Ahmedabad’s jamai raja

Justice Rohinton Nariman of the Supreme Court of India, who jocularly refers to himself as "jamai raja (son-in-law) of Ahmedabad” because his wife hails from there, was honored by Parsis of that city on March 6, 2016 at the Sir Navroji Vakil Hall in the Parsi Sanatorium Compound. Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (Retd), president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) welcomed him with flowers, a memento and a shawl, as per a write-up received by Parsiana from the APP. Justice Jamshed Pardiwala of the Gujarat High Court, also an invitee, spoke on the Indian legal system and Nariman’s achievements, including his stint as solicitor general of India from 2011 to 2014.

Nariman, who is also an ordained priest and a prolific reader, is knowledgeable about various religions on which he can speak at length. In Delhi, where he lives, he conducts Gatha classes which his illustrious jurist father Fali Nariman eagerly attends! The judge is also keenly interested in Western classical music, the email notes.
The Supreme Court judge expressed pleasure at being back in Ahmedabad where he has fond memories of family and friends. In his brief talk he explained the meaning of the kusti prayers and stressed the importance of the ritual. He also spoke on how these beautiful texts had influenced other religions.
The evening concluded with the singing of Chhaiyé Hamé Zarthoshti and the national anthem, followed by a "marghi nu bhonu” catered by Naozer and Freny Daruwala.
The previous day, on March 5, Nariman had spoken on the theme of "Judiciary the least dangerous branch?” as part of the Justice P. D. Desai Memorial Lecture Series in Ahmedabad, reported the Ahmedabad edition of The Times of India. The Indian judiciary, like any other judiciary of the world, has frequently given in to pressure during times of trouble, and failed to protect fundamental rights of citizens, he mentioned. Narrating the history of the judiciary in the US and UK during wars, and of India during the colonial period, Nariman illustrated how it had buckled under pressure. Equating the troubled times in the West with the emergency in India, he said many judges had let people down by failing to stand up against politicians in power.