Tuesday, September 18, 2012

TP Kelu Nambiar: The Passing Away of a Masterful Legal Wizard

Growing up, one always heard with anticipation the court room sagas of  TP Kelu Nambiar. His illustrious career is well known, so is his legal expertise. It wouldn't be incorrect to say that Kelu Nambiar was more than a lawyer to most Keralites.In one way or the other, every one had either heard about him, read about him or knew about his courtroom wizardry.To many, he was a terror in the court room, a masterful legal wizard who demonstrated the craft of ‘advocacy’ in all its finest facets. 

I knew him personally because my father knew him well. Nambiar sir was some one I grew up seeing. I used to see him very often and therefore, it is difficult to express in words about his demise. In my memories, what flashes to my mind: little knick-knacks that he would hand out to me affectionately like an uncle would to nephews and nieces.

Judges say many things about his expertise and that his clarity coupled with his boldness had been his greatest strengths. Many young lawyers would sit back, watch and take notes of Kelu Nambiar in action. His dialogues, his engagement with the Bar and the Bench and even his legal submissions - all of it demonstrated a dynamic edge, breathing life into the legal position of any case he was representing. 
There are also those who say he had a very short temperament and was egoistic with clients. However, I am not personally aware of it. As I mentioned before, he was like a loving uncle to me. 

Among the few books that I treasure in my collection, there is the book written by him. It has advice to young lawyers and was published by the Kerala Bar Council. This is a gem of a book that will inspire and guide the generation of lawyers to come. I treasure it.
Newspapers reported that "His demise is a shocking blow to the legal profession and to the court as a democratic institution." His illustrious career and decades of thoroughness in the field of litigation deserve more than a passing mention in print.  

I have no words to say more because it would be too personal. Rest in Peace, sir.

2 comments:

SG said...

May he rest in peace.

SG said...

Forgot to mention this in my previous comment. When a VIP client asked Mr. Nambiar to come to his place for a meeting, he told him that the “client should meet his lawyer in the lawyer’s office and the lawyer should not meet his client at the client’s place”. I am just paraphrasing.