B. Shiva Rao: Difference between revisions

|spouse            = Kitty Verstaendig

'''Benegal Shiva Rao''' (26 February 1891 – 15 December 1975) was an Indian journalist and politician. He was a member of the [[Constituent Assembly of India]] and an elected representative of the [[South Kanara (South) (Lok Sabha constituency)|South Kanara]] constituency in the [[First Lok Sabha]] (later named [[Mangalore (Lok Sabha constituency)|Mangalore]], currently [[Dakshina Kannada (Lok Sabha constituency)|Dakshina Kannada]]).<ref name=bio>{{cite web|title=First Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile|url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/biodata_1_12/956.htm|publisher=Lok Sabha|access-date=5 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144253/http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/biodata_1_12/956.htm|archive-date=13 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jain |first=L.C. |title=Growing up with it |url=http://www.hindu.com/th125/stories/2003091301371400.htm |access-date=3 March 2012 |newspaper=The Hindu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413145645/http://www.hindu.com/th125/stories/2003091301371400.htm |archive-date=13 April 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref> He was the correspondent of ''[[The Hindu]]'' and then of the ''[[Manchester Guardian]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=NOORANI |first=A.G. |title=Two sides of Nehru |url=http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2721/stories/20101022272107700.htm |access-date=3 March 2012 |newspaper=Frontline |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425010942/http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2721/stories/20101022272107700.htm |archive-date=25 April 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref> He was also a member of the [[Rajya Sabha]] from 1957 - 1960<ref>{{cite web|title=Alphabetical List Of All Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952|url=http://164.100.47.5:8080/members/alphabeticallist_all_terms.asp|publisher=Rajya Sabha|access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref> and a recipient of the civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>

== Early life ==

B. Shiva Rao was born in [[Mangalore]] on 26 February 1891<ref name=bio /> into a distinguished family. His father was B. Raghavendra Rao, a renowned medical practitioner.<ref name=bio /> He graduated from the [[Presidency College, Chennai]].<ref name=bio /> His elder brothers were [[Benegal Narsing Rau]] and [[Benegal Rama Rau]]. He joined labour movement and rose to vice president of INTUC. In 1929 he married Kitty Verstaendig, an Austrian.<ref name=bio /> Early in his life, he came under influence of [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|theosophical society]] and its leader [[Annie Besant]]. He was a correspondent of ''[[The Hindu]]'' and the ''[[The Guardian|Manchester Guardian]]''. He is well known for his work ''Framing of India's Constitution'' (in six volumes, 1968). He was an ardent admirer of Gandhi but one of the first to criticize his strategy for national movement. His objectivity and deep analysis endeared him to his readers including Nehru, Gandhi and S. Radhakrishnan. His participation in International labour movement continued after independence as delegate to UN and ILO where he worked with Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit and Babu Jagjeevan Ram. He remained member of Lok Sabha from 1952–57 and Rajya Sabha from 1957&ndash;1960. After that, he retired from public life and concentrated on research. He also edited papers of his brother B. N. Rau as ''India's Constitution in the Making'' (1960). He was one of contributors to Cyril Henry Phillips and Mary Doreen Wainwright edited ''The Partition of India:Policies & Perspectives 1935-47''. His last work was ''India's Freedom Fighters: Some Notable Figures'' published in 1972 as a tribute to his departed colleagues.