Nani Palkhivala’s Followers (73)

Nani Palkhivala

Born

in Mumbai, India

January 16, 1920

Died

December 11, 2002

Genre

Nonfiction, Jurisprudence, Law, Economics, Politics

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Nanabhoy "Nani" Ardeshir Palkhivala was an Indian Jurist and Economist. His name is a byword in India's legal world. A man of many and varied parts, he has crossed with ease the law's narrow confines and has gone beyond into numerous other fields. His life's work, as evidenced by history, and his several writings and speeches, bears testimony to his passionate commitment to public causes. He has given generously and unsparingly of himself and his talents to the nation whenever the occasion demanded - most particularly in defence of the rights and liberties of the common man, so that the well-springs of democracy may remain undefiled.

Nani Palkhivala was born in 1920 in Bombay to blue collar, middle-class Parsi parents. His family name derive Nanabhoy "Nani" Ardeshir Palkhivala was an Indian Jurist and Economist. His name is a byword in India's legal world. A man of many and varied parts, he has crossed with ease the law's narrow confines and has gone beyond into numerous other fields. His life's work, as evidenced by history, and his several writings and speeches, bears testimony to his passionate commitment to public causes. He has given generously and unsparingly of himself and his talents to the nation whenever the occasion demanded - most particularly in defence of the rights and liberties of the common man, so that the well-springs of democracy may remain undefiled.

Nani Palkhivala was born in 1920 in Bombay to blue collar, middle-class Parsi parents. His family name derives from the profession of his forefathers (a common practice among Parsis), who had been manufacturers of palanquins ("palkhis").

He was educated at Masters Tutorial High School, and later at St. Xavier's College, both in Bombay. He was a dedicated scholar and excelled even though he was hampered by a bad stammer. At college, he earned a master's degree in English literature. He overcame his speech impediment.

Upon graduating, Palkhivala applied for a position as lecturer at Bombay University, but was not awarded the post. Soon found himself trying to obtain admission to institutions of higher learning to further his academic career. It being late in the term, most courses were closed, and he enrolled at Government Law College, Bombay, where he discovered that he had a gift for unravelling the intricacies of jurisprudence.

He was called to the bar in 1944 and served in the chambers of the legendary Sir Jamshedji Behramji Kanga in Bombay. He quickly gained a reputation as an eloquent and articulate barrister, and was often the center of attention in court, where students of law and younger members of the bar association would flock to watch him. His excellent court craft and an extraordinary ability to recall barely known facts rendered him an irresistible force.

N Palkhivala initial forté was commercial and tax law. Together with Sir Jamshedji, he authored what was then and still is today an authoritative work: The Law and Practice of Income Tax. Palkhivala was 30 years old at the time of the first printing. Sir Jamshedji later admitted that the credit for this work belonged exclusively to Nani.

Palkhivala first participation in a case of constitutional significance occurred in 1951, where he served as junior counsel in the case Nusserwanji Balsara vs. State of Bombay [(1951) Bom 210], assisting the esteemed Sir Noshirwan Engineer in challenging several provisions of the Bombay Prohibition Act. Before the year was out, Palkhivala was arguing cases himself, but his first case of constitutional importance (a challenge of the validity of land requisition acts) was lost before the Bombay High Court.

By 1954 however, barely 10 years after his admission to the bar, Palkhivala was arguing before the Supreme Court. It was in this, his first, case before that court (concerning the interpretation of Article 29(2) and Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, which regulate the rights of religious minorities) that he first articulated his (later) famous statements on the inviolate nature of the constitution.

The laudatio from Princeton called him "... Defender of constitutional liberties, champion of human rights ...", and stated, "he has courageously advanced his conviction that expediency in the name of progress, at the cost of freedom, is no progress at all, but retrogression. Lawyer, teacher, author, and economic developer, he brings to us as Ambassador of India intelligence, good humour, experience, and vision for international understanding...." ...more

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Average rating: 4.05 · 627 ratings · 45 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	We, The People: India, the largest Democracy 4.14 avg rating — 222 ratings — published 1984 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	100 Witty Quotes by Nani Palkhivala 3.86 avg rating — 188 ratings — published 2017	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	We, the Nation: the Lost Decades 4.07 avg rating — 178 ratings — published 1999 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Selected writings 4.53 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2003	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Our Constitution Defaced and Defiled 4.14 avg rating — 14 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Law and Practice of Income Tax in 2 Vols by Nani Palkhivala, Kanga (Co-author), Arvind P. Datar (Contributor) 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	who is afraid of free discussion? only the man who is not on the side of truth.... 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Nani Palkhivala (?)

“To my countrymen
who gave unto themselves the constitution but not the ability to keep it,who inherited resplendent heritage but not the wisdom to cherish it,who suffer and endure in pain without the perception of their potential.”
― Nani Palkhiwala, We, The People: India, the largest Democracy

tags: country, india, people

10 likes

“You may not believe in a fate which overtakes men however they act; but you have to believe in a fate which overtakes men unless they act.”
― Nani Palkhiwala, Our Constitution Defaced and Defiled

5 likes

“We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children’.”
― Nani Palkhivala, 100 Witty Quotes by Nani Palkhivala

4 likes

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Nani Palkhivala’s Followers (73)

Nani Palkhivala

Combine EditionsNani Palkhivala’s books

Combine Editions
Nani Palkhivala’s books