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He became the cynosure not only of
the legal profession, but also the general public in what is
considered to be the most important case of his career which
left a lasting mark on Indian constitutional law. Popularly
known as the Fundamental Rights Case, it led to the Supreme
Court interpreting the basic structure of the Constitution. A
full bench of 13 judges, taking five months, is said to have
given the longest time for any case which came up before the
Supreme Court. When the case was being heard, there was
countrywide excitement and Nani Palkhiwala became a household
word.
Palkhiwala has
also the unique record of holding an annual public dissection of
the Union Budget for almost three decades under the auspices of
the Forum of Free Enterprise. He started his annual budget
speech in 1958 at Green’s Hotel, Bombay.
About 500
persons attended it. When the hotel was pulled down, the venue
was shifted to the Cowasji Jehangir Hall. As the annual affair
started attracting more and more people, the venue was again
shifted in 1966 to the Cricket Club of India lawns which can
accommodate 3,000 persons. Since 1982, the venue has been the
sprawling Braboume Stadium which seats 60,000 people. The
stadium has drawn full crowds every year. He lectured in
different cities including Delhi and Bangalore. His analysis on
March 3, 1992 saw over 1,00,000 in attendance.
Legend of Nani
Palkhiwala is a
heartfelt tribute from a person who followed the courtroom giant
like a shadow throughout his life. The author, who was closely
associated with Palkhiwala’s varied public activities, gives a
complete account of his qualities of head and heart and his
contribution to public education through budget writings,
lecture tours and published work.
The book encapsulates
Palkhiwala’s relentless struggle for public causes in the
courts of law; analyses reasons behind his contribution to the
corporate world and his deep involvement with voluntary service
organisations despite a hectic daily schedule. It also throws
light on certain hitherto unknown information about him. Like
for instance, why he agreed to be the Indian Ambassador to the
United States of America. Why did he accept former Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi’s brief in her battle in the Supreme
Court against the Allahabad High Court judgement? Also discussed
is his interaction with the key players across the spectrum of
Indian politics and how all the major political parties had
tried to woo him to fight the battle of ballot. The book also
describes Palkhiwalas’s method of operation which contributed
in large measure to his success as a professional and a public
figure and to inspire the younger generation by presenting to
them a role model for the twenty first century in India.
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