S. Chellapandian: a Speaker with sound knowledge of British parliamentary practices
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
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. 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”.
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