The former minister spoke to ThePrint about the three books that have made the most impact on his life.
Salman Khurshid’s home in Delhi’s Okhla area belonged to his grandfather and is inhabited by around forty dogs, thirty cats, pigeons, rabbits, and Mitthu – a parrot.
“It does get difficult to remember all their names but I do know who’s who and where they are mostly,” said the former minister.
Khurshid, who has massive bookshelves in his study, said it was a tough task to pick out three of his favourite books. But he says there are books that have stayed with him throughout his life.
Robert Bolt’s academy award-winning play, ‘A Man For All Seasons’, was top of the list.
“For someone who has been in public life and confronted pressures that come with it, there can’t be a better writing or collection of thoughts that one can go back to,” he said.
The second was ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ by Lawrence of Arabia, a book that he has gone back to again and again, ever since he was a young lawyer.
“A story about a brilliant man, but surrounded by circumstances that caused him to destroy his life as it were, by accident,” said Khurshid.
Khurshid said a book that has been a constant in his life is ‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
“For anyone interested in education and philosophy, it is a remarkable book,” Khurshid said. He said the book is very simply written and throws light on how adults fail to see the world the way children see it, and miss out on the tiny surprises that life has to offer.
And how tough is it get to manage all the animals that surround him?
“Well, there have been a couple of accidents, but I can’t ever give them away,” Khurshid said.