->Neurofreak at 20:28, 28 November 2021

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{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
|name = Laxmi Mall Singhvi
|image = Laxmi Mall Singhvi 2008 stamp of India.jpg
|office = Member of [[Lok Sabha]]
|term_start = 1962
|term_end = 1967
|constituency = [[Jodhpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Jodhpur]]
|office1 = Member of [[Rajya Sabha]]
|term1 = 1998–2004
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1931|11|09}}
|birth_place = [[Jodhpur]], [[Jodhpur State]], [[British India]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2007|10|6|1931|11|09}}
|death_place = [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
|party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]
|alma_mater = [[Allahabad University]] ([[B.A.|BA]])<br>[[Jaipur University]] ([[LLB]], [[M.A.|MA]])<br>[[Harvard University]] ([[LLM]])<br>[[Cornell University]] ([[LL.D]])
|occupation = [[Jurist]], writer, diplomat
}}
'''Laxmi Mall Singhvi''' (9 November 1931 – 6 October 2007) was an Indian jurist, parliamentarian, scholar, writer and diplomat. He was, after [[V. K. Krishna Menon]], the second-longest-serving [[High Commissioner]] for India in the United Kingdom (1991–97)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025030247/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-06/india/27994519_1_l-m-singhvi-abhishek-singhvi-eminent-jurist L M Singhvi passes away] PTI, [[The Times of India]], 6 October 2007.</ref> He was conferred [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1998.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |accessdate=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archivedate=15 November 2014 }}</ref>

==Biography==
Singhvi was born in [[Jodhpur]], [[Rajasthan]], India, into a [[Marwari people|Marwari]] [[Jain]] family. He had two brothers, Prasan Mall Singhvi and Gulab Mall Singhvi, and two sisters, Pushpa Sett and Chandra Bhandari.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pay-tribute-to-L-M-Singhvi/articleshow/2435643.cms?referral=PM Pay tribute to L M Singhvi]. ''Times of India'' (6 October 2007). Retrieved on 2018-11-12.</ref> Singhvi was a gold medallist in BA from [[Allahabad University]] and then did LLB & MA from [[Jaipur University]]. He was Rajasthan’s first Rotary Scholar to [[Harvard University]] for his LLM. He then did his LL.D from [[Cornell University]], USA in a record 2 years.<ref>[https://www.drabhisheksinghvi.com/dr-l-m-singhvi-the-golden-history/ Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi (Father of Dr. Abhishek Singhvi) 9 November 1931 – 6 October 2007]</ref>

===Legal career===
After taking a degree in law, Singhvi began his legal practice at the Jodhpur trial and sessions courts. He practiced as an advocate for some time before contesting and winning the election to Parliament from the [[Jodhpur (Lok Sabha constituency)]] in 1962 as an Independent candidate (not affiliated to any political party). During his five-year term as [[Member of parliament|MP]], his appearances in court were necessarily limited by the demands of work in parliament and in his constituency. He subsequently returned to his law practice full-time, but abandoned his practice in the district court to begin practicing at the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India. His practice soon flourished and he was named Advocate General of [[Rajasthan]] state for the period 1972–77. He was later designated a Senior Advocate in the [[Supreme Court of India]].

===Political career===
During the decade of the 1950s, the [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] government vigorously pushed an agenda of "social modernization" which amounted to dismissing the customs and traditions of India as backward and despicable, and enacting laws based on "modern values," "progressive outlook" and "scientific temper" which enshrined Western perspectives and systems of marriage, divorce, inheritance and human relationships as the law which the courts of India would uphold. These vigorous efforts caused great disquiet among those educated sections of society who realized what was going on. However, the absence of an organized opposition party was an insuperable impediment to organized political resistance to this agenda. The Congress Party had the reputation and glamour of having secured the independence of India from Britain, and there was essentially no second political party in the electoral firmament.

Singhvi was drawn to politics as an opponent of this radical social agenda championed by [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. Most of the radical legislation was passed during the term of the second [[Lok Sabha]] (1957–62). When elections for the third Lok Sabha were held in 1962, Singhvi stood for election as an independent candidate from his hometown, [[Jodhpur]]. Based on the goodwill his family enjoyed in Jodhpur, and on further goodwill and contacts created through his law practice, he won the election by a narrow margin and was elected to Parliament from the [[Jodhpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Jodhpur constituency]].

As MP, he proposed the creation of an independent, statutory vigilance body with investigative powers, tasked with unearthing corruption in government. This proposal was based on his study of the role of the [[Ombudsman]] in Scandinavian countries. Singhvi served as a member of the [[Lok Sabha]] for five years, but lost the election of 1967 and did not return to Parliament until thirty-one years later.

In 1997, after he returned to India following a long tenure as High Commissioner to the UK, Singhvi formally joined the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. He was elected the following year to the [[Rajya Sabha]] for a term of six years (1998–2004).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://164.100.47.5/Newmembers/alphabeticallist_all_terms.aspx|title=Rajya Sabha members|accessdate=31 December 2009}}</ref> As MP, he served as Chairman of High Level Committee on [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian Diaspora]]. He was instrumental in implementing the [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee|Vajpayee]] government's outreach to the Indian diaspora. It was he who conceptualised the idea of holding and annual 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' event to promote interaction of [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|NRIs]] with the Indian government and industry.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071013182415/http://hindu.com/2007/10/07/stories/2007100760201200.htm L.M. Singhvi passes away]. Hindu.com (7 October 2007). Retrieved on 2018-11-12.</ref>

===Diplomatic assignment===
In 1991, Prime Minister [[PV Narasimha Rao]] appointed Singhvi [[High Commissioner]] to the [[Court of St. James]]. It is a measure of his reputation and professionalism that he remained in that office till 1997, undisturbed during the brief tenures of the next two Prime Ministers. This made him, after [[VK Krishna Menon]], the second longest-serving [[High Commissioner]] for India in the United Kingdom (1991–97), a record the more remarkable for having overlapped with the terms of four Indian Prime Ministers.

In 1993, during his term as High Commissioner, Singhvi spearheaded the Indian delegation to the United Nations conference on Human Rights in Vienna. The same year, he was invited by the [[University of Cambridge]] to deliver the [[Rede Lecture]], the topic being his own book, 'A Tale of Three Cities.'<ref name=s>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025030309/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-10-06/india/27972571_1_l-m-singhvi-abhishek-singhvi-jurist Pay tribute to L M Singhvi] [[The Times of India]], 6 October 2007.</ref>

He was also a member of the [[Permanent Court of Arbitration]] at [[The Hague]],<ref name="s"/>

===Literary career===
Singhvi wrote several books in both English and Hindi. These include ''A Tale of three cities'', ''Jain Temples'' and ''Bharat aur Hamara Samay'' ("India and our times"). As a writer, he had a substantial output, and his numerous books are written in a style that can best be termed simple. They are a mix of general information on specific topics ("Jain temples") and of his views on various issues in books with a very general scope ("India and our times"). Singhvi had a lifelong interest in [[Jain]] history and culture, and was quite knowledgeable on the subject, especially with regard to the art and architecture of Jain temples. He served as president of the [[Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts]].

==Awards and recognition==
In 1993, Dr Singhvi was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]] by [[Govt. of India]], and an honorary degree of [[Legum Doctor|LLD]] by the [[University of Buckingham]].<ref>[http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/news/newsarchive2007/singhvi.html L.M. SINGHVI 1931–2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127144452/http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/news/newsarchive2007/singhvi.html |date=27 November 2007 }} [[University of Buckingham]], Tuesday 9 October 2007.</ref>

The [[Supreme Court of India]] held the 'First Dr. L.M. Singhvi memorial lecture on 'Law, Technology and Society: Its dynamics’ on 17 January 2009, delivered by [[Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam]], Former President of India.<ref>[http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in/speeches/speeches_2009/17%5B1%5D.1.09_l_m_singhvi_memorial_lecture-_law__technology___society__17-1-09.pdf First Dr. L.M. Singhvi memorial lecture on ‘Law, Technology and Society: Its dynamics’] [[Supreme Court of India]], 17 January 2009.</ref>

Using a bequest by the Trustees of the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet Fund, "Dr L M Singhvi Visiting Fellowship" is given out by [[University of Wales]] and 'Centre of South Asian Studies', [[University of Cambridge]], for visiting student and scholars of Indian nationality.<ref>[http://www.wales.ac.uk/defaultpage.asp?page=E5754 Dr L M Singhvi Visiting Fellowship] [[University of Wales]].</ref><ref>[http://www.s-asian.cam.ac.uk/singhvi.html Dr L M Singhvi Visiting Fellowship] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604015906/http://www.s-asian.cam.ac.uk/singhvi.html |date=4 June 2010 }} [[University of Cambridge]].</ref>

The School of Constitutional Law at the [[National Law University, Jodhpur]] has been named after Dr. L.M Singhvi.

==Personal life==
Singhvi was married at a very young age to Kamla (née Baid), a lady of his own community and similar background, in a match arranged by their parents. His wife became a writer whose short stories were serialized in several [[Hindi]]-language magazines.

Their only son, [[Abhishek Manu Singhvi]], is a leading lawyer, statesman and leader of the Congress Party. His is a member of Parliament in India from the Upper House, Rajya Sabha. Dr LM Singhvi's daughter, Abhilasha Singhvi, is engaged in social work as Managing Trustee of Manav Seva Sannidhi, an [[NGO]].

Singhvi died on 6 October 2007 in New Delhi following a brief illness.

==Assessment==
Overall, since his political and social views were not consonant with those of the dominant [[Indian National Congress|Congress party]], Singhvi's political career remained stunted during the prolonged era when the socialist and secular views held sway over politics in an essentially unipolar political dispensation. During those four long decades of political marginalization, he never wavered from his foundational beliefs, but developed a flourishing legal career and a reputation for unimpeachable integrity. He lived to see the end of that era; his career ended on a high note when he was made a [[Rajya Sabha]] [[Member of parliament|MP]] by a government which represented his own beliefs.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.herenow4u.de/Pages/eng/Articles/Dr.L.M.Singhvi-AProfile.htm Profile of M. L. Singhvi ]
*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2680302.ece Obituary] in ''[[The Times]]'', 18 October 2007.

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1990–99}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singhvi, Laxmi Mall}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Writers from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Scholars from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Marwari people]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]
[[Category:People from Jodhpur]]
[[Category:National School of Drama]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of India to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:3rd Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in public affairs]]
[[Category:Members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Singhvi family]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:University of Allahabad alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:Cornell Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Indian judges of international courts and tribunals]]
[[Category:Indian Jains]]
[[Category:20th-century Jains]]

Laxmi Mall Singhvi - Revision history

->Neurofreak at 20:28, 28 November 2021