Varahagiri Venkata Giri (August 10, 1894-June 24, 1980), commonly known as V. V. Giri, was the fourth president of the Republic of India (August 24, 1969 – August 23, 1974).
He was born on 10 August, 1894 at Berhampore in Ganjam district in Orissa. He came of a rather well-off
Brahmin family. His father Shri V.V. Jogaiah Pantulu was a prosperous lawyer at Berhampore and the leader of the local Bar. He also took a prominent part in the nationalist movement. In the twenties he joined the Swarajya Party founded by Pundit Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das and was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly from 1927 to 1930. He was also elected to the Madras Legislative Council after the introduction of the Act of 1935.
V.V. Giri was married at an early age. The name of his wife is Saraswati Bai.
After his early education in his home-town Giri went to Ireland and joined the University of Dublin for higher studies.
Giri returned to India not only as a nationalist but deeply concerned about the well-being of the working people.
Giri started practice in his home-town Berhampore but he also took an active part in the nationalist movement. He joined the Home Rule League and also the Indian National Congress. When Gandhiji launched his Non-Cooperation Movement, Giri gave up his lucrative practice at the Bar and plunged himself into the movement. He was arrested and suffered imprisonment for a short period.
During the Civil Disobedience Movement in the early 30’s Giri, as a prominent labour leader, did much to organize trade unions in support of the nationalist movement. He was a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly from 1934 to 1937.
After the election when C. Rajagopalachari formed the Congress Ministry in Madras in 1937, V.V. Giri was naturally taken into the Cabinet and given the portfolio of Labour. Again after the General Election of 1946 in Madras Giri was taken into the Cabinet formed by T. Prakasam and given the portfolio of Labour. Later Giri was appointed India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
Before long he returned to his favourite forum, the legislature. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from 1952 to 1957. From 1952 to 1954 he was a member of the Union Cabinet and was given the portfolio of Labour.
After 1957 began a long spell of gubernatorial assignments for Giri. Successively he served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Mysore.
In 1967, during the period of political turmoil, he was invited to be the Vice-President. Fate willed that Dr. Zakir Hussain should not complete his term as the President. On his death on 3 May, 1969, V.V. Giri had to officiate as the President. Giri was so clear about his manifest destiny that without bothering about party support he offered himself as a candidate for the Presidential election, confident of popular approval. He was elected
the fourth President of the Republic with the acclaim of the people.
He has written two important books, one on ‘Industrial Relations’ and the other on ‘Labour Problems in Indian Industry’.
In 1975 he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. He left for his heavenly abode on June 24, 1980.
