For a conservative, Deepak Lal saw deep strengths in India's civil society

Despite his clarity of thought, controversial but well-researched views, fierce political convictions and global reputation and fame, Lal was at heart a shy man, write Suman Bery

The news of Deepak Lal’s death at his home in London reached me early on the morning of May 1. His wife, the reputed sociologist Barbara Ballis Lal had kept his Delhi friends advised of Deepak’s respiratory difficulties for the last couple of weeks. With some difficulty he had agreed to be admitted to hospital and the last news I had was that he had been discharged. He and Barbara would normally have been in Delhi at this time, but they missed the travel window from London to Delhi by one day. Such is fate.
 
Deepak was half a