Ram Jethmalani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ram Jethmalani
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Jethmalani in August 2006
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| Minister of Law and Justice | |
| In office 16 May 1996 – 1 June 1996 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy |
| Succeeded by | Ramakant Khalap |
| In office June 1999 – 23 July 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | M. Thambidurai |
| Succeeded by | Arun Jaitley |
| Minister of Urban Development | |
| In office 19 March 1998 – 14 June 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Ummareddy Venkateswarlu |
| Succeeded by | Jagmohan |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 8 July 2016 – 8 September 2019 |
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| Constituency | Bihar |
| In office 5 July 2010 – 4 July 2016 |
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| Constituency | Rajasthan |
| In office 10 April 2006 – 26 August 2009 |
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| Constituency | Nominated |
| In office 3 April 1994 – 9 April 2006 |
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| Constituency | Maharashtra |
| In office 3 April 1988 – 2 April 1994 |
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| Constituency | Karnataka |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1977–1984 |
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| Preceded by | Hari Ramchandra Gokhale |
| Succeeded by | Sunil Dutt |
| Constituency | Mumbai North-West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 September 1923 Shikarpur, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Sindh, Pakistan) |
| Died | 8 September 2019 (aged 95) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Rashtriya Janata Dal (After 2016) |
| Other political affiliations |
Bharatiya Janata Party (1980–85) Janata Dal (1989–93) Pavitra Hindustan Kazhagam (1995) Bharatiya Janata Party (2010–2013) |
| Spouses |
Durga Jethmalani
(m. 1941)Ratna Jethmalani
(m. 1947) |
| Residences | 2, Akbar Road, New Delhi, India |
| Alma mater | S.C. Shahani Law College, Karachi- University of Bombay |
| Profession | Lawyer, Jurist, Professor of Law, Politician, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
Ram Boolchand Jethmalani (14 September 1923 – 8 September 2019) was a famous Indian lawyer and politician. He served as India's Union Minister of Law and Justice. He was also the chairman of the Bar Council of India and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He was known for his skills in legal cases.
Jethmalani earned his law degree at just 17 years old. He started working as a lawyer in his hometown, Shikarpur. After the partition of India, he moved to Mumbai as a refugee. There, he began his life and career again. He stopped working as a lawyer in 2017.
Throughout his political life, Jethmalani worked to improve relations between India and Pakistan. This was because of his own experience as a refugee. He was elected to the Lok Sabha (one of India's Parliament houses) twice. He also served as a minister in the government.
Jethmalani received the Human Rights Award in 1977. He wrote several books, including Big Egos, Small Men and Maverick: Unchanged, Unrepentant. He also helped write legal books.
Contents
Who Was Ram Jethmalani?
Ram Jethmalani was born on 14 September 1923. His birthplace was Shikarpur, Sindh, which is now part of Pakistan. His parents were Boolchand Gurmukhdas Jethmalani and Parbati Boolchand.
Early Life and Education
Ram was a very smart student. He skipped grades in school and finished high school at 13. By age 17, he had a law degree from Bombay University. At that time, you usually had to be 21 to become a lawyer. But Ram got special permission to start at 18. He also earned a higher law degree from Bombay University.
Family Life
Ram Jethmalani married his first wife, Durga, when he was about 18. Later, in 1947, he married his second wife, Ratna Shahani, who was also a lawyer. He had four children: Rani, Shobha, Mahesh, and Janak. His sons and daughters also became successful in their fields. Ram Jethmalani passed away on 8 September 2019, at his home in New Delhi. He was 95 years old.
Ram Jethmalani's Career
Ram Jethmalani had a long and important career. He was known both as a brilliant lawyer and a dedicated politician.
Legal Career
Ram Jethmalani started his legal career in Sindh. He also worked as a professor there before the partition of India. He opened his own law firm in Karachi. In 1948, he had to leave Karachi due to riots. He came to India with very little money and stayed in a refugee camp.
One of his first cases in India was against a new law. This law treated refugees unfairly. Jethmalani argued that the law was unconstitutional, and he won the case. He became famous for taking on important and challenging cases. He believed it was his duty to defend anyone who needed a lawyer.
In 1954, he became a part-time professor at the Government Law College, Mumbai. He also taught law in the United States. He served as the Chairman of the Bar Council of India four times. In 2010, he was elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He stopped working as a lawyer on 9 September 2017.
Political Journey
Ram Jethmalani's own experience as a refugee made him want to improve relations between India and Pakistan. This was a key goal throughout his political life.
He first ran for Parliament as an independent candidate. During a difficult period in India (1975-1977), he strongly spoke out against the government. He had to leave India for a short time but returned when things improved. He won his first election to the Lok Sabha in 1977.
In 1988, he became a member of the Rajya Sabha (the other house of India's Parliament). He served as the Union Minister of Law, Justice in 1996. Later, in 1998, he became the Minister of Urban Affairs. He was known for speaking his mind, even if it meant disagreeing with others.
He ran for President of India at one point. He also started his own political groups. In 2010, he was again elected to the Rajya Sabha. He was known for being very outspoken about issues he cared about. In 2013, he was removed from his political party for making statements against it.
Awards and Recognitions
- International Jurist Award
- 1977 – Human Rights Award by World Peace Through Law
Books by Ram Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani wrote several books and helped write many legal books.
- Big Egos, Small Men
- Conflict of Laws (1955)
- Conscience of a Maverick
- Justice: Soviet Style
- Maverick: Unchanged, Unrepentant
Books About Ram Jethmalani
- Ram Jethmalani : The Authorized Biography by Nalini Gera
- Rebel: A Biography of Ram Jethmalani by Susan Adelman
Images for kids
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Jethmalani in August 2006
