Mumbai-based lawyer and scholar loved Kashmir, its people, politics, food and culture. But that was just a part of what AG Noorani (September 16, 1930 – August 29, 2024) was all about, writes Muhammad Nadeem
Abdul Ghafoor Abdul Majeed Noorani, popularly known as AG Noorani, a towering figure in Indian intellectual and legal circles, passed away on August 29, 2024, at his residence in Mumbai. He was 94 years old. His death marks the end of an era, leaving behind a of profound and inspiring legacy, particularly in constitutional law, political commentary, and historical scholarship.
Born on September 16, 1930, in Bombay, Noorani’s life was dedicated to pursuing knowledge, justice, and intellectual rigour from an early age. He received his early education at St Mary’s, a Jesuit school, before obtaining his law degree from Government Law College, Mumbai. This educational foundation laid the groundwork for what would become an illustrious career spanning law, journalism, and academia.
Formative Years
While much has been written about Noorani’s professional achievements, less is known about his early influences. Growing up in pre-independence Bombay, young Ghafoor was exposed to rich cultural and intellectual traditions. His father, a respected businessman, instilled in him a love for books and a curiosity about the world beyond their immediate surroundings.
Noorani’s childhood coincided with the tumultuous years of freedom struggle. The debates and discussions he overheard as a child, between his father and his friends about the future of India, the role of Muslims in an independent nation, and the complexities of partition, left an indelible mark on his young mind. These early exposures to political discourse would later shape his nuanced understanding of India’s constitutional framework and its challenges.
At St Mary’s School, Noorani was known for his voracious reading habits. His teachers often found him in the library, poring over books far beyond his years. This early love for learning set the stage for his later intellectual pursuits. It was there that Noorani first developed his interest in debate and public speaking, skills that would serve him well in his future career as a lawyer and public intellectual.
The Impact of Partition
The partition of India in 1947 had a profound impact on Noorani, who was 17 at the time. While his family chose to remain in India, many of their friends and relatives migrated to Pakistan. This personal experience of the human cost of partition would later inform his writings on India-Pakistan relations and his nuanced understanding of the Kashmir issue.
In the immediate aftermath of partition, Noorani witnessed the communal violence that engulfed Bombay. The sight of neighbours turning against each other left a deep impression on him and strengthened his commitment to secularism and communal harmony.
Early Career
After completing his law degree, Noorani apprenticed under some of the leading lawyers of Bombay. This period of apprenticeship was crucial in shaping his legal acumen and his approach to constitutional law. He was particularly influenced by his mentor, a senior advocate known for taking on cases pro bono for the underprivileged. This early exposure to public interest litigation would later influence Noorani’s own choices in his legal career.
During his early years at the Bombay High Court, Noorani gained a reputation for his meticulous preparation and his ability to find obscure legal precedents that could turn a case. His colleagues from this period recall how he would spend hours in the court library, researching cases long after others had gone home. This dedication to thorough research would become a hallmark of his later scholarship.
Journalistic Beginnings
While Noorani is primarily known for his legal and scholarly work, his foray into journalism began quite early in his career. In the late 1950s, he started writing occasional pieces for local newspapers, mostly on legal matters. These early writings caught the attention of CR. Irani, the editor of The Statesman, encouraged Noorani to write more regularly.
Noorani’s transition from occasional contributor to respected columnist was gradual but steady. His early columns were primarily explanations of complex legal issues for a lay audience. Over time, as he gained confidence and developed his distinctive voice, his writings began to take on a more analytical and critical tone. This evolution of his writing style is an often-overlooked aspect of his career, but it was crucial in establishing him as a leading public intellectual.
The Kashmir Connection
Noorani’s deep engagement with Kashmir began with a chance encounter. In 1962, he was introduced to Mridula Sarabhai, a rebel Congress leader and sister of eminent scientist Vikram Sarabhai. Sarabhai, an ardent supporter of Sheikh Abdullah, was looking for a young lawyer to join Abdullah’s defence team in the Kashmir conspiracy case. This introduction marked the beginning of Noorani’s lifelong engagement with Kashmir.
His first visit to Jammu, where he met Sheikh Abdullah in the special jail, was a transformative experience. The warmth with which he was received by the Kashmiri people, despite being an outsider, left a lasting impression on him. Over the years, Noorani developed deep personal relationships with many Kashmiri leaders and intellectuals. These friendships provided him with insights into the Kashmiri psyche that went beyond political and legal considerations, enriching his understanding and writings on the issue.
Culinary Enthusiast
One of the lesser-known aspects of Noorani’s personality was his passion for good food. His love for Kashmiri cuisine, in particular, was legendary. Friends recall how Sheikh Abdullah, recognising Noorani’s penchant for Wazwan, would send special parcels of Kashmiri delicacies to his home in Mumbai. These gestures went beyond mere hospitality; they were a symbol of the deep personal bonds Noorani had forged with Kashmir and its people.
Noorani’s culinary adventures were not limited to Kashmiri food. He was known to embark on gastronomic expeditions in Old Delhi, searching for the perfect kebab or qorma. These food adventures often led to unexpected discoveries, not just of hidden culinary gems but also of stories and anecdotes that would find their way into his writings. His ability to connect over food often helped him build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds, enriching his understanding of India’s cultural tapestry.
The Archivist
One of the most remarkable aspects of Noorani’s work was his archival skills. Long before the digital age made information easily accessible, Noorani had developed a system of collecting and cataloguing information that was the envy of many researchers. His Mumbai apartment was famously crammed with meticulously organised files containing newspaper clippings, notes, and documents on a wide range of subjects.
Noorani’s archival habits began in his school days when he started collecting newspaper clippings on topics that interested him. Over the decades, this collection grew into a veritable treasure trove of information. His ability to retrieve obscure facts or references at a moment’s notice was legendary. Many journalists and scholars who sought his help were amazed at how quickly he could produce a relevant document or reference from his vast collection.
This archival tendency was not just a personal quirk; it significantly enhanced the quality and depth of his scholarship. His books and articles were often enriched by references to obscure documents or long-forgotten events that he had carefully preserved in his files. In many ways, Noorani’s archive was a reflection of India’s post-independence history, meticulously documented and analysed.
The Unfinished Works
At the time of his death, Noorani was working on several projects. The most significant of these was a book on the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict of 2019. Friends and colleagues report that he had been working tirelessly on this manuscript, even as his health declined. The book promised to be a comprehensive analysis of the legal and historical aspects of the Ayodhya dispute, drawing on Noorani’s decades of engagement with the issue.
Another project that remained unfinished was a planned biography of Jayaprakash Narayan, the socialist leader who played a crucial role in the opposition to Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. Noorani had been collecting material for this biography for years, and it was expected to provide new insights into one of the most turbulent periods in India’s post-independence history. The fate of these unfinished works remains uncertain.
Writing and Scholarship
While Noorani’s legal career was impressive, it was his work as a writer, scholar, and political commentator that truly set him apart. His writing career began in the early 1960s, and over the decades, he became one of India’s most respected and prolific authors on constitutional law, politics, and history.
Noorani’s columns appeared in leading publications such as The Statesman, The Hindu, Frontline, Dawn (Pakistan), Economic and Political Weekly, and Dainik Bhaskar. His column Constitutional Questions in Frontline ran for more than three decades, becoming a must-read for anyone interested in the intricacies of Indian constitutional law and its application to contemporary issues.
Books and Major Works
Noorani authored numerous books over his lifetime, each a testament to his deep research and analytical skills. Some of his most notable works include:
The Kashmir Question (1964): One of his earliest works, this book set the tone for his lifelong engagement with the complexity of Kashmir.
Ministers’ Misconduct (1973): This book examined the ethical and legal issues surrounding ministerial conduct in India.
Brezhnev’s Plan for Asian Security (1975): A work that demonstrated Noorani’s expertise in international relations and Cold War politics.
The Trial of Bhagat Singh: Politics of Justice (2005): This book provides a detailed account of the trial of the Indian revolutionary, exposing the miscarriage of justice in the colonial legal system.
Article 370: A Constitutional History of Jammu and Kashmir (2011): This comprehensive work traced the history and legal implications of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The RSS: A Menace to India (2019): One of his later works, this book provided a critical examination of the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
The Kashmir Dispute 1947-2012: A two-volume work that is considered one of the most comprehensive accounts of the Kashmir issue.
The Destruction of Hyderabad (2013): This book examined the annexation of Hyderabad to India.
Constitutional Questions in India: The President, Parliament and the States (2000): A seminal work on Indian constitutional law.
Indian Political Trials 1775-1947 (2005): This book explored significant political trials during the colonial period, shedding light on the use of law as a tool of oppression.
Noorani’s work on Kashmir deserves special mention. His deep understanding of the region’s complex history and legal status made him one of the foremost authorities on the subject. His books and articles on Kashmir provided a nuanced perspective on the issue, often challenging simplistic narratives on both sides of the debate. His involvement in drafting the Kashmir Formula, a peace plan proposed during the presidency of Pervez Musharraf, demonstrated his commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Personal Life
Despite his public prominence, Noorani was known to be a private person. He remained unmarried and devoted his life to his work. Those who knew him described him as a man of firm likes and dislikes, with a low tolerance for what he perceived as impropriety or bad behaviour. He was known for his sharp tongue and even sharper pen, qualities that sometimes put him at odds with the establishment but earned him respect as a principled and fearless intellectual.
