C. R. Pattabhiraman

C. R. Pattabhiraman Biography

Chetpet Ramaswami Iyer Pattabhiraman, better known as C. R. Pattabhiraman was a prominent lawyer, politician and statesman from the Indian National Congress. He was the eldest son of one of the prominent Indian administrators, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer who served as the last Diwan of Travancore. Pattabhiraman was a parliamentarian too, who he got elected to Lok Sabha twice from Kumbakonam. He served as an MP during the period, 1957 to 1967 and was as a Union Minister for the last one year. He died in Alwarpet, Chennai on June 19, 2001 aged 94.

Pattabhiraman was born on November 11, 1906 in Chennai to C. P. Ramaswami Iyer and his wife, Seethamma. He was the eldest of three brothers. He completed his schooling from P. S. Higher Secondary School, Mylapore and graduated from Presidency College, Chennai. After completion of L.L.B at the London School of Economics and Political Science, he started practicing law. He became an advocate of Supreme Court of India in 1938, then known by the name Federal Court, Delhi.

He was a patron of sports and an excellent sportsman too. He was actively involved with Indian National Congress since young. He participated in the boycott of the Simon Commission. He got elected to Lok Sabha twice and served as the Deputy Minister for Labour, Employment and Planning in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet in 1962. During 1964-1966 he served as Deputy Minister for Information and Broadcasting, followed by Minister for Law and Company Affairs before he resigned in 1967. Though he contested in the Lok Sabha elections 1967 for the third time, he lost and retired from active political scene. He was married to Saraswathi and the couple had four children.

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Updated: June 17, 2016