'The Man Who Knew Dignity': A Tribute Poem for Prof M.P. Singh
Amlanjyoti Goswami
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Professor Mahendra Pal Singh, a distinguished legal scholar and authority on constitutional law, passed away on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Respected in India and abroad as a teacher of repute, his pioneering contributions in the field of legal theory have inspired new generations of legal scholars and practitioners. He believed in fraternity and community as a way of developing contextual understandings of law in practice, as opposed to transplanted approaches.
Professor Singh's explorations in the field of law and social inequality have helped develop newer understandings in a multidisciplinary manner. He held distinguished positions in legal academia, including Professor Emeritus at Delhi University, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Delhi University, Vice Chancellor of NUJS Kolkata, and visiting professorships in many universities abroad. His passing marks the end of an era in Indian legal scholarship, just as his life is a celebration of the quiet joys of teaching and research.
In memory of my teacher, Prof M.P. Singh, I have penned this poem to celebrate his life and the generations of students he inspired.
The Man who knew Dignity
He stood tall and knew the value of dignity
Asking us to remember this is a poor country
Speaking of equality like a companion
Saying liberty is not enough
If we do not care about who gets what.
Quoting Ambedkar, but diving deeper
Into texts which stressed substantive equality
And not just the formal right to vote.
He wore a stately grace, and smiled often.
Of mild manners, and his voice never rose
Beyond the furthest bench.
Once in a class of one, he saw the empty seats
The one student in front with book open
And carried on from the previous day’s lesson
Without a word of regret.
He liked comparing legal traditions – civil and common law
Were just different ways to find justice.
Law is experience not logic and there is more to it
Than just a bundle of cases.
In later years he read poetry, appreciated music
And told me my work weighed more than a thesis.
He listened to the birds of his village home
Where he returned, once class was over.
A school for the future, where girls are free to dream
A winter sun scattering the light of things to come.
The light in the text a single word, in the word a thought
In the thought a feeling that comes to his table late at night
When the stars are sleeping.
And remembering that feeling in the morning
When the students are back in class.
(for Prof M.P. Singh)
This article went live on March eleventh, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-three minutes past seven in the evening.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.