Book Launch: Hope in a Challenged Democracy – An Indian Narrative

Eminent lawyer, author and veteran parliamentarian, Dr Ashwani Kumar's second book Hope in a Challenged Democracy – An Indian Narrative, will be launched  in New Delhi on April 10, 2017 by Dr. Manmohan Singh.The function will be presided over by Shri Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India as the Chief Guest. Shri M. N. Venkatachaliah, former Chief Justice of India, will be the Special Guest. The event is likely to be attended by eminent personalities from different walks of life. By invitation only.

Dr Kumar was the member of the Rajya Sabha for fourteen consecutive years till his retirement in April 2016. During this time, he held various ministerial positions including Minister for Law and Justice, Special Envoy of PM Manmohan Singh to Japan (2013) and chaired several important parliamentary committees. Dr Kumar represented the Indian government at the highest forums of diplomacy including in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the World Economic Forum. He is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, a former Additional Solicitor General, widely recognized for his eloquence as a spokesperson of the Congress party and for the intellectual depth of his writings and parliamentary interventions. He was honored with Honoris Causa by Punjab University in 2005.

The book goes beyond semantics and critically analyses issues of fundamental importance in the framework of the dignitarian goals of the republic, the role of a ‘living Constitution’, the necessity of equilibrium between executive, legislature and judiciary, the role of media, importance of equitable growth, a responsive justice system and a rising India’s engagement with the world. It provides a statesman’s perspective on addressing challenges and optimizing responses with a view to transforming our democracy as a true reflection of the collective conscience of the nation.

The book has been appreciated and endorsed by many legal luminaries and international personalities such as:

• A book with a profound historical perspective, which enriches the analysis and encourages to show great ambitions for the country- Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister of France


• The book is a must-read for students of politics, philosophy and history. A tour de force indeed - Lord Karan Billimoria, CBE DL, Member, House of Lords


• Dr Ashwani Kumar distils a rich political and juristic life. The world of law, power and justice will surely improve if all our actors were as reflective as the author-  Prof Upendra Baxi, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Warwick and University of Delhi


• The book illuminates an astonishing range of issues with perceptiveness and wisdom, informed by an increasingly rare sense of values. We need more leaders like him - KS Bajpai, former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, former Indian Ambassador to Pakistan, China and the United States of America