A new book released recently will for the first time showcase the lives and achievements of a few remarkable Indian legal luminaries who have reached the top in the field of politics as well.
Debutante writer Shweta Bansal noticed that the Indian Parliament features at present some of India’s best lawyers but nothing has ever been written about these luminaires and furthermore, “blinkered and incomplete stories float about them”, which give an inaccurate picture of their achievements.
A Book That Throws Light Into A Little Known Era
“Courting Politics ” is a 450-page book recently released by Bansal which offers an invaluable look into the journey of nine leading lights of the legal world, who have also made a mark in Indian politics.
It maps the lives of these nine individuals in the post-emergency years of 1975-77, with current years marking a watershed for all of them.
These nine individuals are:
- “The Daredevil” Ram Jethmalani,
- “The Lawyer of Emerging India” Shanti Bhushan,
- “The Reformer-in-Chief” Palaniappan Chidambaram,
- “The Gentleman” Muzaffar Hussain Baig,
- “The Ultimate Multitasker” Abhishek Manu Sanghvi,
- “The Artiste” Kapil Sibal,
- “The Man for all Seasons” Arun Jaitley,
- “The Debonair Man” Salman Khurshid and
- “The Lawyer of Lord Rama” Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Why The Focus On The Post-Emergency Era
As pointed out by renowned lawyer Fali S. Nariman in his note in the book’s ‘Forward’, in the 35 years since the Emergency was lifted, lawyer-politicians in India have had “no qualms of conscience about their loyalties.”
He noted that in this period, a lawyer Member of Parliament was in a position to honestly say “he was loyal to parliament as well as to the courts.”, but this was no longer true.
Nariman goes on to further state that with the current emergence of “a super-majoritarian government” as in the 1970s, the nine individuals have now a choice in choosing between the two roles, which can be a dilemma at times.
A Rich Representation of the Spectrum But No Women
The list comprises leaders from a wide range of backgrounds and political affiliations, but lacks any mention of women.
Bansal laments the absence, explaining there are few women politicians with a successful legal career.
She points out that while there were successful women politicians having law degrees like Sushma Swaraj, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee, their law practice was not significant. On the other hand, women lawyers with thriving legal career such as Meenakshi Lekhi, Pinky Anand, Flavia Agnes, and Indira Jaisingh don’t currently have a major political presence.
Others like Pramila Nesargi and Jayanthi Natarajan are successful in both fields of law and politics but have been active only in the regional sphere.
Bansal raised concern regarding the poor representation of women lawyers in the political arena. According to her, having women in “position of power” gives greater “political legitimacy to the government” as it is a fairer representation of the population.
She also expressed the hope that this situation will not remain when she does such an exercise a second time.
A Peek Into The Personalities of the Luminaries
Bansal offers us some insights on the leaders from her book-writing experience :
Sibal: “Calm as a millpond with an extremely optimistic outlook”
Baig: Bansal calls him a “details lawyer”, noting that according to him “God lies in details and in the annexures of the case brief. “
Jethmalani: Bansal describes him as “an incredible flirt” and notorious for “extramarital affairs.” She points out that he is “a man full of contradictions”, a crusader against institutional corruption still defending corrupt politicians.
Chidambaram: Bansal likens Chidambaram to the famed Kautilya Vishnugupta, and says he is “brisk, cerebral, crafty, direct and unbending.”
Singhvi: Of Singhvi, Bansal says he manages a “precarious balance between self-criticism and overweening confidence”
Jaitley : According to Bansal, Jaitley, “can make deals like nobody else” and knows everybody “worth knowing in Delhi and its power corridors”
Prasad: Of Prasad, she says he “is passionate yet cautious, authoritarian yet informal, intelligent but not creme de la crème”
Khurshi: Bansal describes Khurshid as ” very ambitious but does not wear his ambition on his sleeve”
Shanti Bushan: Bansal calls him one of the few who are both a brilliant lawyer and effective parliamentarian. She further adds that Bhushan is quite proud of his various achievements and “is arrogant about his gumption.”
A Fighter Herself
Bansal is from Lucknow born into a family dedicated to public service, and a graduate of the La Martiniere Girls’ College.
After a childhood accident, she was left differently abled but she has made up for it with “sheer mental strength.” She has a law degree from NUJS Kolkata, and later worked with Amarchand Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co.
A desire to work in civil services led her to clearing the exam, but things were not easy here as well. She had to fight a legal battle against the government regarding her “rank and cadre” which was later sorted after “a landmark judgement” helped her joining the IFS.
