C M Poonacha

A descendant of the Coorg Dewans, Cheppudira M Poonacha was a member of the Indian National Congress party in Coorg. During the Freedom Movement he was sentenced to imprisonment twice during the 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 and became its President in 1941 and in 1945 he was elected to Coorg Legislative Council. From 1945 to 1951 he was leader of the Congress Legislative Party in the Council.In 1947 Coorg was a separate state in South India. The other states of South India at that time were Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency, Mysore kingdom, Travancore kingdom, Cochin kingdom and Hyderabad kingdom. 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 a state legislative body. [http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:hX6yoyXHJh4J:www.hindu.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042958480300.htm+C+M+Poonacha&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10] In 1956 the State Reorganisation Act was passed. Coorg was then merged with Mysore and the legislative body at Mercara dissolved.He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1964. Later Poonacha was made Union Minister without portfolio, then Railway Union Minister [http://www.irfca.org/docs/railway-ministers.html] both times he was in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. Afterwards he served two terms as Governor,once of Orissa [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governors_of_Orissa] and another time of Madhya Pradesh [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governors_of_Madhya_Pradesh] . C M Poonacha's children, C P Belliappa and Kaveri Nambisan, one a journalist and the other a doctor by profession, are both well known writers in English.

ee Also

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governors_of_Orissa

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governors_of_Madhya_Pradesh

Reference

Biodata of Cheppudi Muthana Poonacha [http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:ZMrLGLy3J_MJ:orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2005/pdf/bio-data_of_governor.pdf+C+M+Poonacha&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1] (see page 6)

External Links

*http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:hX6yoyXHJh4J:www.hindu.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042958480300.htm+C+M+Poonacha&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10

*http://www.irfca.org/docs/railway-ministers.html

*http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:ZMrLGLy3J_MJ:orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2005/pdf/bio-data_of_governor.pdf+C+M+Poonacha&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1