Tributes pour in; he was highly respected for his expertise on constitutional matters and incisive analysis
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Eminent scholar, lawyer and political commentator, Abdul Ghafoor Noorani, known as AG Noorani, passed away on Thursday in Mumbai. He was 94.
The former lawyer practiced in both, the Bombay High Court as well as the Supreme Court, and shared his wisdom as a constitution expert, political commentator and prolific writer.
Noorani has several books to his credit on a variety of subjects ranging from geopolitics to history, constitutional law and even religion. Among one of his most celebrated books is The Destruction of Hyderabad where he remarked that the government of India could have avoided sending in the army for the annexation of the Nizam state.
His book The Kashmir Question was widely accepted as an authentic reference to the Kashmir issue.
His scholarly works include several influential books such as The Presidential System, The Trial of Bhagat Singh, Constitutional Questions in India, and The RSS and the BJP: A Division of Labour. He also authored biographies of notable figures like Badruddin Tyabji and Dr Zakir Husain.
Noorani defended Sheikh Abdullah of Kashmir during his long period of detention. He appeared in the Bombay High Court for former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi against the latter’s main political rival, J Jayalalitha.
Noorani, who was born in Mumbai in 1930, wrote columns for various publications, including Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Dawn, The Statesman, Frontline, Economic and Political Weekly, and Dainik Bhaskar. He began writing in the early 1960s and wrote thousands of articles on a variety of subjects.
He was highly respected for his expertise on constitutional matters and incisive analysis. During his long academic and journalistic career, Noorani wrote extensively on matters pertaining to Indian Muslims. He presented numerous papers at seminars to educate audiences across the country about various issues.
Noorani’s demise has been widely condoled.
“AG Noorani, a giant among scholars has passed away. I learnt a great deal from him, from the constitution to Kashmir, to China & even the art of appreciating good food. May Allah grant him maghfirah,” Hyderabad MP Asadudin Owaisi wrote on X.
“Sorry to hear about the demise of A G Noorani Sb earlier today. Noorani Sb was a man of letters, an accomplished lawyer, a scholar & a political commentator. He wrote extensively on matters of law and subjects like Kashmir, RSS and the constitution. May Allah grant him highest place in Jannat,” former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X.
Journalist Iftikhar Gilani said Noorani was a distinguished scholar, lawyer, and political commentator. His loss is a significant one for all who value rigorous, insightful analysis and thoughtful discourse, he wrote on Facebook.