Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer

Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer Life is fascinating. I just read his book Leaves from my Personal Life. He had been a Lawyer in Tellicherry in Malabar, had been in jail for almost a month on the suspicion that he might be Communist in 1948, was a member of legislative assembly of Madras State in 1952, had passed a private bill on Fair Rent for Tenants and in 1957 when Kerala State was formed , he then an Independent MLA was made the Law Minister in the First government of EMS Namboodiripad. 

An Independent MLA was given the portfolios of Law, Prisons, Home , Irrigation , Electricity. It covers most of the important portfolios except for Finance which was headed by Achuthanandan. In 1959 the Government was brought down using Article 356 for the first time in India. It was done by none other than Nehru. Krishna Iyer writes that Nehru was in his years of decline then. The Syndicates of Church , Nair Society and Congress were unable to accept that a Communist Government could come to power through ballot in a Democracy. It was a threat to them , their existence and their private property and accumulation of wealth. 

In 1965 Krishna Iyer again contested for Legislative Assembly. But the support of the CPM was withdrawn as he was adamant that he will not contest in the Party Symbol. Though he accepted dialectical materialism he was not inclined to be contesting with CPM party Symbol. He lost and then he never contested in elections except for one.

Then becomes a High Court Judge, followed by 7 years Judge in Supreme Court and retires in 1980. Probably , He might be the only person who would have been in Jail in Independent India and also had been a Supreme Court Judge. His career in Politics and his work had helped him to understand the society well. 

In my course in Human Rights , two Judges names are often mentioned as those who did Judicial Activism. One was V.R.Krishna Iyer and other was Justice Bhagawati. After Retirement he did not get involved in Arbitration as is the case of most Judges. He was made to contest against R.Venkataraman in the Presidential Elections. While he was aware he would not be able to win he agreed to contest as an act of Symbolism. 

Justice Chandru had often told Krishna Iyer was his inspiration. Chandru had got the advice of Krishna Iyer when he was supposed to me made a High Court Judge. Krishna Iyer had told by being a Judge he could do a lot of service to Humanity.

Extraordinary and Fascinating life.