Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

A great humanist

Sir, — The passing away of Nani Palkhivala, distinguished lawyer and jurist, has created a void in the legal horizon which will be difficult to fill for many years to come. He was a titan among the lawyers who contributed much to the legal world by his brilliance in law and literature, besides his knowledge of economics. He was an inspiration to the lawyers of our country.

A reading of his scintillating arguments in the Supreme Court in the privy purse and fundamental rights cases itself constitutes a liberal education to the lawyers, judges and laymen.

R. Chellappa,
Chennai

Sir — In the death of Palkhivala, we have lost a legal luminary, a constitutional expert par excellence and a noble man.

As a young `local' cricket commentator, Palkhivala stumped the spectators with his witty comments and gift of the gab.

In his legal profession, emulating Gandhiji, Palkhivala had charged minimal fees from his clients and fought many cases for the benefit of the public.

His arguments were full of wisdom. Arguing against the Anti-Defection Bill in 1973, he said, "no greater insult can be imagined to members of Parliament and State legislators than to tell them that once they become members of a political party, the Constitution of India itself expects them to have no right to form judgment, no liberty to think for themselves, but they must become soulless and conscienceless entities....".

To cherish the memory of this genius, we may institute an award in his name to be conferred annually on persons rendering priceless service to the cause of Indian democracy and judiciary.

M. Somasekhar Prasad,
Badvel. A.P.

Sir — The passing away of Palkhivala has ended an era, to quote Nani's words, of "intelligence not without integrity".

He was a unique personality — gentle, warm, erudite, compassionate and caring. His connection with the Madras audience was special.

His illuminating lectures in Madras in 1971 at the Srinivasa Sastry Hall and later at Abbotsbury drew vast crowds of admirers which included business tycoons and members of the legal fraternity.

Many will recall his lecture in October, 1971 at Loyola College on the topic, "Proposed Constitutional Amendments and the Common Man".

Lakshmi Narasimhan,
Sydney, Australia

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Harvest of hatred
• Micawber's folly
• Dealing with Washington & Moscow
• Courts & minority education — I
• Beyond the Modis
• Probity in judiciary
• A great humanist

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu