A tribute to Prof. R. K. Amin
Published by Yazad Jal December 3rd, 2004 in LibertarianOne of the joys in working for the Centre for Civil Society was meeting various libertarian luminaries who used to visit. One of the most interesting, Prof. R. K. Amin, passed away on Tuesday, November 30.
I have happy memories of him. During his Delhi visits, he would come over and borrow a whole load of books from the CCS library. I used to double up as part time librarian (during my CCS days at one point there were only 3 of us, so we all doubled up doing various things). He would meticulously make a list of books he wanted and tick them off his list once he retured them.
Of course, apart from reading, he also wrote. And quite well too — making economic concepts easier to understand. I worked closely with him when I edited the chapter he wrote on Piloo Mody for Profiles in Courage.
He had no hang ups chatting with all of us in CCS and his stories about the hey days of the Swatantra party were super and his juicy nuggets on various Swatantra party members hilarious. Perhaps the most funny story was on Piloo Mody’s election campaign in Bombay’s red light district. (Pages 112-117 in Profiles in Courage. The chapter is not webbed).
He represented various Gujarat constituencies in the Lok Sabha during the 1960’s and 70’s and even after he lost the last time in 1984, he would regularly come to Delhi to attend Parliament as an observer. And, of course, drop in at the CCS library!
I shall miss him.
i too have fond memories of prof amin whom i first me at a liberty institute ‘freedom workshop’ in devlali many years ago.
he told me one thing i shall never forget: FREEDOM FIRST! that all other political values are secondary to liberty. he also introduced me to the idea of private money.
his stories about the great men of swatantra, like masani and mody, instructed me on how NOT to be!
RIP, Professor Amin.
Yazad, why don’t you post (either from that chapter or otherwise) some about Piloo Mody himself? A forgotten hero, an example to Parliamentarians today. Ah, for a Swatantra Party.
You likely know that one legacy of the Swatantra Party is the journal “Freedom First”, run by the indefatigable SV Raju. Worth supporting.
Dilip, that would be a good idea. I know Mr. Raju quite well and read Freedom First regularly.
hi thanks for this tribute by the way i m his grandson