My Creative Tenure as Minister For

8/2/2019 My Creative Tenure as Minister For

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My Creative Tenure as Minister For

Prisons

Stone walls do not a prison make

Nor iron bars a cage;

Mind innocent and quiet take

That for an hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love,

And in my soul am free:

Angels alone, that soar above,

Enjoy such liberty


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Inspiration behind Prisons Reforms

As Mr. V.R.Krishna.Iyer was an eminent criminal lawyer he sawthe horrible conditions of jail while visiting his clients who wereunder trials in jail.

Also he came across instances of innocent men who were executed

on hasty judicial verdict. But it was in 1948 when he was sent to Malabar central jail as a

detainee for 30 days and that harrowing experience of 30 days gotimprinted on his soul

Therefore when in 1957 Mr. Iyer took over as minister of prisons,

he considered it as a solemn responsibility to humanise theconditions prevailing in prisons( hell holes) and thus lend dignityand decency to the inmates.

Justice Iyer was against the so called state terrorism and thereforehe resolved to revolutionize the conditions and humanize the

tormenting cells which had been hallowed during the British days.


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Reforms Introduced in Prisons Removal of the insulting convict costume and replacing it with the ordinary dress of a

Malayalee.

Introduction of canteen facilities inside every Central Prisons. Canteen sold general

articles as well as beedies which were freely available in market.

Introduction of wage system for prisoners

Interviews and parole system were liberalised by increasing the frequency in meeting

ones family at home.

Prisoners were allowed to go and see exhibitions in town

Sports facilities were provided in the jail as well as opportunity for singing bhajans.

Other reforms included celebration of annual day for every central jail. Public meetings,

speeches and plays were put on board, the actors being prisoners and this gave

opportunity to inmates to express their suppressed thoughts. This also gave an

opportunity to common people to know better the conditions which prevailed in jails. Central jails were ordered to observe two days each year as festive occasions relevant to

each religion. Prisoners enjoyed the feast at the cost of the government . This also

promoted communal integration.

Facilities for young prisoners to study and take exams were provided.


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Reforms in Police Department

As Mr. Iyer was also minister in-charge of police force, he also had special concern for

their welfare and thus worked by understanding their problems and readying remediespossible.

He found that police quarters had only one room and this was inadequate for a

policemen having a family. Therefore funds were released to convert veranda into a

private room so that the police family could have two rooms offering privacy.

Welfare organisations having wives of the police personnel as members were startedwith help of the khadi and village industries board.

The talented wing of Special Armed Police of Trivandrum were allowed to give

professional entertainment and they were given 50% of money for them and rest for

common fund.

Policemen who undervent vasectomy were given 10 days extra leave and some money. Efforts were made to change the public image of police from violent flagellants to the

ones having difficult duties by organising community shramadans where police offered

shramdans activities. Thus this symbolic identification with masses in constructive

work by disciplined policemen alson won peoples goodwill.


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Other initiatives undertaken by Mr.Iyer

Introduction of legislations like suppression of immoral traffic so as to curb activities

like traffic in women which is a blot on our society.

In one of his speech in legislative assembly Mr. Iyer stressed for the cooperation of

every citizen with the police for the effective implementation of laws made and

assigned to police for implementation.

He insisted on humanitarian approach and he believed that the ultimate purpose of

punishment is to rehabilitate and not to make individuals hardened criminals. Thus he

was against the very principle of torture followed by jail authorities as this remedy

further aggravates the malady.

These sentiments, thoughts were again expressed by Mr. Iyer when he became HonbleJustice in Supreme court of India. He got this opportunity while delivering judgement

in the famous SUNIL BATRA Vs DELHI ADMINISTRATION(1978) case or the

PRISONS reform case. The only difference was that these views of Justice Iyer were

now the law as these were delivered in the judgement of SUPREME COURT OF

INDIA.


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Some Random Reminiscencencesof Days as a Kerala Minister

Chapter 6

It Is hard and nice subject for a man to write of himself :---

COWLEY


7/12

Preparatory Days in Public Life

Mr. Iyer was an young Lawyer with a flourishing practice and promising future at

Tellicherry.

In North Malabar where he used to practise Law, there were peasant movements,

working class agitations and satyagraha movements.

He got involved in these operations in professional dimensions as he used to fight casesof these agitating people and as a result he was looked upon as a reliable leftist

lawyer.

As a result he became an acceptable leftist candidate in first general elections of 1952

in which he won.

He thus became an opposition activist notable for his role in question hour and otherlegislative business in the house.

Therefore it was during this Madras term of 1952-56 which gave him plenty of

opportunity to cultivate the power of words and to fight for peoples causes in the

legislature.


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From a Boy to a Man in Politics

In 1956 Malabar was merged in Kerala because of the reorganisation of States. Then

first elections of Kerala assembly came and Mr. Iyer stood from Tellicherry and won it.

In first Kerala assembly elections the communist party secured a majority and as a

result E.M.S. Namboodiripad ,leader of party formed ministry in which Mr. Iyer was

made minister of cabinet. That is how Mr. Iyer was ushered into Kerala electoral

politics. He was made minister for Law, prisons, Irrigation and inland navigation.

Also portfolio of home and justice were handed over by E.M.S.


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Problems faced by E.M.S.MINISTRY A communist party victory through the ballot was difficult to digest for the congress.

This generated mistrust and hostility among the traditional politicians, the business

community.

An impression was created by leading congressmen that the constitution is in danger in

kerala as according to them the communists were no beleivers In the rule of law and

democracy. Also the church was the antagonist of Marxists.

Then came the VIMOCHANA SAMARAM meaning liberation struggle organised by a

combination of forces and gang of political malcontents. They used unconstitutional

tactics and were having the approval of Indian National Congress headed by Smt.

Indira Gandhi and leaders like Sucheta Kriplani and other communal bodies. The main

object of these gang up forces was to oveerthrow the government by sheer violence.

Also the state could not use guns which it had, as this would have resulted in

bloodsheds, which was precisely the object of the engineers of this melodrama and

malice, to overthrow the government by forced resignation or by presidential

procalmation.


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Pilgrimage to Ooty Mr. Iyer the then home minister of Kerala travelled to Ooty on a mission of

convincing Nehru that a crazy mobbish movement dominated by violence had

gripped the state and the political leadership of which was taken by the statecongress leadership in association with some communal organistions.

He met Nehru on the very first day of his arrival and placed all the matter in front

of him. Nehru was prima facie impressed and assured Mr. Iyer that he would

condemn it. Mr. Nehru also promised to come to kerala to see things himself and take

suitable steps.

Mr. Nehru came after a month in July with the purpose of solving the political mess.

He stayed for 3 days and met kerala cabinet twice. There he raised three main issues

and desired the kerala ministry to respond.

The next day cabinet met PM and apprised him of the decision to accept all three

points he had proposed.

The third day, the day PM was leaving, Mr. Iyer went to the Raj Bhavan as Mr.

Nehru was supposed to give some solution. But Nehru only talked about the mass

upsurge but offered no solution. But later at the airport he told the press about the

wall of separation between people and government and the only solution was fresh

election.


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End of E.M.S. Ministry

The congress government at the centre imposed Presidents rule in Kerala. Mr. Iyer

reaction to this was:- A monumental blunder! Democracy in danger!

The evening when the orders under article 356 were received, the governor summoned

the cabinet and told them politely that their ministry would cease to be.

The next day there was an farewell function by secretariat officials to E.MS. And thecabinet comrades .Namboodiripad in a fine firm voice wounded the farewell speech by

saying that we are going.

In the next general elections the communist party failed to secure majority seats to

form a government and thus sat in opposition.

This was also the end of Mr. Iyers tenure as a minister but he returned to assembly toremain in opposition.

Later on he joined back to the bar and picked up a lucrative practice and also

continued his involvement in public activities.


12/12

THANK YOU

Prepared By:

PUNEET NAGPAL(77/07)

RAASHI AHLUWALIA (78/07)

RAMANDEEP SINGLA(79/07)

RAPTON(81/07)

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My Creative Tenure as Minister For