->Vijethnbharadwaj at 10:34, 25 December 2021

2021-12-25T10:34:55Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = C. M. Poonacha
| image = C M Poonacha.gif
| alt =
| caption =
| order = 13th
| office = Governor of Odisha
| term_start = 1 September 1982
| term_end = 17 August 1983
| 1blankname = Chief Minister
| 1namedata = [[Janaki Ballabh Patnaik]]
| predecessor = [[Ranganath Misra]] {{small|(Acting)}}
| successor = [[Bishambhar Nath Pande]]
| term_start1 = 4 November 1980
| term_end1 = 24 June 1982
| 1blankname1 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata1 = Janaki Ballabh Patnaik
| predecessor1 = S. K. Ray {{small|(Acting)}}
| successor1 = Ranganath Misra {{small|(Acting)}}
| term_start2 = 30 April 1980
| term_end2 = 30 September 1980
| 1blankname2 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata2 = Janaki Ballabh Patnaik
| predecessor2 = [[B. D. Sharma]]
| successor2 = S. K. Ray {{small|(Acting)}}
| order4 = 6th
| office4 = Governor of Madhya Pradesh
| term_start4 = 17 August 1978
| term_end4 = 29 April 1980
| 1blankname4 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata4 = [[Virendra Kumar Sakhlecha]] [[Sunder Lal Patwa]]
| predecessor4 = [[N. N. Wanchoo]]
| successor4 = B. D. Sharma
| office5 = 8th [[Minister of Railways (India)|Minister of Railways]]
| term_start5 = 30 March 1967
| term_end5 = 14 February 1969
| primeminister5= [[Indira Gandhi]]
| predecessor5 = [[S. K. Patil]]
| successor5 = [[Ram Subhag Singh]]
| office6 = [[Chief Minister of Coorg]]
| term_start6 = 27 March 1952
| term_end6 = 31 October 1956
| 1blankname6 = Chief Commissioner
| 1namedata6 = [[Daya Singh Bedi]]
| predecessor6 = ''Office Established''
| successor6 = ''Office Abolished''
| birth_name = Cheppudira Muthanna Poonacha
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1910|09|26}}
| birth_place = [[Attur, Virajpet|Attur]], [[Coorg Province]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1990|08|07|1910|09|26}}
| death_place =
| office7 = [[Minister (government)|Minister]] for [[Minister of Steel (India)|Steel]] and [[Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises|Heavy Engineering]]
| term_start7 = 15 February 1969
| term_end7 = 17 March 1971
| predecessor7 =
| successor7 =
| constituency7= [[Mangalore (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mangalore]]
| office8 = [[Minister of State|MoS]] for [[Ministry of Road Transport and Highways|Transport]], [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)|Aviation]], [[Ministry of Shipping (India)|Shipping]] and [[Ministry of Tourism (India)|Tourism]]
| term8 = January 25, 1966-March 12, 1967
| constituency8 = [[Mysore State]], ''[[Rajya Sabha]]''
| office9 = [[Minister of State|MoS]] for [[Ministry of Finance (India)|Finance]]
| term9 = 1 January 1966-24 January 1966
| constituency9 = [[Mysore State]], ''[[Rajya Sabha]]''
| office10 = [[Minister (government)|Minister]] for [[Home Minister|Home]], [[Government of Karnataka|Mysore State]]
| term10 = 1957-1962
| constituency10= [[Virajpet (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Virajpet]]
| office11 = [[Minister (government)|Minister]] for [[Commerce minister|Commerce]] and [[Industry minister|Industries]], [[Government of Karnataka|Mysore State]]
| term11 = 1956-1962
| constituency11= [[Virajpet (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Virajpet]]
| office12 = [[Minister (government)|Minister]] for [[Minister of Finance (India)|Finance]], [[Coorg Legislative Assembly|Coorg (Kodagu)]]
| term12 = 1952-1956
| constituency12= Berriathnad
| constituency_MP13= [[Mangalore (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mangalore]]
| majority13 = 28522
| term_start13 = 1967
| term_end13 = 1971
| predecessor13 = [[A. Shanker Alva|Adhur Shanker Alva]]
| successor13 = [[K. K. Shetty]]
| parliament13 = Indian
| parliament14 = Indian
| term14 = 3 April 1964-25 February 1967
| successor14 = [[T. Siddalingaya]]
| constituency_MP14= [[Mysore State]], ''[[Rajya Sabha]]''
| office15 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] in [[Coorg Legislative Assembly|Coorg (Kodagu)]]
| term15 = 1952 - 1957
| predecessor15 = ''Position Created''
| successor15 = ''Position Abolished''
| constituency15= Berriathnad
| majority15 = 1179
| office16 = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] in [[Karnataka Legislative Assembly|Mysore State]]
| term16 = 1957-1962
| predecessor16 = ''Position Created''
| successor16 = A. P. Appanna
| constituency16 = [[Virajpet (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Virajpet]]
| majority16 = 3221
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| occupation = Freedom Fighter, Politician
| known_for = Only Chief Minister of Coorg (Kodagu)
| spouse =
| children = 4, including C. P. Belliappa & [[Kavery Nambisan]]
}}

'''Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha''' was the Chief Minister of [[Coorg]], Minister in [[Mysore]] State, [[Member of Parliament]] ([[Rajya Sabha]] and [[Lok Sabha]]), [[Minister of Railways (India)|Union Railway Minister of India]] and [[List of governors of Madhya Pradesh|Governor of Madhya Pradesh]] and [[List of governors of Odisha|Governor of Orissa]].

==Freedom Movement==
C. M. Poonacha was a descendant of the Coorg [[Diwan (title)|Dewan]]s. During the Freedom Movement he was sentenced to imprisonment twice during the [[Salt March|Salt Satyagraha]] in 1932 and 1933. He was again imprisoned in 1940–41. and in 1942–44. He became a member of All-India Congress Committee in 1938. Also, in 1938 he was elected to Coorg District Board, became its President in 1941 and in 1945 he was elected to [[Coorg Legislative Assembly|Coorg Legislative Council]]. From 1945 to 1951 he was leader of the Congress Legislative Party in the Council. He hence became a prominent member of the [[Indian National Congress]] party in [[Coorg]].

==Politics==
In 1947 [[Coorg State|Coorg]] was a separate state in South [[India]] until 1956. The other states of South India at that time were Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency, Mysore kingdom, Travancore kingdom, Cochin kingdom and Hyderabad kingdom. The Coorg State Assembly had a strength of 24 members and the Cabinet consisted of just two members.

===Constituent Assembly Member (Constitution of India)===
C M Poonacha represented the Coorg state as a member of the Constituent Assembly.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N1ZEqWRk7HsC&q=hindu+c+m+poonacha&pg=PA15 |title=Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Correspondence and Select Documents: Volume Seventeen ... - Google Books |isbn=9788170230021 |access-date=2016-08-01|last1=Prasad |first1=Rajendra |year=1984 }}</ref>

===Chief Minister (Coorg)===
Two parties fought the 1952 state elections: the Takkadi ('Scales of Justice') party under veteran Gandhian [[Pandyanda Belliappa]], who was a dominant political force and voice of Coorg with its anti-merger plank, and the Congress under C.M. Poonacha in Coorg. Poonacha was elected Chief Minister of [[Coorg State]] (1952–56) in the first general elections. Coorg had two MPs in the Union Parliament then, besides having a state legislative body.<ref>[https://www.hindu.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042958480300.htm ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922090129/https://www.hindu.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042958480300.htm |date=22 September 2010 }}</ref> In 1956 the State Reorganisation Act was passed. Coorg was merged with Mysore and the legislative body at Mercara dissolved. While the Chief Minister was C.M. Poonacha, (who also held the finance portfolio), the only other Minister was Home Minister, Kittur Mallappa. C.M. Poonacha had won the Beriathnad seat while K. Mallappa won the second seat from Sanivarasante.<ref name="thehindu1">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/from-a-princely-state-to-two-assembly-segments/article1247754.ece |title=From a princely State to two Assembly segments - KARNATAKA |publisher=The Hindu |date=2008-04-29 |access-date=2016-08-01}}</ref> The Congress won 15 seats and Independents (opposing merger), represented by the Takkadi party, won nine seats. Under various circumstances Coorg was merged with the then Mysore in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/kodagu-fighting-to-maintain-its-existence/article5930024.ece |title=Kodagu fighting to maintain its existence - ANDHRA PRADESH |publisher=The Hindu |date=2014-04-20 |access-date=2016-08-01}}</ref> This election was widely controversial as it was believed that many people from nearby districts of Hunsur, Mysore and Mandya were brought to Kodagu to vote as the government of Karnataka (Congress) believed people of Kodagu will vote overwhelmingly in opposition of the merger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/coorg-and-the-reorganisation-of-states/article5253017.ece |title=Coorg and the reorganisation of States - NATIONAL |publisher=The Hindu |date=2013-10-20 |access-date=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Harish Ramaswamy|title=Karnataka Government and Politics|year=2007|page=383|isbn=9788180693977|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UM3LjKo8Uo8C&q=c+m+poonacha&pg=PA383|access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref>

===State Minister (Mysore)===
After the formation of the new Mysore State Poonacha was Minister for Home and Industries under its Chief Minister [[S. Nijalingappa]]. He was also Chairman, State Trading Corporation of India from 1959 to 1963. He led the Government of India Trade delegation to some East European countries in 1960 and was the leader of the State Trading Corporation delegation to Japan in 1961.

===Central Minister===
Poonacha was elected to the [[Rajya Sabha]] in April 1964. Later Poonacha was made Union Minister without portfolio in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. From 1 to 24 January 1966, he was Minister of State in the [[Ministry of Finance (India)|Ministry of Finance]] and from 25 January 1966 to 12 March 1967 Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport, Aviation, Shipping and Tourism. He contested and won the [[Lok Sabha]] seat for the [[Mangalore (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mangalore]] constituency in 1969. He contested again in 1971 as a candidate of [[Indian National Congress (Organisation)|NCO]] party, but lost.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/kodagu-goes-to-ls-polls-with-mysore-for-first-time/article302942.ece |title=Kodagu goes to LS polls with Mysore for first time - KARNATAKA |publisher=The Hindu |date=2009-04-12 |access-date=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Janak Raj Jai|title=Commissions and Omissions by Indian Prime Ministers, Volume 1|year=1996|page=115|isbn=9788186030233|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Wrc1K0uJTgC&q=c+m+poonacha&pg=PA115|access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kuldeep Mathur, James Warner Bjorkman|title=Top Policy Makers in India: Cabinet Ministers and Their Civil Service Advisors|year=1994|page=84|isbn=9788170225300|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kCx4gxkkbiQC&q=c+m+poonacha&pg=PA84|access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref>

===Union Railway Minister===
After some time he became Union Minister for Railways from 1967 to 1969 (at first interim and then final) and Minister for Steel and Heavy Engineering in 1969. At that time he was the Member of Parliament representing [[Mangalore (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mangalore]] [[Lok Sabha]] constituency to which Coorg then belonged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irfca.org/docs/railway-ministers.html |title=[IRFCA] Railway Ministers |publisher=Irfca.org |access-date=2016-08-01}}</ref><ref>http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1967-68_interim.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/finance_budget/Previous%20Budget%20Speeches/1968-69.pdf</ref>

==Retirement==

===Governor===
After his retirement from active politics, he served two terms as governor, once as [[Governors of Madhya Pradesh]] taking charge on 17 August 1978 and later as [[Governor of Orissa]] on 30 April 1980.

==Family==
Poonacha had two sons and two daughters. Two of his children, C. P. Belliappa and [[Kaveri Nambisan]], are well-known writers in English.

==See also==
*[[List of Governors of Odisha]]
*[[Governors of Madhya Pradesh]]
*[[Kuttur Mallappa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090410070313/http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2005/pdf/bio-data_of_governor.pdf Biodata of Cheppudi Muthana Poonacha] (see page 6)

==External links==
*http://www.irfca.org/docs/railway-ministers.html
*https://web.archive.org/web/20090410070313/http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2005/pdf/bio-data_of_governor.pdf

{{S-start}}
{{succession box |
| title = [[List of governors of Madhya Pradesh|Governor of Madhya Pradesh]]|
| years = 17 August 1978 - 29 April 1980|
| before = [[N. N. Wanchu]]|
| after = [[B. D. Sharma]]|
}}
{{S-end}}
{{S-start}}
{{succession box |
| title = [[List of Governors of Odisha|Governor of Odisha]]|
| years = Apr 1980– Sep 1980 (first term); Nov 1980 – Jun 1982 (second term); Sep 1982 – Aug 1983 (third term)|
| before = [[Bhagwat Dayal Sharma]] (first term); Justice S.K. Ray (second term) R.N. Mishra (third term)|
| after = Justice S.K. Ray (first term); R. N. Mishra (second term) [[Bishambhar Nath Pande]](third term)|
}}
{{S-end}}
{{KarnatakaChiefMinisters}}
{{Karnataka ministries}}
{{Governors of Madhya Pradesh}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poonacha, C. M.}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Kodava people]]
[[Category:Railway Ministers of India]]
[[Category:People from Kodagu district]]
[[Category:4th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Indian states]]
[[Category:Governors of Odisha]]
[[Category:Members of the Constituent Assembly of India]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Indian National Congress]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Coorg State MLAs 1952–1956]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress (Organisation) politicians]]
[[Category:Mysore MLAs 1957–1962]]
[[Category:Governors of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians]]

C. M. Poonacha - Revision history

->Vijethnbharadwaj at 10:34, 25 December 2021