Abdul Ghafoor Majeed Noorani, widely known as AG Noorani, a distinguished scholar, lawyer, and political commentator, has passed away at the age of 94. Noorani was among the last of his generation with deep expertise in the Constitution of India, earning immense respect for his knowledge and insightful analysis on constitutional matters.
Throughout his long academic and journalistic career, he wrote extensively on issues concerning Indian Muslims and delivered numerous papers at seminars across the country, educating audiences on various critical topics.
Born in Mumbai in 1930, he earned his law degree from Government Law College in the same city. He began his writing career in the early 1960s and authored thousands of articles over the decades. Noorani contributed to several prominent publications, including Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Dawn, The Statesman, Frontline, Economic and Political Weekly, and Dainik Bhaskar.
He authored several books such as “The Kashmir Question,” “Ministers’ Misconduct,” “Brezhnev’s Plan for Asian Security,” “The Presidential System,” “The Trial of Bhagat Singh,” “Constitutional Questions in India,” “The RSS and the BJP: A Division of Labour,” and “The RSS: A Menace to India.” He also wrote biographies of Badruddin Tyabji and Dr Zakir Husain.
Noorani defended Sheikh Abdullah of Kashmir during his long detention and represented former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi in the Bombay High Court against his political rival J Jayalalitha.
“AG Noorani, a giant among scholars has passed away. I learnt a great deal from him, from the constitution, to Kashmir, to China & even the art of appreciating good food. May Allah grant him maghfirah,” wrote AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on X.
“Sorry to hear about the demise of A G Noorani Sb earlier today. Noorani Sb was a man of letters, an accomplished lawyer, a scholar & a political commentator. He wrote extensively on matters of law and on subjects like Kashmir, RSS and the constitution. May Allah grant him highest place in Jannat,” former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X.
“Just received news that distinguished scholar, lawyer, and political commentator A. G. Noorani is no more. He breathed his last a few minutes ago in Mumbai. His loss is a significant one for all who value rigorous, insightful analysis and thoughtful discourse. As we remember his extensive body of work and his dedication to intellectual rigor, we also recognize the void his departure leaves in our hearts and minds. May his legacy endure and continue to inspire future generations. Rest in peace, A.G. Noorani,” wrote journalist Iftikhar Gilani on Facebook.
In his book, “The RSS: A Menace to India”, Noorani chronicled the rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from its inception in 1925 as a fringe group to its current position as a dominant force in Indian politics. He described the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as being inextricably linked to the RSS by an umbilical cord.
In a chapter titled “RSS at Independence”, Noorani talked about Intelligence Bureau reports and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s circulars to demonstrate how the state perceived the RSS as a dangerous, fascist organisation like a private army following organisational techniques reminiscent of the Nazis.
This led to the ban of the RSS in February 1948 as an unlawful association, shortly after its involvement in Gandhi’s assassination. However, the government lifted the ban in July 1949, under the condition that the RSS would respect the Indian constitution and that those resorting to violence would have no place in the Sangh.
