C.M. Poonacha

Who is C.M. Poonacha?

Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha usually referred to as C. M. Poonacha, a descendant of the Coorg Dewans, 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, 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 in the first general elections. Coorg had two MPs in the Union Parliament then, besides having a state legislative body.

In 1956 the State Reorganisation Act was passed. Coorg was 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 and later the Railway Union Minister both times he was in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. Afterwards he served two terms as Governor,once of Odisha and another time of Madhya Pradesh. Two of C M Poonacha's children, C P Belliappa and Kaveri Nambisan, are well-known writers in English.