Violet Hari Alva was an India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n politician and Deputy Chairperson

Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the vice-presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper house of Parliament of India. He acts as the presiding officer in case of leave or absence caused by death or illness of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President of India.The Deputy...

 of the Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...

. She was the first woman lawyer to appear before a High Court in India and the first to preside over the Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...

. She was married to Indian journalist, lawyer and freedom fighter, Joachim Alva

Joachim Alva

Joachim Alva was an Indian freedom fighter, journalist and politician from Mangalore. He was the most prominent Christian figure involved in the Indian independence movement....

.

Early Life

Alva was born Violet Hari on April 24, 1908 in Ahmedabad. She was the eighth of nine children. Violet's father, Reverend Laxman Hari, was one of the first Indian pastors of the Church of England. Having lost both her parents when she was sixteen, her older siblings provided for her education till her matriculation at Bombay's Clare Road Convent. She graduated from St. Xavier's College, Bombay and Government Law College. For a while thereafter, she was a professor of English at the Indian Women's University, Bombay.

In 1937, Violet married freedom fighter and later parliamentarian Joachim Alva

Joachim Alva

Joachim Alva was an Indian freedom fighter, journalist and politician from Mangalore. He was the most prominent Christian figure involved in the Indian independence movement....

. The couple set up legal practice together. In 1943, Violet Alva was arrested by British Indian authorities. Pregnant with her second son, Alva was imprisoned in Arthur Road Jail.

Career

In 1952, Violet was elected to the Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...

, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. After the second Indian General Election in 1957, she became Minister of State for Home Affairs

Ministry of Home Affairs (India)

Ministry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...

.

In 1962, Alva became the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, thereby becoming the first female to preside over the Rajya Sabha in its history.

In 1969, Alva resigned after Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...

 declined to back Alva as Vice-President of India.

Personal life

The couple had two sons, Niranjan and Chittaranjan, and a daughter, Maya. Niranjan Alva married Margaret Alva

Margaret Alva

Margaret Alva is the Governor of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Alva became Uttarakhand's first woman governor in July 2009...

, parliamentarian and present Governor of Uttarakhand.

The Government of India issued a stamp commemorating Violet and Joachim Alva in November 2008.