Anbumani Ramadoss

Summary

Anbumani Ramadoss is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, India. He rose to prominence as a leader of the Vanniyar caste after 2010. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India and was the Minister of Health and Family Welfare in the First Manmohan Singh ministry from (2004–2009) as a part of the UPA government. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. He is also the president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi political party.

Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Assumed office
2019[1]
In office
2004–2010
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
In office
22 May 2004 – 29 March 2009
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
Preceded bySushma Swaraj
Succeeded byGhulam Nabi Azad
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
16 May 2014 – 23 May 2019
Preceded byR. Thamaraiselvan
Succeeded byS. Senthilkumar
ConstituencyDharmapuri, Tamil Nadu
President of Pattali Makkal Katchi
Assumed office
28 May 2022
LeaderS. Ramadoss
General SecretaryVadivel Ravanan
Honorary PresidentG. K. Mani
Preceded byG. K. Mani
Personal details
Born (1968-10-09) 9 October 1968 (age 55)
Puducherry, India
Political partyPattali Makkal Katchi
SpouseSowmiya Anbumani
Children3 (daughters)
Parent(s)S. Ramadoss
R. Saraswathy
Residence(s)Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma materMadras Medical College, Chennai
OccupationPolitician
Signature
Websitewww.anbumani4cm.com
Source: [1]

Early life and education edit

Anbumani Ramadoss was born on 9 October 1968 at Puducherry to S. Ramadoss and R. Saraswathi. His father was a physician by profession and founded the Pattali Makkal Katchi political party in 1989. Anbumani completed his SSLC from Montfort Boys Higher Secondary School, Yercaud in 1984 and finished his higher secondary in 1986 from St. Ann's Higher Secondary School, Tindivanam. He completed his MBBS from Madras Medical College. He worked for a year and a half as a medical practitioner at Nallalam, a small village near Tindivanam. In 2003, Anbumani did a course on macro-economics from the London School of Economics.[2][3]

Political career edit

Ramadoss joined Pattali Makkal Katchi and became the youth wing president. In 2004, he became a member of the Rajya Sabha.[citation needed]

Tenure Positions Held[4]
2004–2010 Member, Rajya Sabha
2004–2009 Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
2014–2019 Member, 16th Lok Sabha
Member, Standing Committee on Rural Development
Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs
Member, Committee on Absence of Members from the Sittings of the House

Minister of Health and Family Welfare edit

 
Anbumani Ramdoss assumes the charge of the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare in New Delhi on 25 May 2004
 
The 108 Ambulance Service was introduced during his tenure

On 22 May 2004, Anbumani became as the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India. At the time of induction into the Manmohan Singh's 2004 cabinet, Anbumani was the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Union Cabinet. During his tenure, the ministry set up various institutions like the Public Health Foundation of India, Department of Health Research, National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library. As the Union Health Minister, Anbumani established the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005 to provide primary health care to the women and children living in the rural parts of India. The project was lauded as 'the largest successful health scheme to be implemented anywhere in the world' by economist Jeffrey Sachs.[5][6]

Under Anbumani, the ministry of health brought stringent regulations against the sale of tobacco products. Anbumani initiated a National Alcohol Policy for the first time in India and advocated for 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi to be observed as World No-Alcohol day.[7][8] Anbumani along with T D Dogra, the then Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi expanded the institution to Jhajjar district, Haryana.[9][10]

Member of Parliament edit

He became a Member of Parliament from Dharmapuri Lok Sabha Constituency in 2014 as a part of the NDA with Bharatiya Janata Party.[4] On 6 October 2015, Anbumani offered to quit the NDA if his decision could help find a permanent solution to the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils.[11][12]

Anbumani had the worst attendance of 15% among those from Tamil Nadu in both Houses as a Rajya Sabha MP as of December 2019.[13]

Elections edit

Lok Sabha elections edit

Elections Constituency Party Result Votes Polled % Votes
2014 Indian general election Dharmapuri PMK Won 4,68,194 42.46%
2019 Indian general election Dharmapuri PMK Lost 5,04,235 41.18%

Tamil Nadu Legislative elections edit

Elections Constituency Party Result Votes Polled % Votes
2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election Pennagaram PMK Lost 58,402 29.25%

State assembly elections edit

Anbumani was declared as the Chief Ministerial Candidate from PMK for the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. He contested from Pennagaram and lost by 18,446 vote.

During his campaign in Kancheepuram in 2019 he told cadres that it is only they who will be in the polling booths. He said to his party members “We will only be there. Then what? Do I need to say it out loud? You understood, right? That’s all, it’s done. Both of them have won.”[14] The Thiruporur police in April 2019 initiated steps for registering cases against Anbumani Ramadoss for allegedly hinting at booth-capturing by his coalition parties to ensure success of their candidates in the April 18 elections.[15]

Controversies edit

Arrest for hate speech edit

Anbumani Ramadoss was arrested by Kancheepuram police in May 2013 in connection with an alleged hate speech case filed against him, the previous year. PMK workers set at least three buses on fire, and damaged over a hundred government buses by stone pelting.[16] The police detained about 4,000 PMK workers around the state.[17]

FIR on promoting caste enmity edit

In March 2014, the Dharmapuri Police filed FIR on Anbumani Ramadoss and two others on charges of circulating CDs containing video/audio clips containing speeches by his father S Ramadoss and others on Marakkanam violence and Dharmapuri violence that could promote violence and hostility between two groups.[18] A case against Ramdoss together with the PMK Deputy Secretary General and PMK District Secretary was registered under IPC sections relating to offenses including promoting hatred among various groups and issuing statements leading to public misbehavior and breaching Model Code of Conduct.[19][20]

Awards and honours edit

 
Anbumani Ramadoss receives the Luther L. Terry Award

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, described him as a "public health champion".[21] The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, presented him with a memento of appreciation on 29 March 2014 at the inauguration of Rotary International's Polio-Free Conclave 2014 in New Delhi.[22] He was awarded with the Luther L. Terry Award by the American Cancer Society in 2006.[23][24] He received the World Health Organization Director General's Special Award for Leadership and Special Award for tobacco control in 2007.[25][26] Rotary International awarded Polio Eradication Champion Award in 2007.[27]

Personal life edit

Anbumani is married to Sowmiya and has three daughters. Anbumani heads a NGO Pasumai Thaayagam, which was founded in 1995 by his father S. Ramadoss. The NGO focuses on planting trees, desilting lakes and building check dams to conserve water. It also advocates for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils.[28] He is currently the President of the Tamil Nadu Badminton Association.[29]

References edit

  1. ^ "Vaiko, Anbumani elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu". The Economic Times. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Anbumani for CM". anbumani4cm. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Anbumani Ramadoss". India.gov.in. 1 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Anbumani Ramadoss – Lok Sabha Member Profile". GOI. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Follow India's rural health mission: Jeffrey Sachs". The Economic Times. 20 July 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Professor Jeffrey Sachs lauds NRHM". The Indian News. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Make Oct 2 World No Alcohol Day: Ramadoss". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  8. ^ "How Anbumani Ramadoss can become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2016.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Venugopal removed, T D Dogra is new AIIMS director". The Times of India. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Haryana to get AIIMS extension, Rohtak PGI to be upgraded". The Indian express. 21 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Ready to quit NDA if it helps Sri Lankan Tamils". The Hindu. 6 October 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Indian MP ready to quit over Sri Lankan issue". Colombo Gazette. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  13. ^ Sivakumar, B. "Anbumani Ramadoss has worst attendance among Tamil Nadu MPs | Chennai News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Watch: On poll trail, Anbumani Ramadoss hints at capturing booths?". The News Minute. 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  15. ^ Jebaraj, P. A. (7 April 2019). "Cops to take action against Anbumani Ramadoss". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Former minister Anbumani Ramadoss arrested". Hindustan Times. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Anbumani Ramadoss, former Union minister, arrested for violating the law". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  18. ^ Arivanantham, R.; Kumar, S. Vijay (30 March 2014). "Case against Anbumani Ramadoss for inciting caste enmity". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Case filed against PMK candidate Anbumani". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  20. ^ "FIR against PMK candidate Ramadoss for inciting caste violence". Firstpost. 30 March 2014. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  21. ^ "UN Secretary General lauds Dr. Ramadoss as a Public Health champion". Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 5 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  22. ^ "The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the memento of appreciation". Sarkari Mirror. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  23. ^ "2006 Luther L. Terry Award Winners". www.cancer.org. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  24. ^ "Ramadoss to receive Luther L. Terry Award". www.oneindia.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  25. ^ "International Recognition For India's Tobacco Control Efforts". www.adicindia.org. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  26. ^ "Award for Anbumani". The Hindu. 29 June 2007. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  27. ^ "Global Polio Eradication Initiative". www.polioeradication.org (Press release). Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  28. ^ "Pasumai Thayagam Statements to UNHRC". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  29. ^ "Tamil Nadu Badminton Association". TNBA. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.

External links edit

  • Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website
Lok Sabha
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Dharmapuri

2014–2019
Succeeded by
Dr. S. Senthil Kumar
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Health and Family Welfare
May 2004 – April 2009
Succeeded by