Dr Alladi's opinion.

Malapalli, a Telugu novel, by Unnava Lakshminarayana, published in 1922-1923 was banned twice during the British regime, the second ban being lifted in 1937.  It was proscribed in March 1923 based on the note prepared by the official Telugu translator to the Government who had opined that this socio-political novel not only “denounces unsparingly the system of Criminal Settlements, Police, Jails, Courts etc.,’" but also “zealously preaches at some length the principles of Bolshevism, and the creed of Non-Cooperation in such a manner and in such language as would assuredly bring Government into hatred and contempt in the country” (Bangorey 84).  The Advocate General whose opinion was sought too agreed that the book was seditious and pointed out some passages that were objectionable and against some sections of the Indian Penal Code.  With the intervention of C. R. Reddy, a renowned Telugu scholar and the members of the Legislative Council, the ban was lifted after the author had agreed to revise some portions of the novel even as he maintained that “it is not wrong to preach communism or to encourage the union of labour against capital” (Bangorey 69) and refused to delete a poem.  It was proscribed for the second time when the revised edition was published in 1935 on the ground that there were still some objectionable portions wherein “[c]apitalists and bureaucrats are made out to be tyrants and [there were] libelous statements about the Police, Magistracy, and Jail departments” (Bangorey 100).  The ban was finally lifted on the basis of a report by Alladi Krishnaswamy, the then Advocate General, who said that “[t]the main objective of the writer, as I gather, is not so much to bring the existing system of administration to contempt as to depict the evils of the present economic and social structure and of the modern body politic.  The reference to the ‘British Flag being pulled down’ etc. is incidental to the fury which overtakes the gang.  On the whole, taking all parts of the book into consideration, I cannot safely advise the Government to take proceedings to proscribe the book” (Bangorey 111).    

ALLADI'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DRAFTING OF THE CONSTITUTION.

THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ON NOVEMBER 25th 1 9 4 9

The constitution is the most important  document  of our country, as  it contains the articles  and provisions  under which the Judiciary, the Parliament, and the Executive( all departments of the Government at the centre as well as in the States) are governed and the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and all its Judges, the Chief Justices and all the Judges of the High Courts of  all the States, the Governors of all the States, all the Cabinet Ministers of the Central Government, the Chief Ministers of  all the States and all  the ministers of their cabinets, are appointed, and hold office. It is the constitution that guarantees to all the citizens of India, their Fundamental Rights, such as the freedom of speech, the right  to move anywhere, to hold any office and to belong to any religion. It is the source from which all the laws  and enactments made in our country derive authority.

I  was recently reading the proceedings of in the  Constituent  Assembly on November 25th 1949, on which date  some of the  provisions of our constitution were debated. In this connection, when the Bill for Amendment of the Government of India Act 1935 was introduced the members of the Drafting Committee, which was entrusted with the task of framing the Constitution, discussed at length,  the various articles and clauses. While all the learned members spoke on the occasion, the speeches of Dr.Pattabhi Sitaramayya and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar drew my attention in particular. I have given below extracts from their speeches .

Dr.Pattabhi Sitaramayya:

  Then there was Sir Alladi, with his oceanic depths of learning, and a whole knowledge of the Constitutional Law of the world on his finger tips. He has made great contributions towards the drawing up of this Constitution. He only has to perfect it all by writing a commentary upon it. That was the latest request of Mr. Santhanam to him and I hope he will fulfil it.

THE HONOURABLE Dr.B.R.AMBEDKAR " I am glad to find that with the exception of a solitary member, there is a general consensus of appreciation from the members of the Constituent Assembly of the work done by the Drafting Committee. I am sure the Drafting Committee feels happy to find this spontaneous recognition of its labours expressed in such generous terms. As to the compliments that have been showered upon me both by the members of the Assembly as well as by my colleagues of the Drafting Committee I feel so overwhelmed that I cannot find adequate words to express fully my gratitude to them. I came into the Constituent Assembly with no greater aspiration than to safeguard the interests of he Scheduled Castes. I had not the remotest idea that I would be called upon to undertake more responsible functions. I was therefore greatly surprised when the Assembly elected me to the Drafting Committee. I was more than surprised when the Drafting Committee elected me to be its Chairman. There were in the Drafting Committee men bigger, better and more competent than myself such as my friend  Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar. I am grateful to the Constituent Assembly and the Drafting Committee for reposing in me so much trust and confidence and to have chosen me as their instrument and given me this opportunity of serving the country. " (Cheers)

The rather  flattering references that  have been made, in the above two extracts to the encyclopedic knowledge of the constitutional law of the world and the legendary legal acumen of Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar would enable  all  readers to  see things in the proper perspective( though his major role in framing the Constitution is acknowledged within legal circles throughout the country, it has not received the proper credit due outside, mainly because of lack of publicity). However it a matter of  great personal pride for me as he happens to be my grandfather and I have have been singularly fortunate in having had  the the benefit of his association in my formative years -- something I cherish till today.

V.S.RAVI

Thursday, February 7, 2008


Why I started this blogger; Ekamra Nivas.?

WHY I STARTED THIS BLOGGER:EKAMRA NIVAS?

Ekamranivas is the name of the palatial building in Luz church road where Sir Alladi resided with all his family members. This house was open to all relatives and friends. The generosity and hospitality of Sir Alladi and Lady Alladi were universally known.

I started this blog about my grandfather Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Iyer for his name to be remembered by all the future generations to come. Every individual's identity starts from his or her roots. A great legendary name like Sir Alladi deserves to live forever. Very rarely we come across a brilliant phenomenal and self made person like him.My father has told us a lot about him .I would also like to collect valuable information from my extended family members their nostalgic memories with grand father or grandmother. My sister Lakshmi Subramanian takes great pains to collect information about him from various sources. She is equally responsible if this blogger turns to be successful.She gives me lot of material which I edit.I would request all the family member to cooperate and give material to make this blogger successful.-JANAKI MOHAN

The life and times of Sir Alladi-by V.S.Ravi

                            Nine years ago I had published in the Hindu an article “legal Luminary “ on my grandfather on his fiftieth death anniversary .Ever since that time some of my cousins have been requesting me to write one more article throwing light on many other aspects of his multi-faceted personality for being included in a” blog” on my grandfather .In response to their request I have now written this essay on his life and times . In all modesty I may claim that that this essay has come out rather well - perhaps due to the special affection I have for , and the high esteem in which I hold , our beloved Grandfather, one of the great sons of India , rather than due to my own literary skills .To the older generation the letter will revive nostalgic memories of their association with him .To the younger generation it will reveal glimpses of their glorious heritage which they may not be aware of for no fault of their own .Irrespective of whichever part of the world they are now residing this essay will make them proud to learn about their “roots “ and lineage.

As Stephen Spender wrote

" What is precious is never to forget

The essential delight of the blood drawn through ageless springs "

.Every member of the Alladi Dynasty will be thrilled to the core of his or her being to come to know the facts outlined in this article which has turned out to be a lyrical essay . The sentiments expressed by me have come from the bottom of my heart in one remarkable burst of uninterrupted and eloquent prose and it is but natural that I should feel like sharing them with all of you .

My grandfather the late Sir Alladi Krisnaswamy Iyer hails from a small community called the " Pudur Dravidas " ( Brahmins) who had settled mostly in Nellore district .The most popular theory is that they are Tamilians who while migrating from the Southern part of the Country to the North found in Nellore a hospitable people and prosperous land ( thanks to the fertile soil) and settled there itself without going to the North . They retained their Tamilan names - hence the “ Iyer” suffix ( some of them called themselves Sastri to give themselves a new identity . But then again there is evidence that this may not have been necessary as Sastri was a suffix for Tamilian names also e .g the Rt.Honourable Srinivasa Sastri widely known and admired for his oratorical skill was a Tamil Brahmin Iyer . Patanjali Sastri former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ( who incidentally was one of the Juniors of my Grandfather ) was also an Iyer . While in Nellore district some of the Pudur Dravidas took up Pourohityam ( i.e Veda Parayanam etc involving among other things a deep study of the Vedas) as a profession and some acquired a great knowledge of Telugu Literature . Vedam Venkatraya Sastri the renowned Telugu Scholar is a Puduru Dravida .There were other equally gifted Scholars - too many to be mentioned here ( Some set up Printing Presses e.g Vavillas ) still others moved to Madras again to take up jobs in the Government and in Educational Institutions

Another theory is that we are indeed Andhras and such of those who migrated to Madras acquired the Iyer label .This could also be true like for example in the case of Palghat Brahmins it is said that they were Madras Iyers who had migrated to Palghat and not the other way around .( my own father is a Palghat Brahmin – is he a Tamil Brahmin or a Palghat Iyer that is the question )

Whatever the Historical position ,we Pudur Dravidas ( should I deem myself one despite my father being a Palghat Iyer ) seem to have acquired the best of both the worlds - not taking into account the Pudur Dravida language ( being a cacophony of a mixture of jarring Tamil and Telugu words ) .The food however is an exotic blend of the best of cooking/ recipes of both the peoples - the Sambar ,Rasam , Poriyal , kootu , curry etc of Madras and the Pacchadlu , Vepudu ,Avakkaya ,Pulusu of Andhra.The culture again is a fusion of the best of both the States , Telugu Sahityam ,Kuchipudi dance and Gadwal Sarees , from Andhra and Carnatic Music ( more popular in Madras than in A.P where the emphasis is more on cinema music( ! ) ) Bharata Natyam and Kanjivaram silk Sarees from Madras .

. In my short article “ legal Luminary published in the Hindu nine years ago on my grandfather’s fiftieth death anniversary I had mentioned that , my grandfather though being the son of a man who was doing Pourohityam for a living , developed an urge to choose Law as a profession .His rise in the Legal Firmament was meteor- like bordering on the romantic .Within a few years he acquired a legendary reputation as a great lawyer and was known throughout the erstwhile Madras Presidency for his encyclopaedic knowledge of all branches of law.People from all over the country came to him for legal advice .Honours were not slow in coming to him .In 1926 he was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal in appreciation of his philanthropic and social services .He became Advocate General of Madras in the year 1928 and continued to be in that position for several years - the longest for any Advocate General in any State in the country. In 1930 he was awarded the title of Dewan Bahadur and in 1932 the honour of Knighthood was conferred upon him in recognition of his services to the State .After Independence he gave up his Knighthood ..Many of his juniors went on to become judges e.g Patanjali Sastri referred to above who became Chief Justice of the Supreme court ,N. Rajagopala Iyengar who became a Judge in the Supreme Court My grandfather himself did not like to sit on the Bench - as it lacked the challenge ,skill and excitement of advocacy .No wonder that Judges considered themselves lucky to sit on a bench when he was arguing a case.Judges like the late Hidayatulla another former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Justice Krishna Iyer regarded him as a legal colossus . Chief Justice Hidayatulla himself stated once that whenever Alladi passed through his City ( I don't remember which city - most likely Nagpur ) he would wait patiently in the Railway Platform or at the Airport just to derive intellectual inspiration and savour his wisdom for about 15 minutes or half an hour - though my grandfather did not give advance notice of his travel plans since being humble by nature he discouraged open display of admiration .However what he did not anticipate was that as Hidayatulla himself revealed he would obtain advance information from someone in my grandfather’s Chambers !

.He was held in high esteem not only by Indian Judges but also by British Judges before Independence .Judges of the calibre of Chief Justice Leach and Sir Maurice Gwyer would listen to his arguments with rapture and sometimes interrupt the proceedings and adjourn the case to the afternoon so as to give visiting Judges from other parts of the country or even from England an opportunity to listen to him argue a case in the Court His name became synonymous with the legal profession .When he went to England in 1933 he met the leading figures in the legal world including the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General not to speak of his reviving his old friendship with the eminent Jurist Sir John Power Wallis who introduced him to all the members of the Judicial Committee ( Sir John Powell Wallace who held the high office of the Chief Justice of Madras with distinction for several years and before whom Alladi was constantly pleading came to cherish a very high opinion of his ability as a lawyer and an advocate).When he visited the Old Bailey he was treated with great deference by the presiding Judge ,Justice Charles who also entertained him for lunch .He also visited Cambridge and Oxford and exchanged views on legal matters with some of the most distinguished academic lawyers including Professor Holdsworth

.Stories of his legal acumen some true ,and some apocryphal became part of the folklore of legal history .For example in one of the most popular Tamil Movies of that time one of the characters asked another character who was always found studying Law " do you think you are Alladi?" There were instances when because he could not travel due to ill- health ,rich clients from Andhra would come to Madras just to ask him to " touch " a Case File ". saying it would bring them good luck

.On his having completed 60 years of age in 1943 a special Committee was formed with eminent Judges and Lawyers to celebrate his Shastyabdapoorthi as per Hindu Tradition .A galaxy of Legal and other Luminaries sent special messages praising his distinguished career in law as well as his philanthropic nature and dedication to helping poor students in their education and career . Constraints of space do not permit me to enumerate the names of all the people who sent their good wishes and expressed their admiration for him but it is worth mentioning a few .Prominent among those who wrote very flattering remarks bordering on the superlative were Justice F.W.Gentle Judge High court ,Calcutta ,HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE L.C . HORWILL Judge High Court , Madras ,Hon’ble MR.JUSTICE H.C. HAPPELL Judge ,High Court ,Madras .Lionel Leach ,Chief Justice High Court Madras , Sir Maurice Gwyer Retired Chief Justice of India ,C.Rajagopalachariar , who became Governor General of India on India attaining Independence .Sir S.Radhakrishnan who was then Vice-Chancellor of Benares Hindu University and later became a President of independent India , Nobel Laureate Sir C.V.Raman , Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Aiyar ,,C.R.Reddy Vice-Chancellor Andhra University , The RT.HON’BLE Sir TEJ BAHADUR SAPRU ,Sir B.L Mitter Advocate General of India , The Rt,Hon’ble M.R.JAYAKAR and several others

.As his fame grew far and wide Nehru himself heard about his genius . Once when my grandfather was too sick to travel to Delhi , Nehru came down all the way to Madras just to see him .When he had any doubts on points relating to Indian law or even International Law he would send special emissaries to Madras to seek his opinion .Nehru sent Justice Wanchoo to get my grandfather’s opinion about the desirability of creating a separate Andhra State .It was only after my Grandfather gave his clearance that a separate State was formed .Even Gandhiji himself sometimes sought his legal opinion .I have a letter written in 1946 in Gandhiji's own handwriting stating that Rajaji had just given him my Grandfather's opinion which he had read " with the attention it demands " - Imagine such high praise from Gandhiji .This letter is now one of my most prized possessions

Small wonder then that when the new Republic was formed and a fresh Constitution needed for the Country , Nehru requested him to provide his expertise in framing the new constitution .He was responsible for blending the best provisions of the American Constitution and the British Constitution and tailoring the document to suit the special requirements of the new " Sovereign Democratic Republic ".When the famous British Jurist Sir Ivor Jennings once criticized certain provisions of the Indian Constitution in some context he defended it with such sound arguments that Jennings apologized for having hastily criticized without knowing the full implications of those provisions ! All people who have ever taken to law as a profession know the fact that he is the chief architect of the Indian Constitution .The learned Judge V .R.Krishna Iyer who is generally parsimonious in praising anybody has however written a special article lavishing tributes on his legal acumen and referring to him as one of the chief Architect of the Constitution .In his book on the Constitution ,which is considered a bible by all Judges and advocates in our country ,Justice Ranganadham ,has devoted a staggering number of pages constituting a large section of the book to my grandfather's speeches during the debates in the Constituent Assembly . They are considered lessons in Jurisprudence by Judges and aspiring advocates .There is one fact I may venture to mention without incurring anyone's displeasure If I am not mistaken Ambedkar himself had reportedly said when he had become or was to be appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee that he was surprised to have been chosen as the Chairman when there were " more learned men like Alladi".However in the mood of idealism that had prevailed then it was felt that it would be appropriate to make Ambedkar the Chairman .This fact has unfortunately been forgotten or even perhaps been suppressed .Anyway it is too late now to publicize this especially at this juncture having regard to the political climate in the country and the general mood of the Public It is sad that even though my eldest uncle Kuppuswamy became the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and several others of the family have distinguished themselves in various fields ,nobody has thought of even getting a street named after him .You will agree that this is an unfortunate character trait of Brahmins who are humble to the extent of being timid .

My grandfather’s virtues like humility and generosity have become proverbial .Many poor students were recipients of his munificence .His donations to various charitable causes and educational institutions are too numerous to be enumerated in a short essay like this .He was not surprisingly a source of inspiration for aspiring lawyers many of whom became his juniors and later got elevated to the Bench . The passage of time has not dimmed the splendour of his career and the legend that is Sir Alladi keeps growing in fame with every passing year .

His was not just a life lived but a life charged with intellect , humanity , generosity and humility .. .

Sir Alladi Krishnaswami Iyer from The Hindu newspaper

 

Down the memory lane

DOWN THE MEMORY LANE-by Janaki mohan
To me “Perippa” means perippa and his family collectively have been very closely associated with this family from 1965 when I came to Hyderabad from Poona . My father made his home in “Krishna” one more house of perippa in the same compound . I have host of memories perippa‘s family. My father was very close to his brother and I too experienced the same feeling in that house .
Today Perippa is no more .I find it hard to believe that the chair he occupies in the drawing room is going to be always vacant but I feel like writing about this soft spoken gentle ,smiling wonderful person and also about his family.Tears well up my eyes as I write this. He was very affectionate to me mainly and my children Anand and Prabha .I was a mere house wife when he involved me in the Alladi memorial trust , which he had started in my grandfather’s name .Donatons were given to poor budding lawyers and litigants. I served as secretary and treasurer . I worked very closely with him . It gave me an opportunity to understand him . He expected the work to be very meticulous. It was like a training for me.I experienced lot of affection and felt free to converse with him on any topic. I felt very close to him. In my younger days I used to approach him through my perimma . He told me he believed in simple living and high thinking. . I never saw him losing his temper .He had a very high sense of humor. He took life very calmly. He had immense trust in his children and allowed them to manage everything. Uma did yeomen service to him. She dedicated most of her time serving him. She was always there for him . Perippa enjoyed his summer holidays with Sitanna and Annu .They too took great care of him. He would come back from Bangalore with lot of happiness. Sridhar also served perippa with great affection He is their well wisher and family friend. Though perippa had lots of ailments he suffered silently. He loved cricket and tennis he had written lots of religious stories like Mahabharata and Ramayana many others too. He would give these copies to Anand and Prabha who come with great affection to see him.My grand daughter Ananya is reading these stories. He was a great bridge player. He used to go the club regularly . On his 90th birthday uma arranged bridge sessions at home as that was his passion. .He presented me with 11 commandments of old age which he followed to the hilt.
Recalling my earlier days in Krishna and lakshmi , I kept going between these two houses carrying host of memories with me.My perimma took complete charge of the reins of the house hold . She managed it so efficiently and calmly. It was a calm smooth secure feeling household .Many relatives have come to the house their children have stayed with them in the house “Lakshmi”. Rajatha was more like a daughter than a sister to my uncle because of the age gap between them. . lakshmi were born when Rajatha was in that house. They took complete responsibility of rajatha’ delivery . Everyone benefited from that accommodative household. .My dad also spent most of his leisure time with his brother’s family. Perippa always said to me “you are my kudarai (my horse)”. I remember everyone reciting the mantrapushpam in the big puja room. I can’t forget the huge dasera kolu steps.I am also one of the fortunate person who experience their hospitality . When my father got a job in Melbourne,Australia in the Caufield institute of technology, I had the fear of the unknown I did not want to accompany them . I did not feel secure. I would have got a break down but for the fact my perimma offered to keep me at this crucial turning point in my life. . Taking the responsibility of a young unmarried girl was not easy not all those days .We depended a lot on parents and elderly relatives. Today the scenario is different. The youngsters go abroad face a lot of difficulties alone without any help they find their own bearing. I was used to my grand parents indulgence, love and understanding which my perimma completely

understood. I got help from them when I needed most. During my college days when I lived with my perippa ,perimma I experienced the same  immense freedom and affection.  My group  of friends would come and have lunch without my giving notice to my perimma   I love my perimma  a lot .she was such an understanding person.i would like to conclude saying I have always felt part of perippa and perimma’s household and will always cherish the good memories I shared with them. I dedicate this article to both of them.

My mother Smt. Venkalakshmamma

When my daughter Janaki requested me to write a short note on my mother for the Ekamra nivas blogger I was the happiest person on the earth.For not only did I love her but I also admired her for her compassion for people, love for animals,and her great respect and sympathy for the downtrodden .Though of small build she was considered as a beautiful woman, and very charming in every way.
I shall start her story,with her wedding with my father when she was hardly eleven years old. My father had just graduated from the Madras Christian college , and had taken a part time job as tutor in history in the very same college. It might interest the reader to know Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was his pupil while he taught history.
Alladi lost his father while doing his matric and his eldest brother Seetharamiah became his guardian,Seetharamiah and my mother's father Narayana sastry happened to be very good friends, and they would meet every day at the cards table. The two friends mutually agreed that my mother was a suitable bride for my father, a prepubertal marriage was quickly arranged in spite of pandits expressing strongly the mismatch of the horoscope of the brideand the groom.Seetharamiah was no believer of horoscopes went boldly ahead with the wedding.My mother was eleven years and my father was twenty one years at that time.Events later proved the inordinate success of the marriage for over four decades,and the utter hollowness of astrological and horoscope matching.
My mother had ten deliveries and eleven children.Fourdied prematurely and seven of us survived, three boys and four girls.
Success in the legal profession came very soon to Alladi , and his practice extended up to Cochin and Travancore in the west, Mysore in the middle of the plateau, and the whole of Madras Presidency Alladi became a legendary name in law and while my father was neck deep in his profession , the responsibility of managing the house and the children fell totally on my mother’s shoulders.
My mother managed things very well at home and the entire responsibility of looking after the Alladi mansion Ekamranivas occupying about 1.3 acres fell on her. In front of the great mansion was a lovely garden,the main building had 3 storeys and in the back yard we had the garages for cars, the cowsheds and the latrine . the house employed about 20 full time servants – 3 gardeners,2 drivers,3 cooks, 2 ayaahs,2 cleaners,besides office attenders, clerks and it was a colossal job for my mother to supervise the staff. This she did with grace and charm maintaining a daily log book , and attendance register, and supervising the domestic staff.
All she did with a smile on her face , no scowling and no irritation no wonder some of the visiters to our home were recounting how my mother used to climb down the long wooden stairs at 6.30 in the morning with elegance.
What was my personal relationship with my mother? Whenever I had a semblance of fever I used to nestle to her , and never left her company. She encouraged me to form a cricket team and financed me to buy a complete cricket kit at our expense.We used to play in the vast empty grounds nearby and we formed a team of fifteen players . I looked to my mother for support for all the all my activities including outdoor and indoor monopoly. My sister Raj and I were her favourites during our entire school career. We both looked to her for guidance , love and friendship that we made. Till both our weddings she was the guiding angel and we looked to her for help. None of our brothers and sisters had the same attention, as we had.Her sweet memories will last as long as we live.-- Prof.Alladi Prabhakar

A rare photo of Alladi

THIS IS A QUOTE OF SIR ALLADI

I am glad to find here a noble spirit animating the teachers. That spirit has permeated the whole school .The spirit of service and sacrifice manifested here is worthy of being copied by other institutions. In the matter of maintaining order and discipline, the school has set an example, which serves as an object lesson to many an assembly of elders. The teachers, by dint of their hard and ceaseless work and by the spirit of fraternity, which they have been displaying in recent years, have raised the status of the school in public estimation. The Head Master has dedicated his life to the school. He studiously avoids the limelight, but his influence is felt throughout. He has a magnetic personality and is able to infect others with his enthusiasm. He resembles in many respects the great Dr.Arnold of Rugby. I congratulate the School on having him as its Head Master. (1933)
There is not a single boy or teacher of this school who does not feel that he is engaged in the common task of service to the motherland. That spirit is write large in everything that is done here. I am not in the least exaggerating when I say that it would do good to professor and principals of colleges and Vice-Chancellors of Universities to go on a pilgrimage to this institution and study its working.
THIS ISA QUOTE OF ALLADI THTHA FOR THE HINDU THEOLOGICAL HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL



DEAR SIR ALLADI,
Rajaji has sent me your opinion which I have read with the
attention it demands.
Hope you are gaining by your stay in Bangalore.
Yours sincerely,
M. K. GANDHI
SIR ALLADI KRISHNASWAMI
TATA SILK FARM AREA
NEAR SOUTH END ROAD
BASAVANGUDI, .B ANGLORE

Online edition of India's National Newspaper Tuesday, Oct 07, 2003

dated October 7, 1953: Alladi Commended in High Court
In the Madras High Court before Mr. P. V. Rajamannar, Chief Justice and Justice Venkatarama Aiyar, Mr. V. K. Tiruvenkatachari, Advocate-General, referred to the deaths of Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyar, former Advocate-General, and S. Panchapakesa Sastri, a former Judge of the High Court. The Advocate-General said his mind went back to 1926 when he waited for months to become an apprentice under Mr. Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyar, and added, "We have to take lessons from the career of Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar, who was responsible for producing from his Chambers, eminent Judges, eminent lawyers, and men who distinguished themselves in other walks of life. He was a lover of law in a manner that surpassed description, and he believed in perfection. Those who had watched him in the High Court have seen how perfect he was to a word in his study of his cases; many of his friends in fact felt sorry that, for over 17 years he devoted his service to Government not popular at the time, arguing and winning against many stalwarts

constituent assembly

Immediately after independence, the Constituent Assembly formed a Drafting Committee with Dr B R Ambedkar as its Chairman. Members of the Committee were N Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, K M Munshi, Saiyid Mohd Saadulla, N Madhva Rao, and D P Khaitan. The Committee completed its task on 26 November, 1949 when a part of the Constitution was given immediate effect. The Constitution was signed on 24 January, 1950 in the last meeting of the Constituent Assembly.

cho quoted....

Cho pointed out that Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, while replying to the debate in the Constituent Assembly on this Article, gave the assurance that "it was only a temporary provision and that necessary laws will be made to specify the privileges. Till now, it has not been done. The Parliament and the state legislatures perhaps fight shy of codifying the privileges because once it is done, the judiciary would be the ultimate forum to decide whether there has been breach of privilege or not. This is exactly why there has been a consistent demand for codification."

Rajaji's Regard for Alladi

-----------------------------------------


When Rajaji was Chief Minister and my father was Advocate General, Rajaji used to call at our house to meet father with necessary files for his opinion. The usual practice was for the Advocate General to call at the Chief Minister's office or residence. But Rajaji, having high regard for father used to visit him in our house. Such was the esteem in which father was held by his contemporaries!-by Alladi Kuppuswami(Retd. Chief justice of Andhra Pradesh}

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Publish Post

Quoting Sir Alladi

Quoting Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, who played a prominent role in drafting provisions relating to the judiciary in the Constitution, he said, "The doctrine of independence is not raised to the level of a dogma so as to enable the judiciary to function as a kind of super-legislature or super -executive"

Towards World Peace.-in 1952

THIS DAY THAT AGE;MARCH 4TH.1952{QUOTED FROM THE HINDU)
Presiding over the 117th birthday anniversary celebration os Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at Sri Ramakrishna Math,Mylapore on March 2 Mr Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyer
said the message of sri Ramakrishna and other religious leaders was needed more than any other thing to save the world from disaster,the present distressing circumstances

Mr. Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyer said the one tangible and concrete legacy which Sri Ramakrishna had given to the world was Swami Vivekananda and the other was Ramakrishna Math
After recalling the close association with the work of the Ramakrishna Math in Madras for the past 40 years , the speaker said that for sometime past he had been thinking whether the teachings of great religious leaders had all been in vain . The Christian world was becoming unchristian for the name of Christianity ,the western nations wee fighting with one another .even in this country which was more tolerant than the west religion was being abused for despising one another . In view of all the shocking circumstances , the message of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was necessary , and as Romain Rolland rightly observed the world could better profit from his teaching than anything else.

In Memoriam

As you know, Ekamranivas was known as an open house to many poorer relatives and friends thanks to the generosity of the great Alladi and his wife Venkalakshmamma.In the words of Justice Alladi Kuppuswami , his father never forgot his poverty and helped many poor people when he became a very successful lawyer in Madras. His mother too according to him was " a monument of patience, charity , and many other virtues,"who translated his generosity into action taking care of every one who sought shelter in this house.One such poor relative who came into this family when she became a young widow was Vedam Rajamma who stayed with the family till she breathed her last on 18th May 2008.she was 86.As a widow she perhaps knew no where else to go and Ekamranivas took her in at a critical time of her life and she stayed on...
Rajamma known to the residents of Ekamranivas as "Rajam" and to the younger generation as Rajamamma" served the family with great dedication and affection all these years.it is not an exaggeration to say there is not a part of the Alladi family that has not been benefited directly or indirectly by her services.I am not related to the family by blood but have had close association with Justice Alladi Kuppuswami's family for seventeen years.I will cite just one instance for her affection towards me.A few days before she passed away I came from work to himayatnagar to join uma for lunch someting at work delayed my coming back and I managed to come close to 3 p.m.,and had my lunch thereafter.the following day when I came back at 1 p.m.,and went near her bed to enquire after her health, she saw me with the lunch box and commented I should have carried lunch with me the previous day also rather than come so late.
in the words of Anant, who came to know of her demise in Switzerland,"Rajamamma is no more. ... she was a part of our life for so long it was a life of sacrifice for others she gave a lot of love and got a lot of love. for some extent it would be hard for any one of us to imagine what it must have been to become a widow at the age of above 20{or was it more, or less,? and to live for another 65 with distant relatives and well-wishers. it cannot be easy to understand how it feels to be forsaken by circumstances. ... her quiet presence will be missed."
Sitaram has the following to say;
"My old aunt , actually my father's cousin , who lived with my sister and father passed away recently.She was 86 and in poor health and suffering a lot and so death was a merciful release she came to live at my grandfather's house 65 years ago at the age of 20 after her husband died and spent the next 65 years serving the extended family without any kind of life of her own . She was foster mother to many of us , Sitaram,Ramu,Ishwar and Lakshmi . For many she was a "non person ",whose only role was to help them whenever they needed some help-after all, my grandfather gave her shelter when nobody was willing to help her.For such people, she was a person of no consequence.
Here is a beautiful poem that Uma wrote about a month before she died;

My aunt
shrunken bent
eyelids unwilling to open
eyes desiring to see
now wishing to live now wishing to die
doped
to be calm
to live in the present
resisting
crying out
reverting to old memories
resisting
new dress
to caretakers a convenience
to her a constricting shroud
i helpless
witness
caretaker
cajoler
tyrant
what end
this agony."
they also serve who come in their times of crisis ,
don't they ?

sridhar
4th june

About Dr.Alladi and Alladi venkalakshmamma

Dr.Alladi Krishnaswami,"Alladi" as he was popularly known, was the son of a Vedic Brahmin.While writers refer to westerners who rose from poverty to wealth and fame,they do not mention indians.Alladi was one indian who was the son of a Vedic Brahmin earning Rs 2/-a month,who became one of the greatest lawyers of India and was the Advocate General of the Madras state from 1929 to 1944.In spite of his wealth, Alladi was a very simple in his habits.he could not even tie is dhoti properly.When he had to wear a dhoti, coat and turban to a function, his friend Subbaraya Iyer had to tie both his dhoti and turban.He never forgot his poverty and helped poor students to a large extent and also helped institutes like Ramakrishna Student"s Home which had poor students.The British conferred knighthood on him but after the constitution was framed he gave up the knighthood and hated being called "Sir".His wife Venkalakshmamma was a faithful wife.She was a monument of patience,charity and many other virtues.She bore 12 children in 11 deliveries(twins in one delivery).She made by her own example , all her children follow good conduct.She was charitable that she had many of her sister's children with her(of course, with the silent consent of her husband)and treated them as her own children.Father had such faith in mother that he would give all the income earned in cash to mother.After paying all the servants, she would place the remaining income in an open drawer and ask us to take the money.She would not give any pocket money to spend as we pleased.We were encouraged to take our money for necessities.Thus we were prevented from spending lavishly, but we were free to spend for our necessities.
by ALLADI KUPPUSWAMI
(Retd. Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh)

Going down memory lane with "Tata".-Sir Alladi.

I feel delighted to write my personal experiences with my great, eminent and legendary grandfather—‘tata’—as we used to call him. As we grow old, the sweet memories of our childhood enable us to relive the past. It was a privilege that my sister Rama and I along with our parents, stayed close to the great mansion, Ekambara Nivas, our family home. We got the opportunity to spend considerable time with our grand parents—Avva and Tata. As long as our grandfather was alive, we thought of Ekambara Nivas as our home. Our childhood was glorious. Tata, inspite of being a legal luminary who surpassed all other stalwarts in the field took interest in our personal problems.

I can never forget one very important incident in my school life. I was around 10 or 11 years old. I had always been a timid and nervous child. I think I was in the 5th or 6th class in St.Thomas Convent, Mylapore Madras—which was a Catholic convent-- at that time. We used to have Moral Science in the first period everyday and our lessons revolved around God. It was imprinted in our minds that sinners would go to hell after death. Day after day, the sermons would go on and the idea of ‘death’ instilled in me a fear that got worse with each day. I used to come home and complain to my mother and cry. My mother mentioned this to my grandfather. The very next day, my grandfather was at my school in his Buick car. He went to meet the Head Mistress just before the morning assembly began. He met Mother Superior—her name was Mother Dismiss and told her “ My grand daughter Chitra will not attend Moral Science classs from now onwards…” Mother Superior agreed immediately. I now don’t recall whether ‘tata’ was at that time the Advocate General but there wasn’t any protest to what he said. Every day since that day, while the rest of the class had Moral Science I would sit outside, near the statue of Mother Mary and enter the class only after the Moral Science period was over. I have always been very nostalgic about this incident because ‘tata’ who was such a busy man was sensitive to that fear of mine—I was at an age when one generally tends to believe what one is told, especially on matters such as death and hell and the like. Rationality comes later on in life.

Tata' s gesture shows how much he loved and cared for each one of us. I am proud to be his grand daughter. I often fondly recall my childhood, the best years of my life, at Ekambara Nivas in the presence of my grand father. There are many more personal experiences that crowd my memory when I think of those golden years of our lives in our tata’s house. I savour each one of them.



Chitra Gopalakrishnan

Sir Alladi's quote in 1929.

If India wakes up to the world situation and readjusts her educational institutions, I have no doubt that the Universities will have a great and noble part to play in regard to the future of civilisation."
- Shri. Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyyar, in 1929