’s First CM

In two years in office, he opened temples to Dalits and banned the devadasi system, then lost power to his own party.

23 Mar 1947

Becomes Premier of Madras

He takes office months before Indian independence, then continues as Chief Minister after 15 August 1947.

11 May 1947

Passes the Temple Entry Act

The Madras Temple Entry Authorisation Act gives Dalits and other excluded groups the legal right to enter Hindu temples.

9 Oct 1947

Bans the devadasi system

The Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act ends the practice of dedicating girls to temple service.

6 Apr 1949

Forced out by his own party

He loses an internal Congress vote after refusing to grant special privileges to party leaders.

The pattern: Reddiyar’s two landmark social reforms both happened within his first eight months in office. His downfall a year and a half later came not from any policy failure, but from refusing to bend the rules for his own party’s leaders.

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A Swift Social ReformerNeed to Know

• O.P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar (1 February 1895 – 25 August 1970) was born in Omandur village, South Arcot district, Madras Presidency.
• He became Premier of Madras Presidency on 23 March 1947, months before Indian independence. He continued as Chief Minister after 15 August 1947, becoming the first to hold that post in independent Madras.
• On 11 May 1947, his government passed the Madras Temple Entry Authorisation Act. It gave Dalits and other excluded groups the legal right to enter Hindu temples.
• On 9 October 1947, his government passed the Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act, ending the practice of dedicating girls to temple service and giving devadasis the legal right to marry.
• That devadasi bill was not new. Reformer Muthulakshmi Reddy had first proposed it to the Madras Legislative Council back in 1930. It took 17 years, and Reddiyar’s government, to actually become law.
• He was forced to resign on 6 April 1949. He lost an internal Congress party vote after refusing to grant special privileges to party leaders, and K. Kamaraj withdrew his support.
• He was later elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. He died on 25 August 1970, in Vadalur, Tamil Nadu.

A Fall Over Principle, Not PolicyGood to Know

• He was backed in the internal party vote by senior Congress figures including C. Rajagopalachari, P. Subbarayan, and T. Prakasam. See ModHist0220 — T. Prakasam, one of his supporters.
• His temple-entry reform paralleled a similar campaign in Bihar. See ModHist0221 — Sri Krishna Sinha, who led the movement for Dalit entry into the Baidyanath Dham temple.
• The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly secretariat complex is named in his honour today.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. O.P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar became Premier of Madras Presidency on 23 March 1947. What is notable about the timing?

It coincided exactly with independence day

It was months before Indian independence

It was after the 1950 Constitution came into force

It followed the death of the previous Premier

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A Reputation That Couldn’t Save HimGreat to Know

• Passing two major social reforms within his first eight months shows real legislative urgency. He didn’t wait to consolidate power before acting on caste discrimination.
• Losing office over a refusal to grant special privileges, rather than any policy failure, suggests his own integrity contributed to his downfall. That’s a specific kind of political vulnerability.
• Being supported by figures as varied as Rajagopalachari and Prakasam, yet still losing, shows individual reputation could not always outweigh organised factional pressure inside Congress.
• The devadasi law’s long path, from Muthulakshmi Reddy’s 1930 proposal to Reddiyar’s 1947 signature, shows how long social reform can take even once a strong case for it exists.