Political leader Kumaraswami Kamaraj (1903-1975) rose from the next-to-lowest rung in the caste system of India to become president of the all-powerful Congress party.

He was known simply as Kamaraj, now used as his surname. The low caste Nadars were rising in importance when Kamaraj was born on July 15, 1903, in the southern Madras town of Virudunagar, India. His father, who died when Kamaraj was six, was a coconut merchant. The boy had only six years of schooling when he dropped out to work in his uncle's cloth shop.

A Political Journey

At 17 Kamaraj joined the nationalist movement and soon became the chief lieutenant of Madras Congress leader Sundaresa Satyamurti. His steps up the political ladder include: national Congress Committee in 1931, secretary of the state party in 1935, and member of the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1937 and 1946 and of the Constituent Assembly in 1947. In addition, he was state party president...