T.
R. RAJAGOPALA AIYAR
In
1913 I appeared for my Intermediate Examination and put Triplicane
as my Examination Centre. My brother lived just opposite to C. Subbiah Chetty & Co.,
Booksellers. Next to his house on the north lived Narayanaiah,
father of J. Krishnamurti and his brother. The case
by the father for return of his two sons had been instituted against Annie Besant in the High Court of Madras. Dr. C. Nanjunda Rao was the moving spirit and almost every evening
he used to come in his car accompanied by C. P. Ramaswami
Aiyar, the dashing young advocate who conducted the case against Besant and had lept into fame by
his brilliant qualities. The case was thrown out by the Privy Council on a
technical point of jurisdiction. Otherwise, it would have led to far-reaching
consequences. Even as it was, it had some remarkable results, one of which was
the genuine admiration felt by Annie Besant for her
opposing counsel and vice versa. Before the case was over finally, the
two had become fast friends. Like Gandhi, like every great leader, Annie Besant was a moulder
of men and ere long she sent two outstanding personalities into the world, C.
P. and
The
Jeevaka Chintamani,
Tamil epic, states that a good personality is the result of past
meritorious act. C. P. was an example of it. The most striking thing about him
was his appearance. Some men are born of the blood royal and bear the authentic
Rajachakram on their palms. Among a crowd of persons,
he was the cynosure of eyes and persons would single him out and say: “Lo! here comes a prince among men.” He had the natural and easy
manners of one born and bred to exalted rank. He never asserted himself, never
boasted; there was no need to. His lot and duties cast him into the princely
order and the highest dignitaries among whom he moved as an equal. He had an
aura of personal magnetism and charm. Apart from my knowledge of him, I have
heard details about him from S. Satyamurti and Nilakantha Aiyar, his Secretary.
He was a hard worker. He was a Karma Yogin and led a
simple and disciplined life. He did not like the pomp and paraphernalia of his
office. During the train journeys, he preferred his usual South Indian food
from the Railway catering with an additional cup of ghee and curds. He used to
get the latest books and was a voracious reader. He was a far-seeing and
constructive statesman, a nation-builder who has left his marks indelibly on
C.
P. was a staunch Hindu. He was descendant of the family of the great Apparya Dikshitar who was
considered as an Avatar of Siva and was a polymath of learning.
C. P. knew three languages well and loved them all equally–Tamil,
Sanskrit and English–and his writings, speeches and private talk conveyed an
alarming literary relish. At the time of his death C. P. was engaged in working
his autobiography. There had been two predecessors, that of Gandhi and Nehru,
both classical, but we were looking forward to the third which would have been
a worthy complement, but that was not to be. Those who knew C P. feel
personally that
“It
is well that, at the close of a case so bitterly contested one is able to
salute one’s opponent with raised rapier, as chivalry demands. But I would
rather have Mr. C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar
on my side than against me. I have not seen his equal, so far in the High
Court, for readiness of answer and clever presentment of a case, making much of
its strong points and covering its weak ones; he also knows what he wants and
the way of obtaining it. It is not wonderful that he is overwhelmed with cases.
In addition to his legal work, he is constantly engaged in making himself
useful to good public causes, and his name is ever seen in connexion
with these.
–DR. ANNIE
BESANT