I started my career with Nani. My friendship with him goes back 50 years.
When we started working we didn't own a car. We used to commute by local transport in 1943. Both of us then joined the Indian Law College as lecturers and taught there for 5 years from 1949 onwards.
I feel Nani was the most outstanding lawyer of our times. He was a genius. He had a great sense of humanness and was very generous. I personally know of so many people whom he helped. And the best thing about him was that he never used to tell anyone about his generosity.
He was outstanding while arguing a case. I have seldom seen a better advocate than Nani.
Another good thing about him was that he started his budget speeches in Mumbai to explain to the commoners what it meant. He removed budget from high technical vocabulary and put it in a very simple language, which is not a very easy task. He was a great speaker and that is why so many people used to turn up to hear him.
I don't agree when people call him pro-capitalist. I believe that he was a great champion of equality. He used to appear for big companies and was assisting them, but I know that he was very generous to many people. I know of so many people who have made it big in life due to help from Nani. He was a great man and his death is a personal loss to me.
I feel his greatest contribution to our country is that he made people aware of their fundamental right and also the importance of liberty.
As told to Syed Firdaus Ashraf
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