# Joachim Alva > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joachim_Alva > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joachim_Alva.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Alva > Source revision: 1350903217 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Indian lawyer, journalist, and politician This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Joachim Alva" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Joachim Alva Joachim Alva, c. 1938 Sheriff of Bombay In office 1949–1950 Preceded by Mahadeo Laxman Dahanukar Succeeded by Sir Fazal Ibrahim Rahimtoola Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha In office 3 April 1968 – 2 April 1974 Constituency Nominated Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha In office 1952–1967 Constituency Kanara (Lok Sabha constituency) Personal details Born (1907-01-21)21 January 1907 Died 28 June 1979(1979-06-28) (aged 72) Spouse Violet Alva ​ ​ (m. 1937; died 1969)​ Relations Margaret Alva (Daughter-in-law) Joachim and Violet Alva on a 2008 stamp of India **Joachim Ignatius Sebastian Alva** (21 January 1907 – 28 June 1979) was an Indian lawyer, journalist and politician from [Mangalore](/source/Mangalore).[1] He was a prominent [Mangalorean Christian](/source/Mangalorean_Christian) figure involved in the [Indian independence movement](/source/Indian_independence_movement). After Independence, Alva was appointed [Sheriff of Bombay](/source/Sheriff_of_Bombay) in 1949 for the [Bombay state](/source/Bombay_state). In 1950, he entered the Provisional Parliament of India. He was elected to the [Lok Sabha](/source/Lok_Sabha) in 1952, 1957, and 1962 from North [Kanara](/source/Kanara). He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1968 and retired from the Rajya Sabha in 1974. ## History Joachim Alva belonged to the Alva-Bhat, a [Mangalorean Catholic](/source/Mangalorean_Catholic) clan from [Belle](/source/Belle%2C_Udupi) in [Udupi district](/source/Udupi_district).[2] He was educated at the Jesuit [St. Aloysius College, Mangalore](/source/St._Aloysius_College%2C_Mangalore), [Elphinstone College](/source/Elphinstone_College), [Government Law College, Mumbai](/source/Government_Law_College%2C_Mumbai) and the Jesuit [St. Xavier's College, Mumbai](/source/St._Xavier's_College%2C_Mumbai). In 1928, Alva became the first Christian to be elected as Secretary of the fifty-year-old Bombay Students' Brotherhood. Along with [Khurshed Nariman](/source/Khurshed_Nariman), H.D. Raja, Yusuf Meherally and Soli Batliwala, he was a pioneer of the Bombay Youth League. In 1930, Alva founded the Nationalist Christian Party with the goal of drawing the Christian community into the freedom struggle. He borrowed and earned money to pay his way through college. He was expelled from [St. Xavier's College, Mumbai](/source/St._Xavier's_College%2C_Mumbai) for moving a resolution at the Catholic Students Union urging it to throw open its doors to non-Catholic students. In 1937, Alva presided over a large meeting of Christians at Bombay addressed by [Jawaharlal Nehru](/source/Jawaharlal_Nehru). He was actively involved in organizing the "No-Tax" campaign at the [Bardoli Satyagraha](/source/Bardoli_Satyagraha), the boycotting of the [Simon Commission](/source/Simon_Commission) and appointed President of the Bombay Congress "War Council". Imprisoned twice by British Indian authorities on charges of [sedition](/source/Sedition) for a total of three years, Alva was jail companion to [Vallabhbhai Patel](/source/Vallabhbhai_Patel), [Jayaprakash Narayan](/source/Jayaprakash_Narayan), [Morarji Desai](/source/Morarji_Desai) and [J. C. Kumarappa](/source/J._C._Kumarappa). In 1934, [Mahatma Gandhi](/source/Mahatma_Gandhi) wrote a letter to Alva to inform him that he had missed him at [Yerwada Jail](/source/Yerwada_Central_Jail) because of his early release. In 1941, in Nasik prison, Alva wrote two books: *Men and Supermen of Hindustan* and *Indian Christians and Nationalism.* Although the manuscripts of both were confiscated by prison authorities, *Men and Supermen of Hindustan* was subsequently re-drafted and published in 1943. In 1937, Alva married [Violet Hari](/source/Violet_Alva), a Gujarati Protestant from [Ahmedabad](/source/Ahmedabad) and professor of English at St. Xavier's Indian Women's University College. Violet would also go on to become active in national politics. On 9 August 1943, the first anniversary of Quit India Day, Joachim and Violet Alva founded and debuted *FORUM*, a weekly news magazine which became known for its championing of the cause of independence. *FORUM* blazed a trail in Indian journalism, marking the beginning of a trend of political weekly news magazines. Alva's office was often raided for seditious material. In spite of the sweeping powers of the British Raj, he penned a historic editorial "Halt This March To the Gallows". After Independence, Alva was appointed [Sheriff of Bombay](/source/Sheriff_of_Mumbai) in 1949 and entered the Provisional Parliament of India in 1950. He was elected to the [Lok Sabha](/source/Lok_Sabha) from North Kanara in the first three General Elections in 1952, 1957 and 1962. An early advocate of planning, the public sector, nationalised banking and state control over major industries, he condemned France's napalm bombing of Indo-China and staunchly supported the Vietnamese cause. In 1962, Alva led on India's attempts for closer ties with China, meeting [Mao Zedong](/source/Mao_Zedong) and [Zhou Enlai](/source/Zhou_Enlai) in Beijing. In 1952, Violet was elected to the [Rajya Sabha](/source/Rajya_Sabha) making her and Joachim the first couple to be elected to Parliament under adult franchise. The Government of India issued a stamp commemorating the couple in November 2008.[3] ## Personal life Joachim and Violet Alva had two sons, Niranjan and Chittaranjan, and a daughter, Maya. The couple were close associates of [Khin Kyi](/source/Khin_Kyi), Burma's ambassador to India from 1960, widow of Burmese nationalist [General Aung San](/source/Aung_San). His son Niranjan is married to [Margaret Alva](/source/Margaret_Alva), née Margaret Nazareth who was served as former General Secretary of the [All India Congress Committee](/source/All_India_Congress_Committee), former [Governor of Uttarakhand](/source/Governor_of_Uttarakhand), [Rajasthan](/source/Rajasthan), [Gujarat](/source/Gujarat) and [Goa](/source/Goa).[4] ## References Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Joachim Alva](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Joachim_Alva). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-mem_1-0)** ["Rajya Sabha Members Biographical Sketches 1952 – 2003 :A"](http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/pre_member/1952_2003/a.pdf) (PDF). Rajya Sabha website. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Lobo, Michael](/source/Michael_Lobo) (2000). *Distinguished Mangalorean Catholics, 1800–2000: a historico-biographical survey of the Mangalorean Catholic community*. Camelot Publishers. p. 111. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-81-87609-01-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-87609-01-8). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-re_3-0)** [A stamp in memory of Joachim and Violet Alva](http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/20stamp-released-of-joachim-alva-and-violet.htm) [Rediff.com](/source/Rediff.com), 20 November 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-pia_4-0)** ["Smt. Margaret Alva,: Bio-sketch"](http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lok13/biodata/13KN22.htm). [Parliament of India](/source/Parliament_of_India) website. Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joachim Alva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Alva) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Alva?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.