PIL seeks to declare September 5 as 'lawyers day'

: A lawyer has moved Madras High court, seeking a declaration that freedom fighter V O Chidambaram Pillai's birthday on September 5 be declared as Lawyers Day.

A E Chelliah said Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan's birthday is observed as Teachers Day and Nehru's birthday is celebrated as Children's Day. Hence the birthday of VOC deserves to be called Lawyers Day, in his honour as he was an advocate, writer, social reformer and freedom fighter.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan,however,said it was for the government to examine the issue as it fell within the administrative domain.
 

There are a number of individuals who had contributed to the freedom struggle, but what is the nature of contribution, what day can be celebrated and in what manner, would fall within the ambit of decision of the government, they said

Pointing out that no representation has so far been submitted to the government, the judges said if the petitioner submits a petition, the government could bestow its consideration on the matter.

Chelliah submitted said that in 1906 Chidambaram Pillai launched Swadeshi Shipping Company, that earned him a sobriquet 'Tamil Helmsman'. He was later 'unfairly' jailed under British rule. In 1908, when VOC was in jail, Gandhi was yet to become a Mahatma and return to India from South Africa. Jawaharlal Nehru was just 19 years old and C Rajagopalachari was yet to enter public life.

Chelliah also said that the British had stripped VOC of his law licence and returned it only after his 10 year jail term.

He then appeared for K Kamaraj and got him acquitted in the 'all Madras Presidency conspiracy case'.

Kamaraj went on to become Tamil Nadu chief minister, AICC chief and was instrumental in making Lal Bahadur Shastri and later Indira Gandhi Prime Ministers, he said, adding that Kamaraj also expanded noon-meal schemes to all schools and brought a number of factories and projects to this part of the country.

Chelliah argued that while many other freedom fighters and scholars had got their due after Independence, VOCs contributions had not been properly acknowledged. Declaring his birthday as Lawyers Day would be a fitting tribute to him, he said.