11 hours ago
Justice Tiruvarur Muthuswami Iyer statue in Chennai: Remembering an icon of the Madras High Court
The history of Chennai can never be complete without a reference to the 163-year-old Madras High Court functioning from a 133-year-old heritage building. The history of the High Court as well as its building can never be concluded without recording admiration for the imposing white marble statue of Sir Justice Tiruvarur Muthuswami Iyer.
Born on January 28, 1832 at Uchuvadi in Thanjavur (then called Tanjore) district, his childhood was a grim struggle due to poverty. Yet, he rose to become the first Indian judge of the Madras High Court in 1878 and held the office till his death on January 25, 1895. In 1898, the then Chief Justice Sir Arthur John Hammond Collins installed his marble statue.
Located at a commanding position that serves as the nucleus to the High Court building, the statue of Justice Muthuswami Iyer is a tribute to a judge who used to remove his footwear before climbing up the court dais to deliver justice. Even today, scores of lawyers and court staff begin their daily work only after circumambulating his statue and paying floral tributes.
What could never be missed in the pages of history is that there was strong opposition from a section of Europeans to the appointment of an Indian as a judge of the High Court. It was this opposition that triggered the birth of The Hindu in 1878 primarily to support the elevation of an Indian to the very high judicial office during the British Raj and to counter the opposition.
