Fali Nariman
In the passing away of Fali Sam Nariman, India has lost an exceptionally dedicated warrior-general of constitutional democracy. I was fortunate to have been his guest in New Delhi, in January 2020. Both he and his wife, Bapsi Nariman, were good hosts. He graciously presented to me a signed copy of his autobiography, Before Memory Fades. And he wrote: “I have lived and flourished in a Secular India.... In the fullness of time, if God Wills, I would also like to die in a Secular India.”
Angara Venkata Girija Kumar,
Chennai
Fali Nariman’s contributions to Indian constitutional law through his extraordinary legal acumen and forceful arguments will remain a great guide for budding legal professionals. Being a crusader for judicial independence and a staunch defender of fundamental rights, he never shied away from speaking the truth to the elected rulers. Fali Nariman’s engagement as a public intellectual through his persistent writings on the Indian Constitution and the legal system while being a moral guide to the judicial and legal fraternity will always be remembered.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Fali Nariman was a constitutional zealot, His books on law were treatises and his courtroom etiquette was distinct and distinguished. He was an amiable lawyer whose genial smile never left him, either in court or off it. Surely and truly, Fali S. Nariman, a legal eagle, cannot be cloned. The cavernous void that he has left behind in the corridors of justice cannot be filled-in that easily.
K. Pradeep,
Chennai
The tributes paid by Justice Nariman to the late Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer hold true: “Some judges are compared to tall oak trees — but it is only the tallest oaks, like a Denning in the U.K., or a Krishna Iyer in India — who can indulge even with some success in that delicate and unpredictable exercise: of laying down the law in accordance with justice.”
B. Suresh Kumar,
Coimbatore
Ameen Sayani
At a time when the radio was the only medium of entertainment at home, Ameen Sayani’s ebullient and cheerful voice was a much anticipated one that one heard every Wednesday on ‘Binaca Geetmala’. Despite the shortwave AM broadcast (there was no FM) which was prone to wavy noise in the 41 m band on Radio Ceylon earlier and then the SLBC, the programme was very popular. It would have topped the chart had there been a ratings system then.
A.V. Narayanan,
Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
I am haunted by my evergreen years of adolescence when I would be glued to my transistor, busy fine-tuning the Radio Ceylon Station an hour in advance so as to enjoy an enchanting programme. If by chance, the needle on the radio slipped this side or that, it was a Herculean task to retrieve the station. It was Ameen Sayani’s art and craft of a charming narration and presentation that made the programme so fascinating.
P.K. Sharma,
Barnala, Punjab
Ameen Sayani’s emergence as a radio broadcaster in the early 1950s coincided perfectly with the beginning of the golden era of Hindi film songs. With an unusual style of presentation, which he laced with warmth and humour, as well as excellent modulation of his silky voice, he soon became the heartthrob of millions, casting a spell that extended beyond borders. Wednesday evenings then were incomplete without listening to his programme on Radio Ceylon. He will be missed.
Kamal Laddha,
Bengaluru
