V. V. Giri

Varahagiri Venkata Giri was born on 10 August 1894 at Berhampur, now in Odisha. The Vice-President’s Secretariat records his father as Jogiah Pantulu and his wife as Sarasvathi Bai Giri. He began his education at Khallikote College, Berhampore, and then went to Dublin to study law; the President’s Secretariat names University College Dublin. Britannica records that he became involved in the Sinn Féin movement there and was expelled from Ireland in 1916. He qualified as a Barrister-at-Law.

After returning to India, Giri joined the emerging labour movement. He became general secretary and then president of the All-India Railwaymen’s Federation, and was twice president of the All-India Trade Union Congress. He sat in the Central Legislative Assembly from 1934 to 1937 and in the Madras Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1939 and from 1946 to 1947. In the Madras ministries of those years he held labour, industries, cooperation and commerce portfolios. When the Congress governments resigned and the Quit India Movement began in 1942, he returned to the labour movement and was imprisoned with his colleagues.

After independence Giri served as Indian High Commissioner to Ceylon from 1947 to 1951. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from 1952 to 1957 and Union Minister of Labour from 1952 to 1954; Britannica notes that he resigned that office in 1954. He then served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1957 to 1960, of Kerala from 1960 to 1965 and of Mysore from 1965 to 1967.

Giri was elected Vice-President of India and served as ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha from 13 May 1967 to 3 May 1969. President Zakir Husain died on 3 May 1969, and Giri then functioned as Acting President until 19 July 1969. Britannica records that he announced his intention to stand for the presidency, that the Congress nomination went to another candidate, and that he was elected by a narrow majority with the support of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The President’s Secretariat describes him as the only person elected President as an independent candidate.

Giri served as President from 24 August 1969 to 24 August 1974. The Vice-President’s Secretariat lists the last day of his term as 23 August 1974; the President’s Secretariat gives 24 August, which is used here. He was succeeded by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1975, and also held honorary doctorates from Banaras Hindu University, Andhra University and Agra University. He died on 24 June 1980.