Ayodhya Temple Signifies India's Civilisational Values

WHEN polymath K Parasaran was offered a seat to argue the Ram Janmabhoomi case in 2019, he politely told the bench that his illustrious career was made complete by arguing on his legs for many clients and he would prefer to remain standing to argue for Ram Lalla in what turned out to be his last Supreme Court appearance.

- 

Though it was his last, it paved the way for many firsts, as the Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi case on November 9, 2019 and put to an end the long struggle of the Hindu society in the contemporary history of Bharat. As the nation celebrates its collective cultural conscience for its civilisational moment, anecdotal memories stand out in our minds.

In our numerous interactions with K Parasaran, we have witnessed flashes of wisdom not only covering law but also on the kaleidoscopic cultural contours of India's heritage. We often wondered and finally asked him why he needed the full text of the Constitution during our discussions despite being an expert on all its provisions.

His reply was an eye-opener: "To me, every client's case is new and every time I read the provisions of the Constitution, I get a new meaning which is relevant to the case in hand. This germinates from my habit of reading the Valmiki Ramayan everyday, and each time it layers itself into a different and varied meaning-poetic, factual and philosophical. What an epic indeed." Providential ordained to represent Ram Lalla, K Parasaran's persuasive and devotional role during the Supreme Court arguments needs special attention for selfless commitment and nuanced scholarship in everyday advocacy and nuanced arguments.