Father of modern legal education NR Madhava Menon dies
Thiruvananthapuram: Father of modern legal education in India, N R Madhava Menon, passed away at a hospital here, family sources said Wednesday. He was 84. "He was undergoing treatment for the past one week for age-related ailments at a private hospital here. He left us around 11.30 PM yesterday," a source close to the family told PTI.
The funeral will take place at 2.30 PM on Wednesday at Shanthi Kavadam, state owned crematorium, here. He is survived by wife and a son.
President of India Ram Nath Kovind condoled his death. "Sorry to hear of the passing of Prof N R Madhava Menon, educationist, scholar and a pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India, beginning with National Law School of India University, Bangalore. "My condolences to his family and countless students," the official Twitter account of the President read.
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam said he was "deeply saddened" by the demise of Menon, whose insightful ideas modernised legal education in India. "As an authority in legal and constitutional matters, he used his limitless erudition to build world class institutions and to enlighten generations of students," he tweeted.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his condolence message said Menon gave a new direction to the legal education sector in the country. "The National Law School in Bangalore was established due to the efforts taken by Menon. Later, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyothi Basu invited him to start a similar institution in Kolkata," Vijayan said in a release, adding his achievements would make any Keralite proud.
Menon started his legal career with the Kerala High Court at the age of 21 after graduating from Government Law College. He later shifted his base to Delhi and joined the faculty of Aligarh Muslim University in 1960.
Menon moved to Delhi University in 1965 and headed the prestigious Campus Law Centre. He established the National Law Institute of India University (NSLIU) in Bengaluru in 1986 and was the Vice Chancellor of the university for 12 years.
Menon was also the founding director of National Judicial Academy in Bhopal. The nation honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2003 for his contributions to the legal field.
Sorry to hear of the passing of Prof N.R. Madhava Menon, educationist, scholar and a pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India, beginning with National Law School of India University, Bangalore. My condolences to his family and countless students
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 8, 2019 ">
Sorry to hear of the passing of Prof N.R. Madhava Menon, educationist, scholar and a pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India, beginning with National Law School of India University, Bangalore. My condolences to his family and countless students #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 8, 2019
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
