Mahamana as a Lawyer

Conscientious hard work, complete mastery of details, marvelous memory, analytical ability, sound reasoning, incisive logic, powerful arguments, a convincing command of English, eloquence and a pleasing personality were the characteristics that marked him, not only in this profession, but in all walks of life.

In the beginning of his legal career, somebody complained to A.O. Hume that Malaviyaji was not much interested in practice. A.O. Hume advised Malaviyaji: "Madan Mohan, God has given you a keen intellect for law. If you apply yourself whole-heartedly to the profession even for ten years, you are sure to get ahead of everybody and then you will be able to serve the people and the country all the better" and Malaviyaji soon became a leading lawyer and he often had to miss his meals. Busy as a lawyer that he was, never the less he continued with his public work.

In December 1911, he quit his legal practice to work full time for establishment of Banaras Hindu University. He was then fifty-two and had a big family of seven children, all of them dependent on him. The eldest, about twenty-six years old, was yet to be properly settled in life. Many eminent contemporaries termed it a great sacrifice. On hearing of Malaviyaji's retirement, Gokhale said: Malaviya did the real sacrifice. He came from a poor family, earned well, tasted the riches and sacrificed for the sake of the country. Gandhiji said: Even today, leaving his law practice of more than a lakh of monthly income, he is ceaselessly involved in the service of the country". Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon, another famous advocate, paid a rich and well-deserved tribute (while unveiling Malaviyaji's portrait in Parliament House on 19 December 1957), “He carried on his legal practice with the same purity as he observed in his private life. This was possible only for one who did not hanker after money.”

Madan Mohan Malaviyaji's practice, whether as a journalist or as a lawyer in the Allahabad High Court, was with a mission. He never chose these professions merely to earn a dignified livelihood. His primary mission was to serve the cause of education for the masses for building modern India and for freedom struggle. He used these professional ladders to promote his basic objectives. That is why he never lost sight of his twin objectives and he never shied away from leaving journalism or hesitated to quit from his prestigious and lucrative legal career. Afterwards, Malaviyaji appeared in court only twice to argue cases for getting justice to the politically oppressed and those subjected to repressive measures by the Government.