Kerala Assembly adjourns as a mark of respect to VR Krishna Iyer, a former SC judge

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 5: As a mark of respect to eminent jurist V R Krishna Iyer, who died here, Kerala Assembly today adjourned without transacting any business scheduled for the day.

As soon as the House assembled, Deputy Speaker N Sakthan said the House was adjourning as a mark of respect to Iyer, who was a member of the first Kerala Assembly.

Iyer was elected to the Assembly from Thalassery constituency in north Kerala in 1957, when for the first time in the world the Communists came to power through ballot.

Iyer served as minister in the E M S Namboodiripad ministry of 1957-58 holding key portfolios like Home and Irrigation.

Former Supreme Court judge justice VR Krishna Iyer passed away at a private hospital in Kochi at 3.30 pm on Thursday due to multiple organ failure.

Iyer, who had been admitted to hospital for nearly a fortnight, was suffering from renal and cardiac failure and neumonia, hospital sources said. He had stopped taking food and was on a liquid diet since Monday.

On November 15, his 100th birthday was celebrated in Kochi, where had been residing. Iyer was active as a human rights activist too.In past many years, Iyer has spearheaded many mass movements in the state. He also headed the Kerala Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi, a citizen's collective in Kerala.

A Brahmin by birth, Iyer led a secular life. Iyer has also penned over 100 books on subjects ranging from legal matters to social issues. Iyer served as a minister in the first communist government in India which was formed in Kerala under E M S Namboodiripad in 1957.

As a minister, he implemented the revolutionary Kerala Land Reforms Act. In 1959, after the government was dissolved, Iyer took up legal profession and starting practice as an advocate in the Kerala High Court. In 1968, he joined the High Court as a judge. In 1973, Iyer was appointed as a Supreme Court judge.

He retired as SC judge in 1980. He was part of the citizen's panel that investigated the Gujarat riots in 2002.

The country honoured him with a Padma Vibushan in 1999.