Legal Luminaries
The Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)
The tale of 1942, the man who graciously led thousands of Indians against 'THE RAJ' and later called for the intruders to Quit India. He practiced non-violence and advocated others to follow the same. Remembered as the Father of the Nation, Gandhi was a man with a vision who dreamt of a free India based on religious pluralism.
Gandhi completed his law studies from University College, London with specialization in Indian law and jurisprudence and trained as a barrister at the Inner Temple. He led the non-violent civil disobedience movement as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights and excessive land-tax discrimination.
Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for building religious and ethnic amity, expanding women's rights, ending untouchability, but above all for achieving Swaraj or self-rule. As a tribute to this man of undying memories, each year October 2 is commemorated as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and world-wide as the International Day of Nonviolence.
Father of Indian Constitution Dr.Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891 –1956)
As the sovereign's first law minister, BabasahebAmbedkar was the architect of the Constitution of India. He was appointed Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee in 1947, charged by the Assembly to draft India's new Constitution.
The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens and outlawing of all forms of discrimination. Originally an economist by training, it was after 1921 that he became a political leader. He also played a key role in the formation of The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1934, under the Hilton Young Commission.
He earned a law degree from Columbia University. At the London School of Economics he took a Master's degree in 1921 and in 1923 he took his D.Sc.in Economics, while the same year he was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn. His third and fourth Doctorates (Ll.D, Columbia, 1952 and Ll.D., Osmania, 1953) were conferred honoriscausa.
The Fond Chacha Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964)
The first Prime Minister of free India and a central figure in Indian politics for much of the 20th century, Jawarharlal Nehru emerged as the paramount leader of the Indian Independence Movement. He grew under the tutelage of Mahatma Gandhi and led India from its independence in 1947 until his death in office in 1964.
As the Congress President, Nehru called for complete independence and initiated a decisive shift towards the left in Indian politics. He was the principal author of the Indian Declaration of Independence, 1929. Under Nehru's leadership, the Congress emerged as a catch-all party, dominating national politics and winning consecutive elections in 1951, 1957, and 1962.
The son of Motilal Nehru, a prominent lawyer and nationalist statesman, Nehru was a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge and the Inner Temple, where he trained to be a barrister. His legal acumen helped shape the constitution of India and the policy formation of Non-align Movement. As an honor and realizing his love for children, his birthday is celebrated as Children's Day.
Lokmanya Keshav Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920)
A man of many designations, an Indian nationalist, journalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer and an independence activist, BalGangadharTilak was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. British colonial authorities called him ‘Father of the Indian unrest.’
He launched the Swadeshi Movement and believed that ‘Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it’, a quote that inspired millions of Indians to join the freedom struggle. With the goal of Swaraj, he also built Home Rule League.
One of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj (self-rule), Tilak held a strong radical in Indian consciousness. In 1873 he enrolled at the Deccan College in Pune and soon advanced in mathematics and Sanskrit literature and earned his degree as a Bachelor of Arts. In 1879 he completed his LLB devoting special attention to development of Hindu Law. Tilak, the prime architect of modern India continues to live in the hearts of millions.
The Iron Man Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (1875-1950)
Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress.SardarVallabhbhai Patel played his role in Gujarat's non-violent civil disobedience against oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj and rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress.
As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel took charge of the task to forge a united India from the British colonial provinces and more than 500 self-governing princely states. Using frank diplomacy backed with the option of military force, Patel's leadership persuaded almost every princely state.
Often known as the ‘Bismarck of India’, he is also remembered as the ‘Patron Saint’ of India's civil servants for establishing modern all-India services. Patel's skills of law and practical judgement were hailed by British statesmen. He earned his degree in law from England only to come back to India to start advocating for Indian independence.
India's First Citizen Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963)
The first President of the Independent India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad served his term for 12 years! He was initially elected by the Constituent Assembly in 1950 and then by the electoral college of the first Parliament of India and its state legislatures. Prasad established a tradition of non-partisanship and independence for the office-bearer, and retired from Congress party politics.
In 1957, Prasad was re-elected to the presidency, becoming the only president to have served the office twice. He is better known for his exemplary work in India's Freedom struggle. A barrister by profession, Rajendra Prasad had completed the Masters in Law examination with honors in 1915, winning a gold medal. Subsequently, he completed his Doctorate in Law as well.
As President, Prasad encouraged the development of education in India, particularly in Law and advised the Nehru government on several occasions concerning policy making.
Rajaji Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1878 – 1972)
Informally as he might be called, C.R. or Rajaji, this last Governor-General of India was a lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. He was a prominent leader in the Indian National Congress and participated in the Non-Cooperation movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha and the Civil Disobedience movement.
In independent India, Rajagopalachari held multiple positions like Minister of Industry, Supply, Education and Finance, the Governor of West Bengal, Governor-General of India and Chief Minister of Madras state. He later resigned from the Indian National Congress and founded the Swatantra Party, which fought the 1962, 1967 and 1972 elections.
Rajagopalachari studied law at the Presidency College, Madras, from where he graduated in 1897. In 1900, he started legal practice that became prosperous, but soon left to join the Indian freedom struggle. He advocated for minority rights and denounced Rowlatt Act and Salt Tax of the British Imperialism. His devotion towards serving the country, acquired him the nickname ‘Mango of Salem’.
A Multi-faceted Leader Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905 – 1977)
The fifth President of India serving from 1974 to 1977, Ahmed joined the Indian National Congress and actively participated in the Indian freedom movement. After independence, he was elected to the RajyaSabha in 1952 and subsequently to the LokSabha. As a minister in the Central Cabinet, he was given important portfolios relating to Food and Agriculture, Cooperation and Education.
Chosen for the presidency by the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he became the second Muslim to be elected President and is remembered by many Indian diplomats for his landmark visit to Sudan in 1975. Today his grave lies right across Parliament of India, next to Sunhari Masjid in New Delhi.
Ahmed was educated at St. Stephen's College in Delhi and St Catharine's College in Cambridge. He was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple of London and began legal practice at the Lahore High Court in 1928. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the –University of Pristina in Kosovo during his visit to Yugoslavia. He played a significant role in formulating the industrial policies and company laws of India.
Author Name: Flair Talk
