Laxmi Mall Singhvi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laxmi Mall Singhvi
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| Member of Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1962–1967 |
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| Constituency | Jodhpur |
| Member of Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 1998–2004 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 November 1931 Jodhpur, Jodhpur State, British India |
| Died | 6 October 2007 (aged 75) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Alma mater | Allahabad University (BA) Jaipur University (LLB, MA) Harvard University (LLM) Cornell University (LL.D) |
| Occupation | Jurist, writer, diplomat |
Laxmi Mall Singhvi (born November 9, 1931 – died October 6, 2007) was an important person in India. He was a smart law expert, a parliamentarian (someone who works in the government), a scholar (a learned person), a writer, and a diplomat (someone who represents their country abroad).
He served as India's top representative in the United Kingdom, called the High Commissioner, for a long time (1991–1997). This was the second-longest term after V. K. Krishna Menon. In 1998, he received the Padma Bhushan, a high award from the Indian government.
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Life Story of L. M. Singhvi
Laxmi Mall Singhvi was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. His family belonged to the Marwari community and followed the Jain religion. He had two brothers and two sisters.
He was a brilliant student. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Allahabad University, where he won a gold medal for being the best student. Later, he got his law degree (LLB) and a Master of Arts (MA) from Jaipur University. He was the first person from Rajasthan to get a special scholarship from Rotary to study at Harvard University in the USA, where he earned another law degree (LLM). He then completed his highest law degree (LL.D) from Cornell University in just two years.
Starting a Law Career
After finishing his law studies, Singhvi started working as a lawyer in Jodhpur. He practiced law for some time. In 1962, he decided to run for election to the Indian Parliament. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he was not part of any political party. He won the election and became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jodhpur area.
During his five years as an MP, he had less time for his law practice. After his term, he went back to being a full-time lawyer. He started working in higher courts, including the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India. His law career grew very successful. From 1972 to 1977, he was named the top lawyer for the state of Rajasthan, known as the Advocate General. Later, he was recognized as a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India.
Working in Politics
Singhvi became interested in politics because he disagreed with some of the big social changes proposed by the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1962, he ran for election to the Lok Sabha, which is one of the two houses of the Indian Parliament. He won the election from his hometown, Jodhpur, by a small number of votes.
As an MP, he suggested creating a special independent group to investigate corruption in the government. This idea came from his study of how the Ombudsman system worked in other countries. Singhvi served in the Lok Sabha for five years. However, he lost the election in 1967 and did not return to Parliament for 31 years.
In 1997, after serving as High Commissioner in the UK, Singhvi officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party in India. The next year, in 1998, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the other house of the Indian Parliament, for a six-year term. As an MP, he led a special committee focused on Indians living abroad. He played a key role in helping the government connect with the Indian community around the world. He also came up with the idea of holding an annual event called 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' to help Indians living abroad connect with India's government and businesses.
Representing India Abroad
In 1991, the Prime Minister at that time, PV Narasimha Rao, appointed Singhvi as India's High Commissioner to the Court of St. James (which means to the United Kingdom). This made him the second longest-serving High Commissioner for India in the UK, from 1991 to 1997.
In 1993, while he was High Commissioner, Singhvi led India's team to a big United Nations conference on Human Rights in Vienna. In the same year, the University of Cambridge invited him to give a special talk called the Rede Lecture. He spoke about his own book, 'A Tale of Three Cities.'
He was also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, an international court that helps solve disputes between countries.
Writing Books
Singhvi wrote many books in both English and Hindi. Some of his books include A Tale of Three Cities, Jain Temples, and Bharat aur Hamara Samay ("India and our times"). He wrote in a simple style that was easy to understand. His books covered various topics, from general information about specific subjects like "Jain temples" to his thoughts on broader issues like "India and our times." Singhvi was always very interested in Jain history and culture. He also served as the president of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, an important cultural institution.
Awards and Special Recognition
In 1993, Dr. Singhvi was honored with the Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India. He also received an honorary law degree (LLD) from the University of Buckingham.
On January 17, 2009, the Supreme Court of India held the first 'Dr. L.M. Singhvi memorial lecture.' This lecture was given by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was the former President of India.
A special scholarship called the "Dr. L.M. Singhvi Visiting Fellowship" is given out by the University of Wales and the 'Centre of South Asian Studies' at the University of Cambridge. This fellowship helps Indian students and scholars visit and study there.
The School of Constitutional Law at the National Law University, Jodhpur has been named after Dr. L.M. Singhvi to honor his contributions.
Family Life
Singhvi married Kamla (whose maiden name was Baid) when he was very young. Their parents arranged the marriage, as was common at the time.
Their only son, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, is also a very successful lawyer and a leader in the Congress Party. He is currently a Member of Parliament in India's Upper House, the Rajya Sabha. L.M. Singhvi's daughter, Abhilasha Singhvi, works in social welfare. She is a Managing Trustee of Manav Seva Sannidhi, which is a non-governmental organization (NGO).
Laxmi Mall Singhvi passed away on October 6, 2007, in New Delhi, after a short illness.
