LexisNexis, a leading global provider of content and technology solutions, released Raju Ramachandran's 'I've been around for some time
Mr. Justice Mukul Mudgal, former chief justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Mr. Soli J Sorabjee, Senior Advocate and former attorney general for India, released the book in presence of many other eminent dignitaries like Mr. Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, Judge, Supreme Court of India; Mr. Justice R.F. Nariman, Judge, Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravindra Bhat, Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar from Delhi High Court, Mr. Sitaram Yechury, Leader, CPI (M); and Mr. Fali S Nariman, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; and other distinguished members from the bar, judiciary, corporate and media.
Justice Mudgal congratulated Mr. Ramachandran for writing a wonderful book and said, "Raju is known for taking the road less travelled and is always ready to take up popular causes that nobody would like to be associated with; that's his strength and character. He has been amicus in several cases of note and advances the cause of law; and that gives dignity to our legal profession that even the worst criminal gets the best legal assistance. I wish the book all success."
Congratulating the author on his achievement, Soli J Sorabjee said, "I enjoyed the foreword and the middle word the most. With Raju's 'Analyses, Reflections and Reminiscences', I went down memory lane."
The book release function was followed by a panel discussion, on various themes picked from the book, by diverse and eminent panelists, to introduce the vast and complex 'Analyses, Reflections and Reminiscences' in the book. The panel comprised of Aman Ahluwalia, Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Suhrith Parthasarathy, Advocate, Madras High Court; Saba Naqvi, Senior journalist and author; and Mukul Kesavan, writer; and was moderated by Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Advocate, Supreme Court of India.
On the author, Mr. A G Noorani, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, said, "The reader will be struck at once by his excellent legal equipment, cogency in reasoning; clarity in expression and, not least, by his liberal outlook. Nor is humour absent. No reader will agree with the author on all the points in all the articles. But he will not fail to be stimulated to reflect further. I found these articles thought provoking. So, I am sure, will the readers."
On the author, Nitya Ramakrishnan, Senior Advocate, commented, "An inveterate amicus curiae, his wisdom and fairness have illuminated many a thorny legal issue.Even-tempered, pleasant, considerate, hospitable, humorous, conscientious, a friend in need and generous with his praise, Raju is a repository of every amiable quality. He even has the virtue of wearing his virtues lightly. Although his style is not provocative, his anecdotes carry a bubbling irony and who would have imagined that irony could bubble over! If the smile that lingers. gets across through his writing as it does with his presence, I would, for my part, consider his readers very well served indeed."
On the author, Siddharth Varadarajan, Indian-American Journalist, Editor, and Academic, said, "Raju combines the lawyer's mind with the journalist's flair for interesting detail and a personal touch, to bring to life a range of personalities and issues.His articles display a rare moderation but also firmness. The capacity to not offend even while raising difficult questions is precious. No wonder that he is a favoured choice as amicus in important cases. If the Supreme Court trusts him, readers so must you."
On the book, Mr. Vikesh Dhyani, Director, Marketing, Customer Discovery & Innovation, LexisNexis India-South Asia, said, 'This book is a compilation of select articles and interviews by Raju Ramachandran, published in leading national newspapers, magazines and law journals. The book covers a range of topics-from the independence of the judiciary, the manner of judicial appointments, the need for judicial rectitude to the concept of constitutional tort, the basic structure doctrine, comparative constitutional questions, challenges to parliamentary democracy, and to more recent issues of lawyers' strikes, as well as the attitude of the Bar to unpopular accused. These articles are thought provoking, and show the evolution, or lack thereof, in different areas. I've been around for some time: Analyses, Reflections and Reminiscences is an invaluable blend of expertise and lucidity that the author brings, and even if one disagrees, one will be forced to contemplate these issues.
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