‘His Sincerity Would Be Put To One Side If He Saw a Cake’: Harish Salve Witty Tribute To Legendary Barrister AK Sen’s Sweet Tooth

New Delhi: In a warm and illuminating address at the Supreme Court Bar Association, senior advocate Harish Salve fondly recalled his association with the legendary barrister Ashok Kumar Sen, blending profound respect for his legal acumen with delightful anecdotes that revealed the man behind the black robe.

Delivering the keynote address during the unveiling of a portrait and a commemorative lecture on late A.K. Sen, Salve painted a vivid picture of a legal stalwart who left an indelible mark on Indian jurisprudence.

Salve highlighted one of Sen’s distinctive constitutional views: “He would say that the constituent power under Article 368 is the fountainhead of power before it flows into its defined pools, and there can be no curtailment of the power to amend the Constitution.”

He noted that Sen advanced this position with the same passion and eloquence he brought to opposing arguments, showcasing his intellectual versatility.

Describing Sen’s character, Salve invoked Rudyard Kipling: a man who could “walk with crowds and keep his virtue, or walk with kings, nor lose the common touch.”

Equally at ease in formal black-tie attire or his traditional dhoti and kurta, Sen embodied a rare blend of sophistication and humility.

“His genius was a product not merely of a brilliant mind but of relentless industry,” Salve said. Even in his advanced years, Sen maintained an extraordinary work ethic. Salve, who had the privilege of assisting him, recalled late-evening conferences where Sen continued to “fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run.”

Yet, like all great men, Sen had his weakness -- an irresistible love for desserts.

“All his honesty and sincerity would be put to one side if he saw a cake,” Salve remarked with a smile, drawing laughter from the audience.

He shared two memorable incidents. During a conference related to a public interest litigation involving the Taj Hotel, where Sen appeared for the Tatas, cake was served after lunch. Mrs. Sen had strictly instructed everyone not to let her husband indulge. When the lights went out briefly, a mysterious “paw mark” appeared on the cake upon restoration of power. The culprit needed no investigation.

On another occasion, at a party hosted by Salve’s friend Mr. Parekh at the Ambassador Hotel to mark a judge’s arrival or retirement, Sen employed clever tactics. Standing discreetly behind a pillar, he asked the young Harish Salve to fetch him three gulab jamuns or rasgullas. After quietly savouring them out of his wife’s sight, Sen turned to Salve and asked, “Young man, are you married?” When Salve replied in the negative, Sen advised with a twinkle, “Don’t get married. You’ll never get to eat desserts.”

Salve’s heartfelt tribute not only celebrated A.K. Sen’s towering contributions to the legal profession but also humanised the legend, reminding everyone that even the greatest minds have their endearing frailties. 

Salve also highlighted the deteriorating quality of public and political discourse during the lecture, attributing much of the change to the influence of social media.

“We have to remind ourselves that the vocabulary in society has become shrill. And this is the world of social media. Political vocabulary has become shrill,” Salve said.

"The kind of debates we hear, we have never heard before, the kind of expletives, the kind of expressions we hear. But we as lawyers have always shown the way. It is our duty to preserve the rule of law," he added.

The event served as a touching reminder of the values of dedication, humility, and quiet humour that define the finest in the Indian Bar.