Book Review [51] : Before Memory Fades

Fali Sam Nariman has been one of the most prominent legal luminaries and has played a significant role in the outcome of various court cases and like his senior Nani Palkiwala, he has been a great agent of world wide human rights movement. He was born in Burma in a Parsi family and had to return to India in the wake of invasion of Burma by imperial Japan in 1942. He belongs to a great community of Parsi people who are in number below any contempt but in contribution to India's social, economic, legal development, they are beyond any contempt. Nariman, Palkiwala and Soli Sorabjee were the three great lawyers who permeated the cosmos of Indian judiciary after 1947. Nani Palkiwala was responsible for the 'Basic Structure' doctrine that was decreed by 13 member bench of Supreme Court in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) and Nariman also played his bit in it. Fali S Nariman became the Additional Solicitor General of India in 1972 but he resigned on the very first day when the Emergency was proclaimed by the Indira Gandhi led Congress government. He was as firm as the pole star in that dark night of Indian democracy if you allow me to quote Shakespeare. 

As humans however great they may be after all they remain human so Nariman is also no exception and he committed the unforgiving sin of defending Union Carbide Corporation in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (3rd Dec 1984) case. The defender of Human Rights was outdone by the sparkling light of the crony capitalist world. Later he became the nominated member of Rajya Sabha (1999-2005). He abhors intolerant and extremist elements in Indian society and compares those elements to the Dinosaurs, well quite a tautology. 

In nutshell 'Before Memory Fades' is an eloquently written book by Nariman, full of very interesting anecdotes, provides a rich survey of Indian judges, lawyers and covers various court cases. It is a must read for all the aspiring lawyers  as well as students of post 1947 India.  
Highly recommended (8/10).