Wit & Wisdom of Nani Palkhivala

Name	Wit & Wisdom of Nani Palkhivala
Author	Compiled by  Jignesh Shah
Publisher	Rupa
Price	Rs. 195/-

 

Behram Palkhivala, brother of Nani Palkhivala  has carefully preserved a good portion of Nani's articles, speeches and interviews and  write-ups on him over a period of sixty years. Since he had physical limitations he entrusted the work of selection from this massive material to Jignesh Shah, a practicing advocate and a reputed writer.

The best of Nani which is presented in the book under review will perpetuate Nani's memory. The younger generation who did not have a chance to hear or see Palkhivala  will have a glorious chance to read the witty and scintillating sentences of Nani which have been carefully culled from his complete works. It will enable the new generation to learn what Palkhivala stood and fought for. He was the master of the spoken and written word.

The book is published by the Nani Palkhivala Trust—the distinguished Chairman of this  organization—Shri,Y,H.Malegam has written a brief introduction. Malegam declares , " The wide canvas on which Nani wrote and spoke constitutes a kaleidoscope which reflects his vast and varied interests, distinguished as much by the felicity of his language as by the profundity of his thoughts."

                                     

Palkhivala grew up and  made his mark from the chambers of Sir Jamshedji Kanga — a towering personality with an indelible stamp of greatness.

 

When Sir Jamshedji completed 60 years of practice, Chief Justice M.C. Chagla unveiled his portrait in Bombay's High Court library, describing Kanga as the "uncut diamond of the Bar" — "uncut" because he was so child-like, but never childish. Next to his own father, Nani loved his senior. It was but natural then that a good deal of Kanga's qualities would rub off on to his illustrious junior: phenomenal memory, innate simplicity and high values, even forgetfulness for names!

 

When Nani wrote his truly monumental work, the book on income-tax  he put Kanga's name as the first co-author. But Kanga, with characteristic greatness, acknowledged that the entire work was Nani's, taking solace in the reflection of St. Paul : "I have fought a good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith". Nani also fought a good fight: for liberty and freedom when those concepts needed fighting for. And he finished the course: when, almost single handedly, he prevented a major political party with a two-thirds majority in Parliament from changing the Constitution "to suit the times", He argued the Golaknath and Keshavananda  cases. It was his  persuasive arguments that convinced seven of the justices to accept as law that there were certain "unamendable" features of the Indian Constitution. By doing so he kept the faith — the faith of the spirit of our written document of governance.

 

Nani was a phenomenal success, not only in the law but in public life as well. His name became a household word with the citizens of India. To the common man and woman who read the daily newspaper, he was "our Nani": a champion of human values, of freedom and of liberty. 

 

Palkhivala's  speeches on Budgets which were held in small halls had to be held in the Brabourne Stadium. He tore apart the regressive policies of the government and tyrannical taxation measures of the governments.

This book contains the distilled essence of Nani's wit and wisdom, the concise nature of the book making it a pure joy to relish. Jignesh has done an excellent job.

A few extracts are given below.

On Dadabhai Naoroji's election to the House of Commons by a majority of three votes; There was a special virtue in the narrow majority ; it relieved the voters of the effort to articulate the name Naoroji—they dubbed him " Narrow-Majority"

Chief Justice M.C.Chagla ; He wrote his judgements even as the grass grows—effortlessly, spontaneously, They are tinged with the essential characteristics of his own personality—sweetness and light.

Stability is anathema to the North Block. To preach the virtue of stability to our Finance Ministry is like seeking to preach the value of peaceful coexistence to Genghis Khan.

The story goes that when other nations remonstrated with God that he had been very partial to India and had given it disproportionately large natural and human resources, God answered," To offset these benefits I shall give India—the Indian Government". For more go to the book!

 

P.P.Ramachandran,

23 / 10 / 2015