Kailash Nath Katju

Kailash Nath Katju (Kashmiri: कैलाश नाथ काटजू (Devanagari), کیلاش ناتھ کاٹجو (Nastaleeq)) (June 17, 1887, Jaora - February 17, 1968) was a prominent politician of India. He was the Governor of Orissa and West Bengal, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the Union Law Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Union Defence Minister. He was also one of India's most prominent lawyers. He was part of some of the most riveting cases of his times, including the famous INA trials. Dr Katju joined the freedom struggle against the British rule in India early on and spent several years incarcerated with fellow freedom fighters.

Early life

Kailash Nath Katju's father Pandit Tribhuvan Nath belonged to a Kashmiri Brahmin family settled in the princely state of Jaora (in the present-day Madhya Pradesh). He studied in the Jaora School till March, 1900, when he was sent to Lahore. He passed his matriculation examination from Punjab University in 1901 and passed his B.A. examination from the Christian College, Lahore in March, 1905. In July, 1905 he joined the Muir Central College at Allahabad. In September, 1907 he passed his L.L.B. Examination from the Allahabad University, standing second in the province. In 1908 he passed his Master of Arts examination in History also from the Allahabad University. He started his career in the legal profession at Kanpur in 1908. In 1914 he shifted to Allahabad. In 1919, he took L.L.D. degree.

Political career

He defended the accused in the Meerut Conspiracy Case in Allahabad High Court in 1933 and later the military officers accused at the INA trial at Red Fort in Delhi. On July 17, 1937, he became the Minister of Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of the United Provinces in the Govind Ballabh Pant's cabinet. The ministry resigned on November 2, 1939 and soon he was imprisoned for 18 months. He was again imprisoned in 1942. He also served in the Constituent Assembly of India.

Following the independence of India, he held many high political positions. Initially he was the Governor of Orissa from August 15, 1947 to June 20, 1948. He became the Governor of West Bengal on June 21, 1948 and was in office till October 31, 1951. In 1951 he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the 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 Home Minister. In 1955 he was made the Defence Minister. He became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on January 31, 1957, remaining in office till March 11, 1962. He retired from politics in 1963.

Publications

Dr Kailash Nath Katju wrote many books, some of which are the following:

• Experiments in Advocacy: A Colossus in the Courts of Justice
• The days I remember
• Reminiscences and experiments in advocacy

He also wrote many articles and delivered many memorable speeches, including the following:

• Some Judges and Lawyers whom I knew
• Speech delivered on November 27, 1966, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the High Court Building.

Articles/Speeches about Dr Kailash Nath Katju

• Dr Kailash Nath Katju- A Tribute, Delivered by Pt. Kanhaiya Lal Misra (the then Advocate General, Uttar Pradesh), on February 19, 1968 at the Full Court reference in the Chief Justice’s Court Room on the sad demise of Dr. K.N. Katju
• Pen Portraits- Dr. Kailas Nath Katju, by MR. JUSTICE P. N. SAPRU