C. R. Pattabhiraman

Chetpet Ramaswami Iyer Pattabhiraman (Tamil: சேத்துப்பட்டு ராமசவாமி ஐயர் பட்டாபிராமன்) (b. November 11, 1906 - d. June 19, 2001) was an Indian lawyer, politician and statesman from the Indian National Congress. He was the eldest son of Indian statesman C. P. Ramaswami Iyer. He served as a Member of Indian Parliament from Kumbakonam from 1957 to 1967 and as a Union Minister from 1966 to 1967.

Pattabhiraman was born on November 11, 1906 to C. P. Ramaswami Iyer and his wife Seethamma. As Pattabhiraman was born after a Naga Prathistha yagna or a sacrifice to the Hindu god Nāga by Seethamma who had earlier suffered two miscarriages, Pattabhiraman was initially named Nagaraj.

Pattabhiraman had his schooling from the P. S. Higher Secondary School, Mylapore, Madras and graduated from Presidency College, Madras. He did his LL. B at the London School of Economics and Political Science and qualified for the bar from the Middle Temple in 1932. Pattabhiraman practised as an advocate after his graduation and in 1938, became an advocate of the Federal Court, Delhi, now the Supreme Court of India.

Pattabhiraman was a member of the Indian National Congress from his early days. He participated in the boycott of the Simon Commission and the activities of the India League. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1957 and 1962 from Kumbakonam. In May 1962, Pattabhiraman was appointed Deputy Minister for Labour, Employment and Planning by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and served as the Deputy Minister for Information and Broadcasting from June 15, 1964 to January 24, 1966. He also served as a Minister for Law and Company Affairs from January 25, 1966 till his resignation in 1967. Pattabhiraman lost the 1967 elections from Kumbakonam and retired from politics.

Pattabhiraman was an excellent sportsman and a patron of sporting championships. He established the Mylapore Recreation Club and along with P. Subbarayan, founded the Madras Cricket Association.

Pattabhiraman died in his sleep on June 19, 2001 at the age of 94.

Pattabhiraman's father, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer was one of India's front ranking statesman and at the time of his birth, the lawyer with the highest income in India. On January 26, 1925, Pattabhiraman married Saraswathi, the daughter of Captain Dr. P. Krishnaswami, Principal of Stanley College, Madras and niece of Pennathur Subramania Iyer, founder of P. S. High School. The couple had four daughters - Shakunthala (1927-2000), Seetha (1933-1958), Lakshmi and Padmini.