Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer

Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer
Member of Constituent Assembly of India
Advocate General of Madras Presidency
In office
1929–1944
Preceded by T. R. Venkatarama Sastri
Succeeded by P. V. Rajamannar
Personal details
Born (1883-05-14)14 May 1883
Pudur, Madras Presidency, India
Died 3 October 1953(1953-10-03)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Spouse(s) Venkalakshmamma

Dewan Bahadur Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer (14 May 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an Indian lawyer and member of the Constituent Assembly of India, which was responsible for framing the Constitution of India. He also served as the Advocate General of Madras State from 1929 to 1944. Noted neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran is the grandson of Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer.

Early life

Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer was born in 1883 in the small village of Pudur in Madras State (present day Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh). His father, Ekamra Sastry, was a priest. Krishnaswamy passed his matriculation examination in 1899 and joined the Madras Christian College to study history. Alladi used his spare time to attend classes in law and passed the B.L. exam and became one of the leading members of the bar. He was made a Dewan Bahadur in 1930 and was knighted in the 1932 New Year Honours List.[1] He was married to Venkalakshmamma.

He was the Advocate General of the Madras Presidency from 1929 to 1944. He played a major role in drafting the Constitution of India.[2] The Dalit leader during India's independence, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who also chaired the constitution's drafting committee, credited Alladi's contribution: “There were in the drafting committee men bigger, better and more competent than myself such as my friend Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer." [3]

Alladi Memorial Trust

Alladi Memorial Trust was founded in 1983 by Alladi Kuppuswami to commemorate the birth centenary of his father Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer. It is aimed to help poor litigants, lawyers and students of law and for helping in the administration of justice. Alladi Memorial Lectures are delivered every year on issues relating to the Indian Constitution.[4] The lecturers included V. R. Krishna Iyer, Y. V. Chandrachud, P. C. Rao, Pavani Parameswara Rao, Nandita Haksar, Rama Devi and M. Jagannadha Rao.

References

  1. V.S, Ravi (28 September 2003). "Tribute: Legal Luminary". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  2. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam, ed. India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 191.
  3. http://www.asianage.com/columnists/legacy-br-ambedkar-308
  4. Alladi Memorial Lectures by M. Hidayatullah and S. Ranganathan, 2009, ISBN 978-81-89487-56-0

External links

  1. Article in the Hindu by V.S. Ravi, grandson of Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer


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