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 The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ...

. He also served as the advocate general of Madras State from 1929 to 1944. Neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran is his grandson. Alladi Ramakrishnan, an

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

n physicist and the founder of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences was his son.

Early life

Krishnaswamy Iyer was born in 1883 to a Tamil family in the small

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

of Pudur in Madras State (present day Nellore district of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to t ...

). His father, Ekamra Sastry, was a priest. Krishnaswamy passed his matriculation examination in 1899 and joined the Madras Christian College to study history. He 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 The 1932 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 29 December 1931. The recipients of honour ...

list. He was married to Venkalakshmamma.

Career

He was the Advocate General of the Madras Presidency from 1929 to 1944. He played a major role in drafting the

. In 1951, Iyer represented Champakam Dorairajan in the State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (AIR 1951 SC 226) which struck down the Communal G.O of Madras state which provided community-wise distribution of admission to medical colleges since 1927.

Role in Constituent Assembly

The main architect of the Indian Constitution, B.R. Ambedkar, who also chaired the constitution's drafting committee, credited Iyer's contribution: "There were in the drafting committee men bigger, better and more competent than myself such as my friend Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer." When the Constituent Assembly adopted the principle of universal adult franchise, Iyer, a member, remarked that this was done, "with an abundant faith in the common man and the ultimate success of democratic rule, and in the full belief that the introduction of democratic government on the basis of adult suffrage will bring enlightenment and promote the well-being, the standard of life, the comfort, and the decent living of the common man".^{/sup>
He was a part of nine committees including the Drafting and Advisory Committees. In the Constituent Assembly he defended suspension of certain political rights in circumstances of national crisis.

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.Alladi Memorial Lectures by M. Hidayatullah and S. Ranganathan, 2009
The lecturers included V. R. Krishna Iyer

Justice Vaidyanathapuram Rama Krishna Iyer (15 November 1915 – 4 December 2014) was an Indian judge who became a pioneer of judicial activism. He pioneered the legal-aid movement in the country. Before that, he was a state minister and poli ...
, Y. V. Chandrachud

Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud (12 July 1920 – 14 July 2008) was an Indian jurist who served as the 16th Chief Justice of India, serving from 22 February 1978 to the day he retired on 11 July 1985. Born in Pune in the Bombay Presidency, he was ...
, P. C. Rao, Pavani Parameswara Rao, Nandita Haksar, Rama Devi and M. Jagannadha Rao

M. Jagannadha Rao (born 2 December 1935) was Chief Justice of Kerala High Court and Delhi High Court and Judge of Supreme Court of India.
Brief Lifesketch
He was born on 2 December 1935 at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. He has passed B.Sc. (Hon ...
.

References

Further reading

* Austin, G. 1966. The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

External links

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishnaswamy, Alladi
1883 births
1953 deaths
20th-century Indian lawyers
Knights Bachelor
Indian Knights Bachelor
Madras Christian College alumni
University of Madras alumni
Members of the Constituent Assembly of India
Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
People from Nellore district
Dewan Bahadurs
Advocates General for Tamil Nadu
Andhra Pradesh politicians}