Dr.T.S.Soundram Amma
My Dear GRI Family members,
Today is 117th Birth Anniversary of our Beloved Amma. Born on today in 1905 to Late Shri T V Sundaram Iyengar and Late Smt Lakshmi Ammal founder of TVS Group, she has grown as a humble child learning singing and dancing along with studying. Post the sad demise of her husband, she was at home when veteran freedom fighter Subrahmanya Siva came to meet her father.
That was the turning point in her life. On the advice of Shri Subramanya Siva, Amma continued her studies with a lot of courage. She had graduated from Lady Hardige Medical College , New Delhi in 1935 and started actively participating in social sevice and joined Gandhian movement .Later after her remarriage with Dr.G.Ramachandran they have together established Gandhigram in 1946.
She had lived all her life for uplifting rural women and Children. Kasturba Hospital, Sevikashram and Soundaram Illam for Children at Gandhigram even today is seving to the deprived with wholehearted support and patronage of TVS Group under abled leadership and guidance of Anna V.K.Sivakumar .
Due to Ammas determination and sustained contribution to mankind she became the first women member elected to Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1957 from Vedasandur Assembly. Later, she became Member of Lok Sabha in 1962 from Dindigul. She had served as Deputy Minister for Health in Government of India. For her services rendered to mankind she was conferred with highest civilian award Padmabhushan by Government of India in 1962. She became Director of Gandhigram and later has served as Chancellor of Gandhigram Rural Institute Deemed to be University in 1980 till 1984.
Our beloved Ammas life itself is an inspiration for many including me. Following her foot prints and having her as my guiding force, I am trying to serve my best as Chancellor of this great institution. On this auspicious day let all of us take Oath to serve this institution the way Amma wanted us to do and take this great institution to new heights.
Regards,
Dr.K.M.ANNAMALAI
Chancellor.
