Tamil Nadu has seen a number of illustrious Assembly Speakers, though some were controversial. S. Chellapandian (1911-1993), hailing from Tirunelveli that produced strong nationalist- minded persons, is regarded as one of the presiding officers who respected and tried to follow British parliamentary practices. Former President R. Venkataraman praised him for his rulings noted for “soundness and firmness”. Chellapandian knew legislative procedures “so thoroughly that he would not only enforce them but would also guide new members to learn the art,” he said.

Governor’s address

On the very day (March 31, 1962) Chellapandian assumed office, the moment came for him to handle the situation deftly. Veteran CPI leader M. Kalyanasundaram, in his third term as the legislator, questioned why the newly constituted House did not commence its proceedings with the Governor’s address. When Finance and Education Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam explained no other business should be transacted that day, Chellapandian ruled that the issue could be raised after Governor Bishnuram Medhi delivered his address, according to the transcript of the proceedings for the day. Eventually, on April 23, 1962, the Governor addressed members of the two Houses at a joint sitting. At that time, the State legislature was bi-cameral.

An alumnus of the 147-year-old Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College in Tirunelveli and the Law College in Thiruvanathapuram, Chellapandian joined the Congress in his student days. He served as a junior to Daniel Thomas, the Local Administration, Prohibition and Transport Minister during 1946-48. Twice elected to the Assembly on Congress ticket, Chellapanadian represented Cheranmahadevi (1952-57) and Alangulam (1962-67). He lost in 1957 and 1967. For five years, he served as the president of the Tiruneveli District Congress Committee. The day after he was defeated in the 1967 Assembly election, he resumed his law practice. Among the prominent personalities who received training from him in law were former Supreme Court judge S. Ratnavel Pandian, former judges of the Madras High Court S. Pratap Singh and Padmini Jesudurai, former Speaker R. Avudaiappan, MDMK founder Vaiko, and Congress leader S. Peter Alphonse, according to a Tamil biography on him, titled O! Andha Mamanidhar, authored by A. Pitchai, former Director for the Welfare of the Differently Abled and Chellapandian’s first son-in-law.

Congress member pulled up

Within a month of assumption of office came the moment wherein the last Speaker of the Congress demonstrated his impartiality. On April 26, when Gingee MLA G. Rajaram (Congress) made certain observations on the then Deputy Leader of the Opposition, M. Karunanidhi (later Chief Minister), the Speaker chided him, saying the remarks were “not dignified” and they “cast aspersion individually”, according to a report of The Hindu on April 27, 1962.

Two years later, when the anti-Hindi agitation was assuming serious proportions, Chellapandian, while urging members not to make personal attacks, said there was no harm in a member describing a particular action as treason or traitorous, but it was not proper to call another member a “traitor”.

During the intervening period, the CPI leader had sought to corner the Congress government and the Speaker. Yet again, Chellapandian showed his mettle. On August 7, 1963, Kalyanasundaram tried to raise a matter of privilege against the prorogation of the Assembly session by Medhi, holding that no prima facie case had been made out. On April 1, the Assembly adjourned sine die after passing the Budget for 1963-64 and the Speaker later convened a meeting of the House on July 24. However, the session was prorogued by the Governor on June 6, Subsequently, Medhi summoned the House to meet on August 6.

The Communist leader’s point was that the advice of the Council of Ministers to the Governor to prorogue the session interfered with the sovereignty of the House and encroached on the powers of the Speaker. However, Chellapandian, relying on the constitutional provision empowering the Governor to prorogue the Assembly from time to time, ruled that the function of Governor was non-justiciable and his act could not be challenged on any ground. In the present case, the Assembly had been prorogued to enable the Governor to promulgate an ordinance as no ordinance could be promulgated if the Assembly or the Legislative Council was in session, the Speaker said, quoting a judgment of the Madras High Court which held there was nothing wrong in the Governor proroguing the legislature to enable himself to issue an ordinance, The Hindu reported on August 8, 1963.

Support for merger

Though Chellapandian withdrew himself from electoral politics after 1967, he actively involved himself in the work of the Congress. Four years later, he not only refused to contest in the election, citing his age, but also worked for the victory of Swatantra Party nominee D.S.A. Sivaprakasam in Cheranmahadevi, despite the DMK having put up his close relative Ratnavel Pandian as its candidate. The Swatantra Party was then an ally of the Congress (Organisation), led by K. Kamaraj.

A steadfast loyalist of the Congress, Chellapandian, who remained with the Congress(O) until Kamaraj’s death in 1975, had strongly supported the merger of his group with Indira Gandhi’s Congress. He was later a source of guidance to G.K. Moopanar. In his memory, a flyover and the District Congress Committee office have been named after him and his statue has been installed in Tirunelveli city. What is more important is the adherence to values nurtured by him: probity in public life, dignified conduct, the acquisition of knowledge of international parliamentary practices, and the ability to spot the young, talented and educated persons and encourage them to take to politics.