Book on jurist Nani A Palkhivala released

A book of essays and reminiscences on Nani A Palkhivala has been released to mark the birth centenary of the noted jurist and economist.

The book, 'Essays and Reminiscences', is primarily divided in two parts -- essays written in honour of Palkhivala on a variety of subjects and reminiscences of those who knew and interacted with the late jurist closely.

The book was released on January 16.

Some of the prominent contributors to the book include former RBI Governor Raghuram G Rajan, industrialist Ratan N Tata, jurists Fali S Nariman, Soli J Sorabjee and K Parasaran and Justice (retired) S Ranganathan.

The book, commissioned by the Nani A Palkhivala Memorial Trust, was edited by senior advocate Arvind Datar. All the royalties from the book will go to the trust.

"This book is a tribute to Nani Palkhivala and his memory. He was a visionary who waged a lone battle to educate the public and generate a debate on vital matters of national interest. He fought valiantly for the fundamental rights that we enjoy today, and for this and much more, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to him. This festschrift is an acknowledgement of his great work," Datar said.

While talking about Palkhivala's relevance today, Datar referred to the Supreme Court's handling of recent habeas corpus cases and those centered on fundamental rights, including the internet ban in Kashmir, and said if he was alive, "he would have been deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court has not stood up as a bulwark of fundamental freedoms.