Srinivasa Iyengar
Encyclopedia
Seshadri Srinivasa Iyengar CIE
(11 September 1874 – 19 May 1941), also seen as Sreenivasa Iyengar and Srinivasa Ayyangar, was an Indian lawyer, freedom-fighter and politician from the Indian National Congress
. Iyengar was the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency
from 1916 to 1920. He also served as a member of the bar council from 1912 to 1920, the law member of Madras Presidency from 1916 to 1920 and as the president of the Swarajya Party faction of the Indian National Congress from 1923 to 1930. Srinivasa Iyengar was the son-in-law
of renowned lawyer and first Indian Advocate-general of Madras, Sir Vembaukum Bhashyam Aiyangar. Iyengar's followers called him Lion of the South.
Srinivasa Iyengar was born in the Ramanathapuram district
of Madras Presidency. He graduated in law and practised as a lawyer in the Madras High Court
rising to become Advocate-General in 1916. He also served as a member of the bar council and was nominated as the law member of the Governor's executive council. He resigned his Advocate-General post, his seat in the Governor's executive council and returned his C. I. E.
in 1920 in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
and joined the Indian National Congress
. He participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement
. However, in 1923, he broke away along with other leaders as Motilal Nehru
and Chittaranjan Das
due to differences with Mahatma Gandhi
over participating in elections. The breakaway faction later formed the Swarajya Party. Iyengar served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and later, the Madras Province Swarajya Party and was the leader of the party when it refused to form the government in the province despite winning a majority in the 1926 elections. In later life, he established the Independence of India league and organized protests against the Simon Commission
. He retired from politics due to differences with other Congress politicians over the goal of Dominion status. He briefly returned to politics in 1938. On May 19, 1941, Iyengar died in his house in Madras.
Srinivasa Iyengar remains the youngest lawyer from the Madras bar to be made Advocate-General. Srinivasa Iyengar was also the mentor of freedom-fighters U. Muthuramalingam Thevar
and Sathyamurthy. K. Kamaraj
, who later became the President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and served as the Chief Minister of Madras from 1954 to 1962 is believed to be his greatest find. Srinivasa Iyengar's 1939 book on "Mayne's Hindu laws" is a much-acclaimed and well read book.
During Iyengar's tenure as leader, the Congress was often criticized by Periyar
and politicians of the Justice Party
as a party dominated by Brahmins. This was due to the fact that top Congress leaders as Iyengar, Sathyamurthy and C. Rajagopalachari
were all Brahmins.
of Madras Presidency. Srinivasa Iyengar had his schooling in Madurai
and graduated from Presidency College, Madras. His early schooling was in his mother tongue, Tamil
.
in 1898. He had an extensive knowledge of Hindu
Dharmasastra
and this helped him make a mark for himself. Soon, Iyengar became the right-hand for C. Sankaran Nair
. During this time, the Indian freedom-fighter S. Satyamurthi worked as a junior under Iyengar. Later, he followed Iyengar into the Indian National Congress and the Indian independence movement. Satyamurthi worked under Iyengar while he was the president of the Swarajya Party. He later referred to Iyengar as his "political mentor".
In 1911, Bhupendranath Basu introduced the Civil Marriages Bill in the Imperial legislature. This bill was heavily criticized. Iyengar led agitations for the bill. When V. Krishnaswamy Iyer
was criticized by extremists after his death, Iyengar defended him.
In 1912, Iyengar was appointed to the Madras Bar Council and he served from 1912 to 1916. In 1916, he became the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency, the youngest ever to occupy the post. He also served as a member of the Madras Senate from 1912 to 1916.
In recognition of his services, Srinivasa Iyengar was appointed Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in the 1920 New Year Honours. Iyengar also served as the Law member on the executive council of the Governor of Madras from 1916 to 1920.
"as the son-in-law of Sir V. Bhashyam Aiyangar and in some ways greater than him". However, Iyengar took politics seriously only after the Jallianwala Bagh episode
.
In 1920, Srinivasa Iyengar resigned as the Advocate-General of Madras and from the Governor's executive council protesting the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. In February 1921, he also returned his C.I.E in protest. He joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement
. In 1927, Srinivasa Iyengar chaired the reception committee of the 29th session of the Indian National Congress which met in Madras.
Iyengar presided over the 1920 Madras Provincial Conference held at Tinnevely and participated in the Congress sessions held at Ahmedabad(1921), Gaya(1922), Kakinada(1923), Delhi(1923), Belgaum(1924), Kanpur(1925), Gauhati(1926), Madras (1927), Calcutta(1928) and Lahore (1929). His work is believed to have given an unparalleled lead to the Congress in Madras for about ten years.
Srinivasa lyengar presided over the Guwahati
session of the Congress in 1926. Iyengar worked hard to deliver a resolution upholding Hindu-Muslim unity, bringing about a temporary political agreement between the political leaders of the two communities. He published Swaraj Constitution, in 1927, outlining a federal scheme of government for future India.
whose majority was considerably reduced compared to the 1920 elections. The Swaraj Party won 20 seats in the 98 member assembly and was the leading opposition party. More importantly, however, the Justice Party won just 44 seats in the 1923 elections compared to the 1920 elections when it had won 64 seats. The Raja of Panagal was elected for a second term as Premier while Srinivasa Iyengar was elected leader of opposition in the assembly.
A little later, a few prominent members of the Justice Party broke off to form the United Nationalist Party and projected themselves as "Democrats
". The dissidents were led by C. R. Reddy, a leader of the Justice Party, who complained of the dictatorial rule of the Raja and his insensitive, unimaginative policies. Backed by Srinivasa Iyengar and the Swarajists, Reddy introduced a no-confidence motion against the government of the Raja of Panagal on November 27, 1923. The no-confidence motion was, however, defeated by a margin of 65 votes to 44.
The Swarajya Party won 44 seats in the 1926 elections and emerged as the single largest party in the house. Comparatively, the Justice Party had won just 20 seats. The Raja of Panagal stepped down as Premier. The Governor Lord Goschen
invited Srinivasa Iyengar as leader of opposition to form the government. However, Srinivasa Iyengar refused. As a result, the Governor set up an independent government under P. Subbarayan
and nominated 34 members to the assembly to support it.
Because of the fact that Subbarayan's regime was appointed and largely controlled by the Governor, it became the target of strong criticism both from the Justicites as well as the Swarajists. In March 1927, P. Munuswamy Naidu
of the Justice Party
passed a motion recommending salary cuts for Government ministers. However, they were defeated by a margin of 41 votes. A no-confidence motion was passed on August 23, 1927, but was defeated 56 to 67 with the support of the Governor and the members nominated by him.
The Simon Commission was appointed by the British Parliament in 1927 to report on the working of the progress of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. The Swarajya Party moved a resolution to boycott the Commission and this was passed 61 to 50 with 12 remaining neutral. Subbarayan opposed the resolution but his cabinet ministers Ranganatha Mudaliar and Arogyaswamy Mudaliar supported it. Subbarayan resigned as Chief Minister, but at the same time, he also compelled his ministers to submit their resignations. Fearing the possibility of the formation of a Swarajya Party-Justice Party coalition Government, the Governor stepped in to foster discord amongst the opposition. In order to obtain the support of the Raja of Panagal,he appointed Krishnan Nair, a leading member of the Justice Party as his Law Member. Led by the Raja of Panagal, the Justice Party switched sides and lent its support to the Subbarayan government. Soon afterward, the Justice Party passed a resolution welcoming the Simon Commission. The Simon Commission visited Madras on February 28, 1928 and February 18, 1929 and was boycotted by the Swarajya Party and the Indian National Congress. However, the Justicites and the Subbarayan Government accorded the Commission a warm reception.
In the Congress session held at Nagpur in November 1927, decision was made to draw up a "Labour Constitution of the future Government of India". Motilal Nehru was elected as the convenor of the Constitution Drafting Committee. On August 10, 1928, the committee submitted its report declaring dominion status as the goal of the Congress. The report was presented at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress held between August 28, 1928 and August 31, 1928.
On August 30, 1928, Jawaharlal Nehru
, Srinivasa Iyengar and Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Indian Independence League. This league declared purna swaraj or complete independence from British rule as its ultimate goal and not dominion status. Srinivasa Iyengar was elected President of the league with Nehru and Bose as its secretaries.
When the All-Parties Report (known as the Nehru Report) was published in 1928 outlining a constitution for India in terms of Dominion
status, Srinivasa Iyengar organised the Independence League with himself as President and Jawaharlal Nehru
and Subhas Chandra Bose as leading members.
Iyengar was elected President of the Congress Democratic Party with Subhas Chandra Bose as its Secretary. Srinivasa lyengar, however, announced his retirement from active public life early in 1930.
and the debate of whether Indians should back the British effort, banking on their goodwill later to deliver independence, or oppose the entry of Indian army into the war without consultation of the Indian people. He died suddenly on May 19, 1941, at his residence in Madras.
Iyengar died at his residence in Madras on May 29, 1941. He was 66 years old at the time.
and founded the Prithvi Insurance company. In his later life, he became a Hindu monk
and adopted the name Swami Anvananda.
. Among his early influences were Sir Sankaran Nair and C. Vijayaraghavachariar, two former Congress leaders. He was also an admirer of Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(in whose name he endowed a prize) and later of Mahatma Gandhi
. Iyengar was the personal lawyer and a family friend of Muthuramalingam Thevar whom he encouraged to participate in the 1927 Congress session that was held in Madras. Thevar was eventually drawn to the Congress and participated in agitations against the British rule. Iyengar was also close to Swami Suddhananda Bharathi.
One British CID officer described Iyengar as a "political ideas factory". He was described as frank and generous and having brought a fresh and young look to his political ideas. He was known for making brave and outspoken comments on the Governor or Government officials. A contemporary remarks that Iyengar's opinions were as clear cut as his legal arguments. His proficiency in the legal profession was supposedly noticeable right from his early days. In politics, Iyengar was considered to be a champion of the Mylapore
clique
in Madras politics. Iyengar tried to bring reforms in Indian society. He worked for the elevation of depressed sections of society and educated underprivileged children on his own expense. He also a fine writer and frequently wrote columns for The Hindu
, Swadesamitran
and Indian Patriot.
Iyengar is credited with having popularized the Congress at the village level in South India. He was a staunch believer in the concept of "linked leadership". He was responsible for the induction of K. Kamaraj
and Muthuramalinga Thevar in the Indian National Congress. Iyengar's followers and colleagues called him "Lion of the South".
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(11 September 1874 – 19 May 1941), also seen as Sreenivasa Iyengar and Srinivasa Ayyangar, was an Indian lawyer, freedom-fighter and politician from the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. Iyengar was the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
from 1916 to 1920. He also served as a member of the bar council from 1912 to 1920, the law member of Madras Presidency from 1916 to 1920 and as the president of the Swarajya Party faction of the Indian National Congress from 1923 to 1930. Srinivasa Iyengar was the son-in-law
Son-in-Law
Son-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in...
of renowned lawyer and first Indian Advocate-general of Madras, Sir Vembaukum Bhashyam Aiyangar. Iyengar's followers called him Lion of the South.
Srinivasa Iyengar was born in the Ramanathapuram district
Ramanathapuram District
Ramanathapuram District is an administrative district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Ramanathapuram is the district headquarters. Ramanthapuram District has an area of 4123 km²...
of Madras Presidency. He graduated in law and practised as a lawyer in the Madras High Court
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
rising to become Advocate-General in 1916. He also served as a member of the bar council and was nominated as the law member of the Governor's executive council. He resigned his Advocate-General post, his seat in the Governor's executive council and returned his C. I. E.
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
in 1920 in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
and joined the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. He participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
. However, in 1923, he broke away along with other leaders as Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress, who remained Congress President twice, and...
and Chittaranjan Das
Chittaranjan Das
Chittaranjan Das was an eminent Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement.-Personal life:...
due to differences with Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
over participating in elections. The breakaway faction later formed the Swarajya Party. Iyengar served as the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and later, the Madras Province Swarajya Party and was the leader of the party when it refused to form the government in the province despite winning a majority in the 1926 elections. In later life, he established the Independence of India league and organized protests against the Simon Commission
Simon Commission
The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon...
. He retired from politics due to differences with other Congress politicians over the goal of Dominion status. He briefly returned to politics in 1938. On May 19, 1941, Iyengar died in his house in Madras.
Srinivasa Iyengar remains the youngest lawyer from the Madras bar to be made Advocate-General. Srinivasa Iyengar was also the mentor of freedom-fighters U. Muthuramalingam Thevar
U. Muthuramalingam Thevar
Ukkirapandi MuthuramalingaThevar , also known as Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar, was an Indian politician. He hailed from the Maravar community, the dominant warrior caste group in his home district in southern Tamil Nadu...
and Sathyamurthy. K. Kamaraj
K. Kamaraj
Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
, who later became the President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and served as the Chief Minister of Madras from 1954 to 1962 is believed to be his greatest find. Srinivasa Iyengar's 1939 book on "Mayne's Hindu laws" is a much-acclaimed and well read book.
During Iyengar's tenure as leader, the Congress was often criticized by Periyar
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Erode Venkata Ramasamy , affectionately called by his followers as Periyar , Thanthai Periyar or E. V...
and politicians of the Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
as a party dominated by Brahmins. This was due to the fact that top Congress leaders as Iyengar, Sathyamurthy and C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
were all Brahmins.
Early life
Srinivasa Iyengar was born on September 11, 1874 to Seshadri Iyengar, a prominent landowner of Ramanathapuram district. His parents were orthodox Sri Vaishnava BrahminsIyengar
Iyengar or Ayyangar is a caste given to Hindu Brahmins of Tamil origin who follow the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya. They are found mostly in Tamil Nadu as they are generally native to the Tamil Nadu state of the Republic of India...
of Madras Presidency. Srinivasa Iyengar had his schooling in Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
and graduated from Presidency College, Madras. His early schooling was in his mother tongue, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
Legal career
Srinivasa Iyengar commenced practice as lawyer in the Madras High CourtMadras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
in 1898. He had an extensive knowledge of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Dharmasastra
Dharmasastra
Dharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning, pertaining to Hindu dharma, religious and legal duty. The voluminous textual corpus of Dharmaśāstra is primarily a product of the Brahmanical tradition in India and represents the elaborate scholastic...
and this helped him make a mark for himself. Soon, Iyengar became the right-hand for C. Sankaran Nair
C. Sankaran Nair
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair KCIE was the President of the Indian National Congress in 1897 held at Amraoti. Until present he is the only Keralite to hold the post.-Early life and education:...
. During this time, the Indian freedom-fighter S. Satyamurthi worked as a junior under Iyengar. Later, he followed Iyengar into the Indian National Congress and the Indian independence movement. Satyamurthi worked under Iyengar while he was the president of the Swarajya Party. He later referred to Iyengar as his "political mentor".
In 1911, Bhupendranath Basu introduced the Civil Marriages Bill in the Imperial legislature. This bill was heavily criticized. Iyengar led agitations for the bill. When V. Krishnaswamy Iyer
V. Krishnaswamy Iyer
Venkatarama Iyer Krishnaswamy Iyer was an Indian lawyer and High Court judge of Madras. He was involved in the prosecution of a partner of the British banking Company Arbuthnot & Co after the bank crashed on 22 October 1906...
was criticized by extremists after his death, Iyengar defended him.
In 1912, Iyengar was appointed to the Madras Bar Council and he served from 1912 to 1916. In 1916, he became the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency, the youngest ever to occupy the post. He also served as a member of the Madras Senate from 1912 to 1916.
In recognition of his services, Srinivasa Iyengar was appointed Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in the 1920 New Year Honours. Iyengar also served as the Law member on the executive council of the Governor of Madras from 1916 to 1920.
Indian independence movement
Right from his younger days, Srinivasa Iyengar displayed an interest, though trivial, in politics. He attended the historically significant 1907 session of the Indian National Congress held at Surat which is remembered for the split between the moderates and the extremists. In 1908, V. Krishnaswamy Iyer introduced him to Rash Behari BoseRash Behari Bose
Rashbehari Bose was a revolutionary leader against the British Raj in India and was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar conspiracy and later, the Indian National Army.-Early life:...
"as the son-in-law of Sir V. Bhashyam Aiyangar and in some ways greater than him". However, Iyengar took politics seriously only after the Jallianwala Bagh episode
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
.
In 1920, Srinivasa Iyengar resigned as the Advocate-General of Madras and from the Governor's executive council protesting the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. In February 1921, he also returned his C.I.E in protest. He joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
. In 1927, Srinivasa Iyengar chaired the reception committee of the 29th session of the Indian National Congress which met in Madras.
Iyengar presided over the 1920 Madras Provincial Conference held at Tinnevely and participated in the Congress sessions held at Ahmedabad(1921), Gaya(1922), Kakinada(1923), Delhi(1923), Belgaum(1924), Kanpur(1925), Gauhati(1926), Madras (1927), Calcutta(1928) and Lahore (1929). His work is believed to have given an unparalleled lead to the Congress in Madras for about ten years.
Srinivasa lyengar presided over the Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
session of the Congress in 1926. Iyengar worked hard to deliver a resolution upholding Hindu-Muslim unity, bringing about a temporary political agreement between the political leaders of the two communities. He published Swaraj Constitution, in 1927, outlining a federal scheme of government for future India.
Madras Province Swarajya Party
When the Congress split in 1923 between the Gandhians and those in support of Council entry, Srinivasa Iyengar was in the non-Gandhian camp and founded the Madras Province Swarajya Party. The Madras Province Swarajya Party contested in the elections to the provincial legislature held between September 11, 1923 and November 10, 1923. Though, as expected, the performance of the Swarajya Party wasn't by any means remarkable, its presence had a major impact on the fortunes of the Justice PartyJustice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
whose majority was considerably reduced compared to the 1920 elections. The Swaraj Party won 20 seats in the 98 member assembly and was the leading opposition party. More importantly, however, the Justice Party won just 44 seats in the 1923 elections compared to the 1920 elections when it had won 64 seats. The Raja of Panagal was elected for a second term as Premier while Srinivasa Iyengar was elected leader of opposition in the assembly.
A little later, a few prominent members of the Justice Party broke off to form the United Nationalist Party and projected themselves as "Democrats
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
". The dissidents were led by C. R. Reddy, a leader of the Justice Party, who complained of the dictatorial rule of the Raja and his insensitive, unimaginative policies. Backed by Srinivasa Iyengar and the Swarajists, Reddy introduced a no-confidence motion against the government of the Raja of Panagal on November 27, 1923. The no-confidence motion was, however, defeated by a margin of 65 votes to 44.
The Swarajya Party won 44 seats in the 1926 elections and emerged as the single largest party in the house. Comparatively, the Justice Party had won just 20 seats. The Raja of Panagal stepped down as Premier. The Governor Lord Goschen
George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen
George Joachim Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen GCSI GCIE CBE VD PC was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament for East Grinstead from 1895 to 1906 and as Governor of Madras from 1924 to 1929....
invited Srinivasa Iyengar as leader of opposition to form the government. However, Srinivasa Iyengar refused. As a result, the Governor set up an independent government under P. Subbarayan
P. Subbarayan
Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and diplomat and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government. He is the father of General P. P...
and nominated 34 members to the assembly to support it.
Because of the fact that Subbarayan's regime was appointed and largely controlled by the Governor, it became the target of strong criticism both from the Justicites as well as the Swarajists. In March 1927, P. Munuswamy Naidu
P. Munuswamy Naidu
Bollini Munuswamy Naidu was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from October 27, 1930 to November 4, 1932. He was conferred 'Diwan Bahadur' by British Government....
of the Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
passed a motion recommending salary cuts for Government ministers. However, they were defeated by a margin of 41 votes. A no-confidence motion was passed on August 23, 1927, but was defeated 56 to 67 with the support of the Governor and the members nominated by him.
The Simon Commission was appointed by the British Parliament in 1927 to report on the working of the progress of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. The Swarajya Party moved a resolution to boycott the Commission and this was passed 61 to 50 with 12 remaining neutral. Subbarayan opposed the resolution but his cabinet ministers Ranganatha Mudaliar and Arogyaswamy Mudaliar supported it. Subbarayan resigned as Chief Minister, but at the same time, he also compelled his ministers to submit their resignations. Fearing the possibility of the formation of a Swarajya Party-Justice Party coalition Government, the Governor stepped in to foster discord amongst the opposition. In order to obtain the support of the Raja of Panagal,he appointed Krishnan Nair, a leading member of the Justice Party as his Law Member. Led by the Raja of Panagal, the Justice Party switched sides and lent its support to the Subbarayan government. Soon afterward, the Justice Party passed a resolution welcoming the Simon Commission. The Simon Commission visited Madras on February 28, 1928 and February 18, 1929 and was boycotted by the Swarajya Party and the Indian National Congress. However, the Justicites and the Subbarayan Government accorded the Commission a warm reception.
Nehru report
See Also: Simon CommissionSimon Commission
The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon...
In the Congress session held at Nagpur in November 1927, decision was made to draw up a "Labour Constitution of the future Government of India". Motilal Nehru was elected as the convenor of the Constitution Drafting Committee. On August 10, 1928, the committee submitted its report declaring dominion status as the goal of the Congress. The report was presented at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress held between August 28, 1928 and August 31, 1928.
On August 30, 1928, Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, Srinivasa Iyengar and Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Indian Independence League. This league declared purna swaraj or complete independence from British rule as its ultimate goal and not dominion status. Srinivasa Iyengar was elected President of the league with Nehru and Bose as its secretaries.
When the All-Parties Report (known as the Nehru Report) was published in 1928 outlining a constitution for India in terms of Dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
status, Srinivasa Iyengar organised the Independence League with himself as President and Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
and Subhas Chandra Bose as leading members.
Iyengar was elected President of the Congress Democratic Party with Subhas Chandra Bose as its Secretary. Srinivasa lyengar, however, announced his retirement from active public life early in 1930.
Later life
Srinivasa Iyengar briefly returned to politics in 1938 and supported Subhas Chandra Bose as president of the Congress. However, when Bose formed the Forward Bloc, he described it as a "leaky boat." He was also upset with the outbreak of the Second World War. While presiding over a session of the Tyagaraja Bakajana Sabha in 1938, Srinivasa Iyengar spoke:Death
Iyenger made a brief return to political life in 1939, upon the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the debate of whether Indians should back the British effort, banking on their goodwill later to deliver independence, or oppose the entry of Indian army into the war without consultation of the Indian people. He died suddenly on May 19, 1941, at his residence in Madras.
Iyengar died at his residence in Madras on May 29, 1941. He was 66 years old at the time.
Family
Srinivasa Iyengar was married to the third daughter of Sir V. Bhashyam Aiyangar. He had a son, S. Parthasarathy. and a daughter, S. Ambujam Ammal who was the founder of the Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam. Parthasarathy studied law and practiced as a lawyer before becoming an entrepreneur. He served as the founder and director of the Industrial Development Commission of Madras stateMadras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
and founded the Prithvi Insurance company. In his later life, he became a Hindu monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and adopted the name Swami Anvananda.
Legacy
Besides law, Srinivasa Iyengar's other interest were education, social reform, and politics. Iyengar's 1939 book Mayne's Hindu Law is considered to be a masterpieceMasterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
. Among his early influences were Sir Sankaran Nair and C. Vijayaraghavachariar, two former Congress leaders. He was also an admirer of Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, CIE was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of India Society...
(in whose name he endowed a prize) and later of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. Iyengar was the personal lawyer and a family friend of Muthuramalingam Thevar whom he encouraged to participate in the 1927 Congress session that was held in Madras. Thevar was eventually drawn to the Congress and participated in agitations against the British rule. Iyengar was also close to Swami Suddhananda Bharathi.
One British CID officer described Iyengar as a "political ideas factory". He was described as frank and generous and having brought a fresh and young look to his political ideas. He was known for making brave and outspoken comments on the Governor or Government officials. A contemporary remarks that Iyengar's opinions were as clear cut as his legal arguments. His proficiency in the legal profession was supposedly noticeable right from his early days. In politics, Iyengar was considered to be a champion of the Mylapore
Mylapore
Mylapore is a cultural hub and neighborhood in the southern part of the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. Earlier, Mylapore used to be called Vedapuri....
clique
Clique
A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
in Madras politics. Iyengar tried to bring reforms in Indian society. He worked for the elevation of depressed sections of society and educated underprivileged children on his own expense. He also a fine writer and frequently wrote columns for The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, Swadesamitran
Swadesamitran
Swadesamitran was the first Tamil language newspaper owned and operated by Indians. It was published from Chennai . It was founded by G Subramania Aiyer who also served as the papers first editor. It was founded as a sister paper of The Hindu which Aiyer had also founded two years earlier in 1879...
and Indian Patriot.
Iyengar is credited with having popularized the Congress at the village level in South India. He was a staunch believer in the concept of "linked leadership". He was responsible for the induction of K. Kamaraj
K. Kamaraj
Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
and Muthuramalinga Thevar in the Indian National Congress. Iyengar's followers and colleagues called him "Lion of the South".