Hope in a Challenged Democracy written by Dr. Ashwani Kumar 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 is slated for a launch in New Delhi on April 10, 2017 by Dr. Manmohan Singh. The launch 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 book 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. Seeking to espouse a non-partisan view, the author – a distinguished lawyer, former parliamentarian and union minister – provides not only a practitioner’s view on challenges faced by Indian democracy in the twenty-first century but also a thinkers substantive vision of the qualities of democratic leadership across the world.
About the Author:
Dr Ashwani Kumar, an eminent lawyer, author and veteran parliamentarian was 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, was a visiting Distinguished Fellow at the Trinity College Dublin (2016) and has spoken at the Oxford Human Rights Hub, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, University of Birmingham and King’s College London among others. His publications include Laws, Ideas & Ideology in Politics: Perspectives of an Activist.
