Abdul Ghafoor Majeed Noorani, who left us on August 29, was an outstanding constitutional scholar whose value-based analysis of events over the past half century enriched the nation. Combining a deep knowledge of constitutional law with industry and a flair to communicate big ideas in simple words, Noorani produced a steady stream of newspaper columns, magazine articles and books—shining a light on missteps that might imperil our democracy.
Noorani’s deep understanding of constitutional principles meant that Supreme Court verdicts, regressive statutes and the churn of events in the experiment called India were all subject to close and careful scrutiny. As a reader and a young lawyer, if one was reading a Noorani column, one could be certain that the facts had been painstakingly verified.
Noorani’s scholarship and often lacerating commentary drew on his unique perspective. His legal acumen in drilling into court judgements was backed by a vast breadth of knowledge on how the constitutions of older democracies work.
Dismissive of adulation, Noorani had a small circle of friends compared to the vast ocean of admirers. His friendships at the Bar were strongest with those who shared his own towering qualities of integrity, courage and plain-speaking.
The principles that guided Noorani often had him swim against the tide of public opinion. What use the freedom of thought and expression unless one could articulate unpopular views anchored in fairness? His tracts on the Babri Masjid question and Kashmir are trenchant critiques of the popular narrative.
I got to know A G Noorani through my father at a time when both were terribly distressed by Indira Gandhi’s phoney Emergency, and assault on the judiciary and civil liberties. Always immaculately dressed, with an aquiline nose enhancing his dignified presence, ‘Noorani kaka’, as he was known in our home, was a wonderful raconteur. He would summon tales from the Bench and the Bar, never sparing a bender.
The constriction of liberties over the past decade did not please Noorani. But for him, that was no reason for despair. The toolkit comprising the fundamental rights under our Constitution meant more writing, more analysis and ever greater industry to expose mendacity—all to remind readers of the values that make nations great.
Shyam Divan
Senior Advocate