Thiruvalangadu Raju Venkatarama Sastri CIE (6 February 1874 – 2 July 1953) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the Advocate-General for Madras Presidency from 1924 to 1928. He was also known as T.R.V.Sastri.Jagdish Saran Sharma (1981). Encyclopaedia Indica, Volume 2, p.1104.
Early life Venkatarama Sastri was born on 6 February 1874 in Mayavaram (now known as Mayiladuthurai). His father, Thiruvalangadu Raju Sastri was a Sanskrit scholar.Eminent lawyer's demise, The Hindu, Jul 03, 2003. Venkatarama Sastri studied at the Municipal High School at Mayavaram, graduated from the Government College at Kumbakonam in 1894, received his B.L degree from the Law College at Madras in 1898 and enrolled in the Madras Court in April 1899 working initially as an apprentice under Sir P.S. Sivaswamy Aiyar.
Career On completion of his studies, Sastri enrolled as a lawyer in 1899 and rose to become the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency in 1924 succeeding Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer.
Venkatarama Sastri was also the President of the National Liberal Federation of India which in 1945 suggested the formation of a central government represented by all major political parties of India with provisions for minority representation.
T.R. Venkatarama Sastri also drafted the RSS constitution, helped lift the ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and facilitated the release of M.S.Golwalker.S Gurumurthy (16 October 2013). Lifting of ban on RSS was unconditional, The Hindu.Vidya Subrahmaniam (17 October 2013). Written constitution was indeed a pre-condition, The Hindu. He was a RSS sympathiser and a personal friend of Golwalkar.Dwarka Prasad Mishra (1978). Living an era, Volume 2, p.65
Life After his tenure as the Advocate-General of Madras Presidency, he served as the Law Member in the Government of Madras, having been promoted to that position by George Goschen who did not want to offend Brahmins by excluding them from the cabinet.David Arnold (1977). The Congress in Tamilnad: Nationalist Politics in South India, 1919-1937, p.109. . Quote from p.109: ""Goschen had considered appointing a non-Brahmin to what had so far been a Brahmin preserve. He had, however, decided it would be foolish to exclude the Brahmins by excluding them from the Cabinet, and he promoted the Advocate-General, T.R. Venkatarama Sastri to the post,..." Additionally, Sastri also served as a Member of the Hindu Law Committee, Government of India.Madras State Bar Federation, (1957). Lawyer, Volume 1, p.61.
In his long and illustrious career, Venkatarama Sastri served as a member of several committees, such as the Bajpai Commission on Ceylon Refugees, and B.N.Rau Committee on Hindu Code Reform.Jagdish Saran Sharma (1981). Encyclopaedia Indica, Volume 2, p.1104.
Venkatarama Shastri made his home in the Edward Eliots Road, Chennai where he stayed until his demise. A robbery at his home was once reported to the police of which E. N. Purushothaman reminisces in his book "The Police I Served":
Death and legacy Venkatarama Sastri died on 2 July 1953. On his death, the then Chief Minister of Madras state, C. Rajagopalachari said:
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