Freedom fighter, politician and journalist, Kasturiranga Santhanam was born in 1895 in Madras. He went on to complete his law degree from Law College, Madras and practiced at the High Court of Madras from 1920 onwards.
An active member of the national movement, K. Santhanam joined the Indian National Congress at a young age. He participated in the non-cooperation movement in 1920 and was imprisoned several times for his role in the satyagraha movements. He played an active role in in Gandhiji's Constructive Programme of Khadi and Village Industries and between 1922 to 1930, he organized movements to encourage the production of khadi across Tamil Nadu.
K. Santanam also had a distinguished career as a journalist and became the first editor of The Indian Express. He later served as the joint editor of the Hindustan Times and authored several books in English and Tamil. Some of his works include, Gospel of Gandhi, Union-State Relations in India, Satyagraha and the State, An Anthology of Indian Literatures and The Cry of Distress: A first-hand description of an Objective study of the Indian Famine of 1943.
A member of the Indian Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1942, K. Santhanam served as the Joint Secretary of the Sapru Committee in 1944, which sought to resolve minority issues in Indian political discourse. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Madras in 1946 on a Congress Party ticket and frequently contributed on matters relating to adult franchise, local governance, and citizenship. K. Santhanam was appointed Minister of State for Railways and Transport in 1948 and became the Lieutenant Governor of Vindhya Pradesh state (present day Madhya Pradesh) in 1952.
In 1962, K. Santhanam was appointed as the chairman of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption. Based on its recommendations, the Government of India established the Central Vigilance Commission in 1964. K. Santhanam passed away on 28th February 1980.
About the Collection
The papers of K. Santhanam have been donated by his grandson, Rajagopalan Santhanam. The papers include correspondence, speeches, lectures, parliamentary debates, and various articles authored by K. Santhanam. The materials cover important themes such as the Constitution of India, Indian federalism, electoral politics, parliamentary democracy, the Emergency, planning, socialism and capitalism, Indian languages, and reflections on the trajectory of the Indian Republic. Additionally, K. Santhanam’s writings encompass his experiences as a freedom fighter, along with memoirs of prominent leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Sardar Patel, and C. F. Andrews. The collection also contains newspaper clippings, magazines, and several books written by K. Santhanam. These papers hold significant research value for the study of postcolonial Indian politics, economics, history, policy, and governance.
Donor: Rajagopalan Santhanam
Acquisition: 2025