Kailash Nath Katju: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Indian politician}}

| constituency  = [[Jaora (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Jaora]]

| governor      = [[Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya]]<br>[[Hari Vinayak Pataskar]]

| death_place  = [[Prayagraj]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]

Kailash Nath Katju was born in the [[princely state]] of [[Jaora State|Jaora]] (in present-day [[Madhya Pradesh]]) on 17 June 1887. His family were [[Kashmiri Pandit]]s who had settled in Jaora. His father Tribhuwan Nath Katju was a former [[dewan]] of the state.<ref name="loksabha">{{cite web|title=Members Bioprofile: Katju, Dr. Kailas Nath|url=http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/784.htm|website=Lok Sabha|access-date=28 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228174518/http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/784.htm|archive-date=28 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="death">{{cite news|title=K. N. Katju passes away|agency=Press Trust of India|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=18 February 1968|page=7}}</ref> Kailash Nath was educated at the Barr High School in Jaora, when he was sent to [[Lahore]] to study at the Rangmahal High School. He passed his matriculation examination from [[Panjab University]] the following year before completing his graduation from [[Forman Christian College]], Lahore, in March 1905.<ref name="Reed">{{cite book|last1=Reed|first1=Stanley|author-link1=Stanley Reed (British politician)|title=The Indian And Pakistan Year Book And Who's Who 1950|date=1950|publisher=[[The Times Group|Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd.]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.15206/page/n732 698]|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.15206|access-date=20 February 2018}}</ref> In July that year, he joined the [[Muir Central College]] in [[Allahabad]]. In September 1907, he received a [[Bachelor of Laws|degree in laws]] from the [[Allahabad University]], standing second in the province. In 1908, he received a [[master's degree]] in history from the same university. He began legal profession that year in [[Kanpur]] before moving to Allahabad in 1914.<ref name="loksabha"/> He complete his [[Doctor of Law|doctorate in law]], the [[LL.D.]] from Allahabad University in 1919, joining the [[Allahabad High Court]] as an advocate in 1921.<ref name="Reed"/>

Katju defended the accused in the [[Meerut Conspiracy Case]] in Allahabad High Court in 1933 and later the military officers accused at the [[Indian National Army trials]] at the [[Red Fort]] in Delhi. On 17 July 1937, he became the Minister of Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of the [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]] in the [[Govind Ballabh Pant]]'s cabinet. He was elected to the legislature from the constituency of Allahad district (Doaba).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Reed|first1=Stanley|title=The Indian Year Book 1940–41|date=1941|publisher=[[The Times Group|Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd.]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108681/page/n180 132]|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108681|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref> The ministry resigned on 2 November 1939 and soon Katju was imprisoned for 18 months. He was again imprisoned in 1942. He also served in the [[Constituent Assembly of India]]. Between 1935 and 1937, he served as the chairman of the [[Allahabad Municipal Corporation|Allahabad Municipal Board]], and later as chancellor of Prayag Mahila Vidyapith, Allahabad.<ref name="Reed"/>

Following the independence of India, Katju held many high political positions. Initially he was made the [[Governor of Orissa]] from 15 August 1947 to 20 June 1948. He became the [[Governor of West Bengal]] on 21 June 1948 and was in office till 31 October 1951. In 1951 he was elected to the [[Lok Sabha]] from the [[Mandsaur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mandsaur]] constituency, joining the cabinet of [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] as Law Minister in 1951. In November 1951 he succeeded [[C. Rajagopalachari]] as the country's third [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|Home Minister]]. In 1955 he was made the [[Minister of Defence (India)|Defence Minister]]. He became the Chief Minister of [[Madhya Pradesh]] on 31 January 1957, remaining in office till 11 March 1962. He also held the portfolios for general administration, home, publicity, planning and development, co-ordination and anti-corruption.<ref>{{cite book|title=India: A Reference Annual 1960|date=1960|publisher=[[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.100488/page/n445 419]|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.100488|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref>

Katju and his wife Rup Kishori had five children together: three sons and two daughters.<ref name="Reed"/><ref name="loksabha"/> Son [[Brahma Nath Katju]] served as chief justice of the [[Allahabad High Court]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hon'ble Mr. Brahma Nath Katju|url=http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/Judges/ex-judges/BNKatju.htm|publisher=allahabadhighcourt.in|access-date=28 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007155628/http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/Judges/ex-judges/BNKatju.htm|archive-date=7 October 2007}}</ref> The eldest son, [[Shiva Nath Katju|Shiva Nath]], served as a judge at the same Court, and also as member of the [[Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly|Uttar Pradesh legislature]]. Shiv Nath's son (Kailash Nath's grandson), [[Markandey Katju]], served as a judge in the [[Supreme Court of India]]. His other grandson is revered ambassador Vivek Katju. His granddaughter, Tilottama Mukherji, a professor at the [[New York University]], was the first wife of politician and former diplomat [[Shashi Tharoor]].

Katju had recovered from a [[kidney ailment]] he had suffered in the summer of 1967. After his condition deteriorated in early February 1968, he died at 7:55&nbsp;p.m. ([[Indian Standard Time|IST]]) on 17 February at his residence in [[Allahabad]].<ref name="death"/> The last rites were performed by son Shiva Nath on the bank of [[the Ganges]] the following day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Katju cremated|agency=Press Trust of India|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=19 February 1968|page=9}}</ref>

Dr Kailash Nath Katju wrote many books, some of which are the following{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}:

* Some Judges and Lawyers whom I knew<ref>[http://www.dadinani.com/capture-memories/read-contributions/life-back-then/180-judges-and-lawyers-i-knew-by-kn-katju Some Judges and Lawyers Whom I Knew by K N Katju]. Dadinani.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.</ref>

[[Category:1st Lok Sabha members]]