I still cannot quite imagine that Kamal Aron Mitra Chenoy has passed away. Kamal and Anu (Anuradha Chenoy) were close friends of ours for over 50 years. He was a wonderful, large-hearted gentleman, unfailingly courteous and among the most refined people one could ever meet. Many of us were enormously privileged to have him as a friend.

There was something particularly endearing about Kamal. He had a great sense of humour, a mischievous smile, and a charm that was difficult to resist. It was difficult not to like him. Beneath the argumentative persona was a very warm and convivial person. But make no mistake: he was also a fighter when the occasion demanded it, and there was never a shortage of worthy causes for which he was willing to fight.

As a leading public intellectual, Kamal became an integral part of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He was there for many decades as a student, a colleague, an activist and a friend to so many of us. Sharp in his political and economic analysis and quick in argument, he was an outstanding debater and formidable critic who readily challenged the powerful, both within JNU and in the country at large. He was equally forthright in confronting any vice chancellor who violated teachers’ rights or denied them their legitimate dues.

He worked tirelessly for JNU and its teaching community, always standing up whenever he believed an injustice had been done. He was president of the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA), but remained intensely involved in its affairs even when he was not in office. He was equally active in the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations........

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