Page 6 - sands of time

6 SANDS OF TIME VOL. XVI, ISSUE 3, 2020

NANI A. PAlkhIvAlA - ThE MAN Of All sEAsONs...

was shifted to the spacious Cricket Club of India East within two days and another five thousand within the
Lawns. As years passed, these Lawns too were not next three weeks.
enough and in 1983, the speeches were moved to “Our Constitution Defaced and Defiled” book was
the Brabourne Stadium, as no other venue was large another one of his collections which was aimed at
enough to hold the swelling crowds. arousing the people to their duty as the keepers of the
Constitution.
Vijay Merchant, President of the Cricket Club of India,
who welcomed the gathering in March 1983, remarked The two compendiums of his writing, “We, The
that “Mr. Palkhivala has brought the crowds back to the People,” and “We, The Nation” are collected extracts
Brabourne Stadium”. from his speeches and writings which are to be
FROM THE
Lord Roll of Ipsden, who presided over the 1986 meeting, treasured for his economic and philosophical wisdom.
observed in his presidential address that nowhere in the His two other publications, “India’s Priceless Heritage”
world (“I repeat, nowhere in the world”) would a Budget and “Essential Unity of All Religions” are masterpieces
speech attract such an audience. where Palkhivala has explored the spiritual treasure
Bansi Mehta, Honorary Treasurer of the Club, at the of India. These works are something that needs to be
meeting held in 1992 said: “At least occasions like this read by every Indian as well as all world citizens.
COLLECTION
means that good use made of this vast expanse of Incidentally, he did not derive any monetary benefit
beautiful ground. Today we partially redeem the dreams from his books.
of those who created the stadium even if no cricket is
played here any longer.” honours and Recognition

In later years, owing to public demand he undertook Palkhivala received a great deal of recognition and
a strenuous tour of Madras (now Chennai), Bangalore honours from academics, academic institutions and
OF THE
(now Bengaluru), Delhi, Calcutta (now Kolkata), the government.
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune and other places to In 1963, Palkhivala was offered a seat in the Supreme
deliver his budget speeches. It was aptly said in those Court, which he declined.
days - there were two budget speeches one by the
Finance Minister and the other by Nani Palkhivala. In 1968, he was offered the position of Attorney-
General by Govinda Menon, the then Law Minister in
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Prolific Author the Congress Government. Palkhivala recounts in his
Nani was also a prolific author. His books created book, We the Nation: “After a great deal of hesitation I
history. His first book, “Law and Practice of Income Tax” agreed. When I was in Delhi, I conveyed my acceptance
was co-authored with Jamshed Kanga was published in to him, and he told me that the announcement would
1950 when Palkhivala was only 30 years old. The book
was most entirely written by him, but he respectfully
associated the name of his senior Sir Jamshedji Kanga
because it was from him that he had his first practice
in law. It went into several editions, becoming right
from the first edition a standard reference book for all
for students and tax practitioners.

He was the co-author of “Taxation in India” published
by the Harvard University in the World Tax Series.

His book, “The Highest Taxed Nation” had forced the
government to start reducing the ridiculous high tax Nani Palkhivala with former Prime Ministers of India,
rates of 98 per cent. Five thousand copies were sold Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Morarji Desai.

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