GETTING INSPIRATION FROM

BIOGRAPHIES & AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

 What is a biography?

 What is an autobiography?

 How is an autobiography different from a biography?

 Why should we read biographies and autobiographies?

Source: Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmadabad, Gujrat
A JOURNEY without a COMPANION in
1887
GANDHIJI as a STUDENT:
Struggle vs Privileges
THE GENESIS OF THE THOUGHT: STUDY IN ENGLAND
Mavji Dave and his son KEVALRAM
Conversation among the four: Joshi ji, Gandhi ji, his brother & his
mother

- How much Gandhiji’s mother is contributing– her feelings, her

opinions?
- Who is thinking about the ‘arrangement of finances/resources’ etc.?
- What does the following statement tell us about Gandhiji– “I was a
coward”?
- Read the conversation between Gandhiji and his uncle. Find two
paradoxical shades of his personality.

PoI: Locate the social, political, religious, and caste position of

Gandhiji
- Do you think the location puts him on a ‘PRIVILEDGED’ position
THE “PRACTICALITY” of LEGAL MAXIMS
 When do we meet Gandhiji’s wife and how?
 Discuss the stereotypes about west mentioned in the text.

- University college, London– Courses in Indian Law and Jurisprudence (1888-89)

- Read the section about “Latin and French”

“Examination in ‘Roman Law’ and ‘Common Law’: FOUR times a year.” What does it
convey?

Discuss the applicability of LEGAL MAXIMS for the benefits of common people/your
clients.
Discuss a few legal maxims from the text.

How do you react to the advice given by Frederick Pincutt?

Images’ source from slide no.3 to 12: Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmadabad

Image Source: https://www.gandhimedia.org/

Labor Minister of India First Law Minister of India

Source: navayan.com/photo-gallery.
Drafting Committee: Constitution of India

Source: navayan.com/photo-gallery.
Source: Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission by Dhananjay Keer
 “…my fore-fathers had left their hereditary occupation for
service in the Army of the Company. My father also followed
the family tradition and sought service in the Army.”

Source: Ambedkar, Dr. B. R. . Waiting for a Visa: experiences with untouchability

(p. 2). Kindle Edition.

“They were forbidden to keep certain

domestic animals, to use certain metals for
ornaments; were obliged to wear a
particular type of dress, to eat a particular
type of food, to use a particular type of
footwear and were forced to occupy the
dirty, dingy, and unhygienic outskirts of
villages and towns for habitation where
they lived in dark, insanitary and miserable
smoky shanties or cottages.”

Discuss the relationship between CASTE and

OCCUPATION vis-à-vis the economic factor and CLASS
Source: Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission by discrimination
Dhananjay Keer
 Those 16 Kms

“There were many bullock-

carts plying for hire. But my
reply to the station-master
that we were Mahars had gone
round among the cartmen and
not one of them was prepared
to suffer being polluted and to
demean himself carrying
passengers of the untouchable
classes. We were prepared to
pay double the fare, but we
found that money did not
work.”

Source: Ambedkar, Dr. B. R. .

Waiting for a Visa: experiences
with untouchability (pp. 4-5).
Image Source: Internet Kindle Edition.
 “This incident has a very important place in my life. I was a boy of
nine when it happened. But it has left an indelible impression on my
“We were extremely hungry and wanted very much mind. Before this incident occurred, I knew that I was an
to eat. But again there was the question of water. untouchable and that untouchables were subjected to certain
indignities and discriminations. For instance, I knew that in the
So we asked our driver whether it was possible to
school I could not sit in the midst of my class students according to
get water. He warned us that the toll-collector was my rank but that I was to sit in a corner by myself. I knew that in
a Hindu and that there was no possibility of our the school I was to have a separate piece of gunny cloth for me to
getting water if we spoke the truth and said that squat on in the class room and the servant employed to clean the
we were Mahars. He said, " Say you are school would not touch the gunny cloth used by me. I was required
Mohammedans and try your luck ". On his advice I to carry the gunny cloth home in the evening and bring it back the
went to the toll-collector's hut and asked him if he next day. While in the school I knew that children of the touchable
would give us some water. " Who are you ? ", he classes, when they felt thirsty, could go out to the water tap, open
it and quench their thirst. All that was necessary was the permission
inquired. I replied that we were Musalmans. I
of the teacher. But my position was separate. I could not touch the
conversed with him in Urdu which I knew very well tap and unless it was opened for it by a touchable person, it was
so as to leave no doubt that I was a real Musalman. not possible for me to quench my thirst. In my case the permission
But the trick did not work and his reply was very of the teacher was not enough. The presence of the school peon
curt. "Who has kept water for you ? There is water was necessary, for, he was the only person whom the class teacher
on the hill, if you want to go and get it, I have could use for such a purpose. If the peon was not available I had to
none. " With this he dismissed me.” go without water. The situation can be summed up in the
statement—no peon, no water.”

Source: Ambedkar, Dr. B. R. Waiting for a Visa:

experiences with untouchability. Kindle Edition.
 THE PARADOX

“As a framer of the

constitution, Member of the
cabinet and of the Council
of States, one of India’s
leading citizens, a great
social reformer and a
valiant upholder of Human
Rights”

Source: Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission by

Dhananjay Keer
 “My five years of stay in Europe and America had
completely wiped out of my mind any
consciousness that I was an untouchable and that
an untouchable whenever he went in India was a
problem to himself and to others. But when I came
out of the station my mind was considerably
disturbed by a question, " Where to go ? Who will
take me ? "

Courtesy : Artist Prof. Pramod Ramteke, Chitrakala

Mahavidyalya, Nagpur

Source: Writings and Speeches of Ambedkar, Vasant Moon

“So heart-rending was my condition that when my sister's son came from Bombay bringing my remaining luggage
which I had left behind and when he saw my state, began to cry so loudly that I had to send him back immediately.
In this state I lived in the Parsi inn impersonating a Parsi. I knew that I could not long continue this impersonation as
I would be discovered some day. I was therefore trying to get a State bungalow to stay in. But the Prime Minister did
not look upon my request with the same urgency. My petition went from officer to officer and before I got the final
reply the day of my doom arrived. It was 11th day of my stay in the inn. I had taken my morning meal and had
dressed up and was about to step out of my room to go to office. As I was picking up some books, which I had
borrowed overnight for returning them to the library I heard footsteps of a considerable number of people coming
up the staircase. I thought they were tourists who had come to stay and was therefore looking out to see who these
friends were. Instantly I saw a dozen angry looking, tall, sturdy Parsis, each armed with a stick, coming towards my
room. I realised that they were not fellow tourists and they gave proof of it immediately. They lined up in front of
my room and fired a volley of questions. "Who are you ? Why did you come here ? How dare you take a parsi name ?
You scoundrel ! You have polluted the Parsi inn ! " I stood silent. I could give no answer. I could not persist in
impersonation. It was in fact a fraud and the fraud was discovered, and I am sure if I had persisted in the game I
was playing I would have been assaulted by the mob of angry and fanatic Parsis and probably doomed to death. My
meekness and my silence averted this doom. One of them asked when I thought of vacating. At that time my shelter
I prized more than my life. The threat implied in this question was a grave one. I therefore broke my silence and
implored them to let me stay for a week at least, thinking that my application to the Minister for a bungalow would
be decided upon favourably in the meantime. But the Parsis were in no mood to listen. They issued an ultimatum.
They must not find me in the inn in the evening. I must pack off. They held out dire consequences and left. I was
bewildered. My heart sank within me. I cursed all and wept bitterly. After all I was deprived of my precious
possession—namely my shelter. It was no better than a prisoners' cell. But it was to me very precious.”
VOCAL AGAINST DISCRIMINATION-- WITH
A VISION
“An ideal society should be mobile, should be full of channels for conveying a
change taking place in one part to other parts. In an ideal society there should
be many interests consciously communicated and shared. There should be varied
and free points of contact with other modes of association. In other words there
should be social endosmosis. This is fraternity, which is only another name for
democracy. Democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is primarily a
mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience. It is essentially
an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen.”
Source: Annihilation of Caste
HINDU CODE BILL and Dr. AMBEDKAR

November 17, 1947– April 09, 1948: referred to committee

Debate continued for more than 4 years

February 5, 1951
Discussion for 3 days– postponed for September

October 10, 1951– resignation Submission

Source: navayan.com/photo-gallery.
MOHAMMADALI CURREM CHAGLA
“A great judge, a great citizen, and, above all, a great human being”

“It is the story of a generous and lovable man for whom humanity was
not a witless word and integrity was not an idealistic dream. The
roses will remain fragrant for many a December.”– Nani Palkhivala.

“The one judge who left an indelible imprint on the Bombay High
Court and was looked upon as an ideal judge. He combined courtesy
and speed in a unique manner.” – M. H. Kania

Source: Legends in Law by V. Sudhish Pai

PURPOSE OF BIOGRAPHIES AND
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES
Should not be a historical record of dates

“There is also the autobiography of Lord Haldane, which I have

always considered to be one of the best autobiographies in the
English language. Haldane, as it were, looks objectively at his own
life and in a famous last chapter sums it up and tells his readers what
his philosophy of life is, and what he has learnt from living. He is
emphatic about one thing, and that is that one life is enough for any
man. He also rightly says that what ultimately matters is not the
result or the success or failure, but the quality of the work done, the
passion that is brought to bear upon anything that one takes in hand.
I should like this last chapter to appear in every text-book that
students of English have to learn in schools or colleges. It is the
philosophy of a brave, courageous, fair-minded person who has no
illusions either about life or about himself”

Source: Chagla, M.C. Roses in December: An Autobiography (p. 28). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Kindle Edition.
WHY ‘ROSES IN DECEMBER’

“We have also to reckon with such a thing as human vanity and a
natural desire to preserve those associations and friendships which
gave meaning and significance to one's life. There is thus a tendency
to make a selection which is favourable to oneself, and which in the
December of one's life permits one to enjoy the fragrance of roses -
that is why I have called this book Roses in December. If all memories
are painful it would, I imagine, be impossible to write an
autobiography because one would then be re-living the suffering, the
torments and the torture which one has already gone through. But it
is because there are memories in every life which one would like to
preserve forever and relive in thought and imagination, if not in
reality, that an autobiography becomes possible”

Chagla, M.C.. Roses in December: An Autobiography (p. 32). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Kindle Edition.
 THE SURNAME STORY
“Before I finish with my school days, I might mention how I came to
acquire my surname "Chagla". We Indians have really no surnames.
We call ourselves after our caste, village, or occupation. When I
joined school, I was called 'Merchant' as my father and grandfather
were merchants. I loathed this name because it was associated in
my mind with filthy lucre, as we often think of money. In
exasperation I asked my grandfather one day what he thought I
should call myself. He patted my head and said without hesitation
"Chagla". I asked him the reason. He said that his father was an
only son and his pet name was "Chagla", which in Kutchi which was
his language meant "favourite". I promptly discarded the name
'Merchant', which seemed so obnoxious to me, and adopted the
name 'Chagla' by which name I have ever since been known. I do
not know whether I have ever been any one's favourite, but I have
certainly had nothing to do with merchants or merchandise.”
 GLIMPSES from CHILDHOOD

“I lost my mother when I was five years old, and I grew up a very lonely child. I
lived in a world of my own and dreamt my own solitary dreams.”
(Chagla, M.C. Roses in December: An Autobiography (p. 37). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Kindle Edition.)

Literature and arts, THEATRE

“All that you leave behind is the kindness and consideration you have shown to
people, and which is remembered.”
(Chagla, M.C. Roses in December: An Autobiography (p. 586). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Kindle Edition.)
 SIMPLICITY is the KEY

“I have had at no time any pretension to great learning, or to be a great

jurist. My only object when writing a judgment was to be brief and to be
clear, precise and lucid in whatever views I expressed. What I am saying is
that that was my ideal, and not that I always succeeded in reaching it. I
think I also tried to make my judgments not very dull, or too business-like.
I think a well-turned phrase, a literary allusion, or a humorous remark
goes a long way in relieving the tedium inseparable from any dreary
recitation of facts, and a still more dreary reference to authorities which
every judgment must entail. With one or two exceptions, I delivered all
my judgments immediately after the arguments were over, and never
reserved my judgments.”
VIEWS ON ‘LANGUAGE’
“When I became Chief Justice, the jurisdiction of the High Court extended over one of the
largest States in India, the undivided State of Bombay. There were three linguistic groups,
the Marathi-speaking, the Gujarati-speaking and the Kannada-speaking. The language of the
majority group in the area was the language of the Court. All documents and evidence were
in that language. Only the judge took down the depositions in English and wrote his
judgment in English. These came to the High Court with the Original Record. If there was any
dispute as to what the witness had said, we always referred to the signed deposition of the
witness in his own language. Although the documents were translated, we always referred to
the original if necessity arose. The administration of justice presented no difficulty, and
everyone was happy, and yet we broke up this great State in the sacred name of linguism.
When we decided to set up our States on a linguistic basis it was clearly a turning point in
our history, and in my opinion we took the wrong turning. Every linguistic group in our State
had its own culture, art and music fully safeguarded. We lived on the best and most cordial
terms. And I cannot help thinking that the politicians raised the flag of language, in order to
have more States, and this way, more Governors, High Courts, Chief Ministers,
administration. There would be more patronage to distribute and more scope for nepotism.
Today one of the great dangers facing India is linguistic fanaticism. It can be as bad as, if not
worse than, communal fanaticism.”
- Draw a connection with Module 1 and share your views.
As CHIEF JUSTICE, BOMBAY
HIGH COURT

 Who according to you should have the authority to appoint

HIGH COURT JUDGES and why? Discuss your views in detail
with relevant SUPPORT.
 Do you think that he was a man of principles? Discuss a
few instances to support your argument.
 Can we describe him as a man who loved equality than
hierarchy.
 Discuss the changes he brought during his tenure.
 Discuss his writing style by referring to some of his
judgements.
 Discuss his presence of mind and wit by referring to some
incident.
 Why do you think someone tried to kill him?
 LET US TAKE THE DRIVER’S SEAT

“Kania offered me a judgeship of the Federal Court before the

Constitution came into force. He assured me that in the ordinary course
I should succeed him as Chief Justice when he retired. Poor man, he did
not know that he was to pass away before he reached his retiring age. I
declined the offer because I thought that I was doing more useful work
as Chief Justice of Bombay, than I would be doing as a puisne judge in
the Supreme Court”
- Keep yourself in the POSITION and answer.
 IN CONTINUATION…
“A motor car driver had run over a child and killed him. He was
convicted by the Magistrate, but was let off with a fine. I was shocked
at the leniency of the sentence. I, therefore, directed that the record
should be called for in revision, and a notice of enhancement of
sentence should be issued. The matter duly came before me.
Khandalawala, whom I later appointed a City Civil Court Judge, and
who now has a flourishing practice largely in criminal cases, appeared
for the accused before me. Now, in law if the court issues a notice for
the enhancement of sentence, the accused has the right to argue the
whole appeal on merits. When, however, Khandalawala started arguing
the case, I found to my horror that I would in fairness have to let off
the accused. The identification of the driver was by a person who had
never known him before, and who had seen him for a brief moment
through the flickering light of a municipal lamp. That was the only
evidence of identification, and it would have been most improper to
convict a person on such dubious evidence, and not give him the
benefit of the doubt. I was, however, morally certain that the accused
was guilty, that he had been driving recklessly and negligently, and had
been responsible for taking the life of an innocent child. But here was a
case where law and justice did not coincide, and to my chagrin, I had
to acquit the accused, which I did most reluctantly.”
“To sum up my tenure as Chief
Justice, those eleven years for me
constitute the most fragrant rose
in my life. The perfume still
endures, and whenever the cold
winds of December blow more
severely than usual, I seek refuge
and consolation in the memory of
those years, when life seemed
worth living, and existence had a
purpose and a direction.”
ROSES IN DECEMBER
M. C. Chagla meeting
PALKHIVALA
“When I looked up I saw standing before me a shy,
and diffident, young man.
I was happier still when I found that young lawyers
did not merely read law but were interested in other
subjects like literature and history.
He has an unrivalled command over the language
which he uses with mastery and skill and which he
combines with vast knowledge of law and great
powers of advocacy.
Success has not gone to his head, something that is
rare with human beings.”

https://medium.com/@priyanka.taj/nani-palkhivala-
the-legendary-indian-lawyer-and-economist-
17a7bf947f36
Source: Nani A. Palkhivala: A life by M. V. Kamath
Source: Nani A. Palkhivala: A life by M. V. Kamath
Source: The courtroom Genius by Soli J Sorabjee,
Arvind P. Datar. Source: History of the World by Dorling Kindersley
HOME
ENVIRONMENT
❑ Is achievement the result of
innate talent?

❑ What roles do hard work and

preparation play?

❑ Does a “particular” working

environment play an important
role?

Source: Nani A. Palkhivala: A life by M. V. Kamath

INNATE and CULTIVATED QUALITIES
❑ Never to be second

❑ Continuous sittings & Obsession with NOT to waste time

❑ One task at a time

❑ Photographic memory
STUDIOUS CHILD, AVID READER
❑ Invested savings in BUYING BOOKS

❑ Classics, biographies, and History

❑ Music, painting, carpentry

❑ Had a stutter

❑ Wanted to become a lecturer

❑ Finally, Law– 1942

 REFERENCES
Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (S. B. Kher) The Law and the Lawyers (4th ed.) Navjiwan Trust, 2011.
ISBN 8172290519
Keer, Dhananjay. Dr. Ambedkar: life and mission. (5th ed.), Popular Prakashan, reprint 2019. ISBN
8179918777
Ambedkar, Dr. B. R. Waiting for a Visa: experiences with untouchability. Kindle Edition.
https://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/handle/10535/10595
https://scroll.in/article/875157/cartoons-on-ambedkars-contribution-to-hindu-code-bill-twitter-
user-resurrects-forgotten-history
http://navayan.com/photo-gallery.php?name=babasaheb-ambedkar&page=6
Chagla, M.C. Roses in December: An Autobiography. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Kindle Edition.
Soli J Sorabjee, Arvind P. Datar. Nani Palkhiwala: The courtroom Genius (1st ed.) Lexis Nexis,
2012. ISBN 8180387542
Images from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmadabad, Gujrat
Images from Dr Ambedkar memorial, New Delhi