DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A NEW CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE THROTTLED AT THE START

There is an old-world charm to the spacious drawing room in the south Delhi home of the grand old man of Indian law. The vintage furniture, the stone-covered accent wall, ceramic souvenir plates, China figurines collected over the years, family photographs from different decades and an old clock going tick-tock evoke nostalgia for a time gone by.

- SONI MISHRA

Fali S. Nariman, 94, walks in slowly and occupies his favourite armchair. Old world manners and a certain panache are the hallmarks of the veteran jurist. With a lifetime spent in the world of law, many a time at the centre of milestone events, Nariman's is arguably the most respected voice in the Indian legal system.

The eminent lawyer had begun his practice in the year the Constitution was enacted-1950-and his journey as a practitioner of law runs parallel to the many tests that the document went through.

His new book You Must Know Your Constitution takes a look at all the 395 articles of the Constitution and the amendments made up to July 31, 2023. It is scholarly, drawing from a lifetime of research of law. The exercise is made all the more invaluable by Nariman's recollections of critical cases.

In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Nariman talks about a range of topics, from the ongoing debate on whether we need a new Constitution to the Supreme Court's judgment on same-sex marriage to politically vexed issues such as reservation and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Excerpts:

Q Our Constitution has lasted for more than seven decades. What is the secret behind its enduring quality?