{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Venkata Viswanathan |image = V. Viswanathan.jpg |image_size = 180 |order = 5th |office = Governor of Kerala |1blankname = Chief Minister |1namedata = E. M. S. Namboodiripad<br>C. Achutha Menon |term_start = 15 May 1967 |term_end = 1 April 1973 |predecessor = Bhagwan Sahay |successor = N. N. Wanchoo |office1 = 4th Lieutenant Governor of Himachal Pradesh |1blankname1 = Chief Minister |1namedata1 = Yashwant Singh Parmar |term_start1 = 26 February 1966 |term_end1 = 6 May 1967 |predecessor1 = Bhagwan Sahay |successor1 = Om Parkash |office2 = 4th Chief Commissioner of Delhi |term_start2 = 1964 |term_end2 = 7 September 1966 |predecessor2 = Bhagwan Sahay |successor2 = Aditya Nath Jha |birth_date = 25 January 1909 |birth_place = Thrikkadeeri, Palakkad District, Kerala, British India |death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|1|16|1909|1|25|df=y}} |death_place = |alma_mater = Central College, Bangalore, University College London, Balliol College, Oxford }} '''Venkata Viswanathan''' (25 January 1909<ref name="Birth">{{cite book|last = Bhushan|first = Ravi|title = Famous India, nation's who's who|publisher = Famous India Publications|date = 1975|page = 4|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=1sQ5AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Viswanathan,+Venkata+%22}}</ref> – 16 January 1987<ref>[http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10689/11605/18/Chapter30-31_761-800p.pdf Diary of National Events 1987-88] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602194837/http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10689/11605/18/Chapter30-31_761-800p.pdf |date=2014-06-02 }} (pdf)</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=India, a reference annual|date=1990|publisher=Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India|url=https://www.google.de/search?q=%22V+Vishwanathan%22+governor+dies+1987&btnG=Nach+B%C3%BCchern+suchen&tbm=bks&tbo=1&hl=de}}</ref>) was an Indian ICS officer<ref>Communism in Kerala: A Study in Political Adaptation, Thomas Johnson Nossiter. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1982. pp. 219.</ref> who served several gubernatorial tenures across several states. He was the Chief Commissioner of Bhopal from 1950 to 1952 and of Delhi from 1964 to 1966,<ref>{{cite web|title=States of India since 1947|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html}}</ref> the Lieutenant Governor of Himachal Pradesh from 26 February 1966 to 6 May 1967<ref>{{cite web|url=http://himachalrajbhavan.nic.in/past_governors.html |title=Governor House, Himachal Pradesh, India - Governors of Himachal Pradesh |publisher=Himachalrajbhavan.nic.in |date=2010-01-27 |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref> and Governor of Kerala from 15 May 1967 to 31 March 1973.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rajbhavan.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=41 |title=Previous Governors |publisher=Rajbhavan.kerala.gov.in |access-date=2012-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813042814/http://www.rajbhavan.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=41 |archive-date=2012-08-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Viswanathan hailed from Thrikkaderi in Palakkad district of Kerala<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/20/stories/2007012010690300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070122135947/http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/20/stories/2007012010690300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-01-22 |title=Kerala / Palakkad News : Sankaranarayanan leaves for Delhi today |date=2007-01-20 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref> and became the first Malayali to be appointed the Governor of Kerala<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pscquestionbank.com/2012/05/01-father-of-kadhakali-02-founder-of.html |title=Kerala P.S.C Question _ 012 ~ Psc Question Bank |publisher=Pscquestionbank.com |date=2012-05-09 |access-date=2012-08-20 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221150651/http://www.pscquestionbank.com/2012/05/01-father-of-kadhakali-02-founder-of.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was unusual given the convention of not appointing a native as the Governor of his home state in India. He studied at the Central College, Bangalore, University College, London and at the Balliol College, Oxford before joining the Indian Civil Service in 1930.<ref name="Birth"/>
Viswanathan had a reputation of being the ‘eyes and ears of Delhi’ and often took an anti-Communist line. He sparred with the then Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad and once almost precipitated a constitutional crisis, when he prepared his own address to the Kerala Legislature. The then government rejected his draft and insisted that he read the address which the government had prepared. The Governor complied with this demand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2001/07/06/stories/0206000d.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125062224/http://www.hindu.com/2001/07/06/stories/0206000d.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-25 |title=Of Governors and their own addresses |date=2001-07-06 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref> In September 1968, Viswanathan made attempts to persuade EMS to resign.<ref>Communism in Kerala: A Study in Political Adaptation, Thomas Johnson Nossiter. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1982. pp. 246, 247.</ref>
During his tenure, EMS Namboodiripad and C Achutha Menon served as Chief Ministers.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kerala Legislature |url=http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/ginfo_5.htm |title=General Info - Kerala Legislature |publisher=Niyamasabha.org |date= |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref> He was also a part of the five member Committee of Governors constituted by President V V Giri to look into norms, functions and powers of the Governors of States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2612/stories/20090619261208000.htm |title=Appointing a PM |publisher=Frontlineonnet.com |date= |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viswanathan, V}} Category:Governors of Kerala Category:Alumni of University College London Category:People from Palakkad district Category:1909 births Category:1987 deaths Category:Governors of Himachal Pradesh Category:Lieutenant governors of Delhi