V. I. Munuswamy Pillai

Rao Sahib V. I. Munuswamy Pillai
Portrait from the Haripura Congress Souvenir, 1938
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Madras Presidency)
In office July 14, 1937 – October 9, 1939
Premier	C. Rajagopalachari
Governor	John Erskine, Lord Erskine
Personal details
Born	1889 Ootacamund, Madras Presidency
Died	December 14, 1953 Madras
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Indian National Congress
Profession	businessman

Rao Sahib V. I. Munuswamy Pillai (1889 – December 14, 1953) also spelled as Munisami Pillai, was an Indian businessman, politician, Scheduled Caste activist and activist of the Indian independence movement who served as the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the government of C. Rajagopalachari from 1937 to 1939.

Early life

Munuswamy Pillai was born in a poor paraiyar family in Ootacamund, Nilgiris district in 1889. Due to his adverse financial circumstances, Munuswamy Pillai could afford little formal education and was forced to take up a job as a clerk at the age of twenty. After a successful stint as a clerk, Munuswamy Pillai set up his own business in 1925.

Public life

Munuswamy Pillai was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council in 1926 representing the depressed classes. He supported the policies of the Indian National Congress and served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Rajaji's cabinet from 1937 to 1939.

Later life

Munuswamy Pillai retired from public life following the resignation of the Congress ministry in 1939. He returned to politics and was later elected to the Indian Constituent Assembly from Madras in 1946.^[1] He contested and lost the 1952 parliamentary elections from Tindivanam as an Indian National Congress candidate.^[2] He died on December 14, 1953 at the 63.^[3] A special resolution was passed by the Madras Legislative Assembly condoling his death.^[3]

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