Tag: Justice Katju

  • If I forget thee O Allahabad, may my right hand perish

    If I forget thee O Allahabad, may my right hand perish


    By Justice Katju


    Even 2000 years of their diaspora Jews still say ” If I forget thee O Jerusalem, may my right hand perish ” ( Bible : Old Testament : Psalms : 137.5 ).
    So also, I say ” If I forget thee O Allahabad, may my right hand perish ”.


    Of my 77 years, I have spent 58 years in Allahabad ( Prayag ).. So I can rightly claim it is my city, which has made me what I am today.
    This is the city where Lord Ram came after his exile from Ayodhya, and met Rishi Bharadwaj in his ashram on the bank of the sangam ( the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Jamuna, and the legendary Saraswati ).

    https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/places-visited-by-lord-rama-prayag-002486.html#:~:text=Prayag%20is%20where%20Lord%20Rama,major%20places%20connected%20to%20Ramayana


    This is the city about which the poet Tulsidas wrote in his Ramcharitmanas :
    ” Ko kahi sakai Prayag prabhau
    Kalush punj kunjar mrigrau ”
    ( Who can tell the greatness of Prayag ?
    It destroys all sins, like a lion which kills an elephant )


    This is the city where Emperor Harshavardhan held his assembly in the first Kumbh Mela in 643 A.D. in which he honoured saints and scholars of all religions ( including the Buddhist Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang ) and then gave all his wealth to the poor, borrowing a cloth from his sister Rajyashree to cover his naked body.


    https://www.historydiscussion.net/biography/harshavardhans-empire-sources-accession-and-other-details/3084


    This is the city in which Kumbh Mela assemblies are held every 12 years, the largest congregation of people anywhere ( 200 million in 2019 ).


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbh_Mela#:~:text=Each%20festival%20attracts%20millions%2C%20with,the%20festival’s%20most%20crowded%20day.


    This is the city where Hindus immerse the ashes of their dead in the sangam.
    This is the city which was a centre of the Indian freedom struggle
    This is the city which has produced great scholars, poets and jurists.


    In Allahabad I met several people who were intellectually superior to me ( they are all dead now ), and I sat at their feet like a humble student listening to their rational explanation of things, events and treatises, until I too built up a huge store of knowledge.


    Though born in Lucknow, I grew up in Allahabad. I was a student there in the Boys High School and the Allahabad University, then a lawyer in the Allahabad High Court, and finally a Judge in the High Court from 1991.


    My exile fom Allahabad began in 2004 when I was appointed Chief Justice of Madras High Court, and since then I have remained out of the city ( except for a few short visits ).


    The geat Urdu poet Munawwar Rana has written these verses about Allahabad in his long poem ‘Mohajirnama’ ( which was descriptive of the lament of mohajirs who had migrated from India to Pakistan at the time of Partition, but later regretted it ).

    ” Gale milti hui nadiyan, gale milte hue mausam

    Allahabad ka kaisa nazaara chhod aaye hain

    Kal ek amrood waale se kehna pad gaya mujhko

    Jahaan se aaye hain is phal ki bagiya chhod aaye hain

    Kuch der to woh takta raha mujhko, phir bola

    Woh sangam ka ilaaqa chhoota, ya chhod aaye hain ?

    Abhi hum sonch mein the ki usse kya kaha jaaye

    Hamaare aansuon ne raaz ugla chhod aaye hain ”


    The same is my plight, which cannot be described in words. I miss Civil Lines, Chowk, Katra, my school, the University, the High Court, the Coffee House, the sangam, etc, but all that has gone with the wind.

  • IMF Grants $3 Billion Loan to Pakistan: A Cause for Celebration or Concern?

    IMF Grants $3 Billion Loan to Pakistan: A Cause for Celebration or Concern?

    On knowing of the IMF decision to grant a 3 billion dollars loan to Pakistan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahabaz Sharif said repeatedly in a press conference ” Alhamdulillah ”.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fdu9qnr-08&pp=ygUXc2hhaGJheiBzaGFyaWYgaW1mIGxvYW4%3D


    Many Pakistanis are gloating over this loan by the IMF as if it is the end to all their economic woes. The Pakistan stock exchange has rallied, currency exchange rate has improved, and there is an atmosphere of glee and revelry in some quarters.
    However there is another, darker side to the picture.

    It is a loan, not a gift. Pakistan already has external debt of over 126 billion dollars, to which this will be added.


    https://www.orfonline.org/research/debt-ad-infinitum-pakistans-macroeconomic-catastrophe/#:~:text=During%20April%2DJune%202023%2C%20the,burden%20is%20US%24%204.5%20billion


    https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/pakistan-needs-to-pay-usd-77-5-billion-in-external-debt-risk-of-default-real-says-us-think-tank/articleshow/99323626.cms.


    This loan will cover less than the cost of Pakistan’s monthly import bill.

    Loans carry interest, and this fresh loan will add to the debt servicing bill, which is already very high ( about 4.5 billion dollars )

    https://www.brecorder.com/news/40247035
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406940/cost-of-debt-servicing-up-to-rs318tr

    The iMF reportedly set very strict conditions before granting this loan.
    For instance,
    (a) the heavy subsidy on electricity supplied will be removed. This will raise electricity rates to historic heights, affecting everyone in Pakistan.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhFXSw0MZMs&pp=ygUmcHJpY2VzIGluIHBha2lzdGFuIHJpc2UgYWZ0ZXIgaW1mIGxvYW4%3D
    (b) Duty on petroleum products will sharply increase
    (c) There will be 220 billion dollars worth additional taxes
    (d) Prices of essential commodities like food will rise


    This reminds one of the situation in France before the French Revolution of 1789. The situation then was that the French monarchy was heavily in debt to foreign bankers ( mainly Dutch ). This was because of the heavy cost of supporting the American War of Independence (1775-81), and even more because of the great deficit between government income and expenditure ( primarily because, by feudal convention, the nobility could not be taxed ).


    https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/efforts-at-financial-reform/


    The French Finance Minister, Necker, who dared not tax the powerful nobles, took loans from foreign banks to pay the huge debt. His successor, Calonne, went even further. He initiated huge public spending, thinking this will impress the creditors into granting more loans.


    However, this plan backfired, because the Dutch and other foreign bankers realised they would never recover the loans ( what to say of interest ), and so a time came when they outright refused to grant any further loans. This led to the calling of the Estates General in 1789 and the French Revolution, in which many heads rolled.


    I am afraid the Shahbaz Sharif Govt is heading in the same directiion. Can a government run forever on foreign loans ? The people of Pakistan are already suffering terribly in the economic crisis which has gripped the country. Taxing them further, directly or indirectly, as the IMF loan in essence requires, may well break their backs

  • Ending caste discrimination

    Ending caste discrimination

    By Justice Kaju

    These days laws are being made in some states of USA against caste discrimination.

    https://indicanews.com/2023/06/30/more-than-20-orgs-join-hands-to-form-america-against-caste-discrimination/

    https://indicanews.com/2023/05/11/sb-403-california-senate-passes-bill-banning-caste-discrimination-in-state/

    https://indicanews.com/2023/02/22/seattle-makes-history-first-in-u-s-to-pass-bill-banning-caste-based-discrimination/

    https://indicanews.com/2023/04/26/californias-caste-discrimination-bill-sb-403-passes-judiciary-committee-with-an-8-0-vote/

    I submit that such laws are largely gimmicks. Caste and caste discrimination can only be ended by changing the mindsets of most Indians,  and this requires a mighty historical social revolution in India.

    http://justicekatju.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-caste-system-in-india-this-is-old.html

    The truth is that most Indians who migrate to the West carry their caste baggage with them wherever they go. 

    To give an example, in USA there is an organization called TANA ( Telugu Association of North America ) consisting mainly of people from Andhra/Telengana belonging to Kamma caste. There is also an organization called NATA ( North American Telugu Association ) consisting mainly of Reddy caste. There is even an association of Komatis ( Vaishyas of Andhra ) and a Telugu Brahmins Association in USA.

    https://www.guidestar.org/profile/54-1994983

    There is even a Brahmin Samaj of North America, and other caste organisations.

    https://bsna.org/

    I was informed by a reliable friend who lives in Fremont, California, USA that some time back a cricket match was played in Fremont between a team of Reddys and a team of Kammas ( Reddys and Kammas are castes in Andhra Pradesh ), which was abandoned midway as a result of a physical fight between members of the two teams.

    I was shocked on hearing this. How could casteist teams be formed in California, and how could a fight take place between them in California ?

    This shows how deep rooted casteism is in India. People who travel 13,500 kms ( the distance between India and California ) can still not leave behind their caste baggage, despite coming to a highly developed country.

    Can socioeconomic evils can be abolished simply by making laws against them.? I submit that they cannot, and it is silly and puerile to think they can.

    Supposing a law is made abolishing poverty and unemployment ( which too result in social discrimination, as caste does ). Will that abolish them? No, such a law will remain on paper only, and unimplementable. Jobs are created and poverty abolished when the economy is rapidly expanding, that is, by rapid industrialization, but the Indian economy is presently stagnant.

    Similarly, caste and caste discrimination cannot be abolished by merely making a law against them. They can only be destroyed by a mighty united people’s revolution which destroys the present semi-feudal society in India and replaces it with a new modern society led by modern-minded patriotic leaders.

    In the Indian Constitution, it is written that India is a secular country. However, the ground reality is very different. In fact, India is a very communal country, in which most Hindus are communal, as are most Muslims. So, the Constitution is just a piece of paper, whose provisions may have nothing to do with ground realities.

    Similarly, Articles 14 to 18 of the Indian Constitution proclaim equality in India. But the caste system, which has been coming down from centuries, makes a mockery of these provisions.

    When I was Chief Justice of Madras High Court one day a High Court Judge who was a Dalit came to meet me with his wife. His wife was an upper caste Hindu, and she told my wife that she had a love marriage with that Dalit Judge. But when they married, her relatives performed her funeral rites, saying she was dead for them, and thereafter had nothing to do with her.

     Even today for a Dalit boy to fall in love with or marrying a non-dalit girl is often inviting a death sentence ( ‘honor killing’ ). Dalits are regularly discriminated, assaulted, and insulted in India in several ways even today.

    I submit that great social evils cannot be destroyed by merely making laws against them, but by historical social upheavals of the people.

  • Tavleen Singh’s superficial thinking

    Tavleen Singh’s superficial thinking

    By Justice Katju

    In her article published in Financial Express on 25.6.2023 the journalist Tavleen Singh lamented over decline of freedom of speech and democracy in India in recent times.


    https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/fifth-column-by-tavleen-singh-democracy-in-our-dna/3141287/


    She writes ” Sadly, when democracies become places in which dissidence and free speech are seen as crimes, when religious minorities are wrongly targeted, and when political opponents are crushed by the repressive organs of the state, they are called autocracies and not democracies ”.


    The problem with Tavleen Singh and other so called ‘liberal’ and ‘independent’ journalists is this : they treat democracy and freedom of speech as a fetish, an object of worship, like a holy cow, which will last for ever.
    I, on the other hand, regard freedom and democracy as only a means to an end, not an end in itself. The end must be raising the standard of living of the people, and giving them decent lives.


    What use is democracy and freedom of speech to a man who is hungry and/or unemployed ? He needs concrete things like food and a job, not abstract freedoms.


    In India we have massive and widespread poverty, unemployment, child malnourishment ( every second Indian child is malnourished according to Global Hunger Index ).


    https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/global-hunger-index/#:~:text=India%20ranks%20107th%20out%20of,countries%20covered%20in%20the%20GHI.


    Proper healthcare and good education are not available to the vast masses. Prices of essential commodities like food are skyrocketing.


    Freedom of speech can no doubt help the people in their historical united struggle which they must wage for creating a new political order under which there is rapid industrialisation and modernisation. However, it can also obstruct it.


    For instance, speeches spreading hatred between castes and communities should certainly not be permitted, for it destroys unity of the people which is essential for us at this historical juncture.


    https://writerscafeteria.com/guest-blogging/unity-of-indians-is-absolutely-essential-at-this-historical-juncture/


    Similarly speech or writings promoting unscientific superstitions like astrology should be banned.
    The great Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who came to power in the 1920s by ousting the corrupt feudal minded Sultan and Khalifa, did not give freedom to the Turkish people to choose whether they wanted to modernise or remain poor and backward. He ( and his associates ) forced them to modernise by abolishing sharia, burqa, madarsas and maulanas, and he permitted no political party to exist other than his own


    So also, in India too people must be forcibly modernised, and for that, perhaps, an enlightened dictatorship is necessary.


    We have the system of parliamentary democracy in India, but everyone knows it runs largely on the basis of caste and communal vote banks. Casteism and communalism are feudal forces, which must be destroyed if India is to progress, but parliamentary democracy further entrenches them. The people have therefore to use their creativity and find a suitable alternative, in which India rapidly industrialises and modernises, under the leadership of patriotic, modern minded secular leaders determined to raise the standard of living of the people, and give them decent lives.


    Parliamentary democracy and freedom of speech must therefore be understood in the correct perspective, and not treated like holy cows or objects of worship

  • Imran Khan has become an idea which has gripped the masses in Pakistan

    Imran Khan has become an idea which has gripped the masses in Pakistan


    Justice Markandey Katju

    When Imran Khan became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018, and for quite some thereafter too, I was very critical of him.


    He had taken help of religious extremists during his election campaign, and had given PTI tickets to dubious ‘electables’.


    Soon after becoming PM he had dismissed the renowned economist Atif Mian from the Pakistan Economic Advisory Council, just because he was an Ahmadi.


    He had suppressed the press, even getting arrested and imprisoned Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, owner of Jang Group, in a 34 year old land case, because of some criticism by his newspaper.


    https://www.dawn.com/news/1540500


    He constantly spoke of Madina ki Riyasat. Speaking of it a few times would be okay, but making a habit of it is going too far.


    However, all that is in the past, and we should see the present.


    Presently Imran Khan is leading the democratic forces in Pakistan, against the fascist reign of terror unleashed by the corrupt Pakistan Establishment.

    He is basically an honest man, who has repeatedly said he will continue living in Pakistan, and not fly abroad like the corrupt Nawaz Sharif ( who was convicted by the Pakistan Supreme Court ). He has no assets abroad, unlike PDM leaders, whose names appear in the Panama Papers, and other credible material. In my opinion all honest and right thinking people everywhere should support him.
    Earlier, 70% Pakistanis supported him ( according to opinion polls in Pakistan and the bye elections results ). But now the number has drastically risen, and may be between 80 and 90%. This means over 200 million out of the 240 million Pakistanis support Imran Khan.


    Imran Khan is now no longer a person, he has become an idea in Pakistan, representing honesty, truth,and commitment to the people’s welfare.. Even if he is imprisoned or physically eliminated, the idea will live on, like the ghost of Caesar after his assassination.

  • My interview by Moeed Pirzada By Justice Katju

    My interview by Moeed Pirzada By Justice Katju


    A few days back I was interviewed by the eminent Pakistani journalist Moeed Pirzada, who is presently in Washington, DC.

    The interview was about an article I had earlier written on the eminent physicist Dr Parvev Hoodbhoy.


    https://indicanews.com/2023/06/13/justice-markandey-katju-on-dr-pervez-hoodbhoys-superficial-understanding/


    The interview is given below ( it has some problems of sound )


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmoDYaAIbNI&pp=ygUda2F0anUgbW9lZWQgZGl2aXNpb24gb2YgaW5kaWE%3D


    Moeed then posted this video on Youtube


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFTir4eYUtg&pp=ygUda2F0anUgbW9lZWQgZGl2aXNpb24gb2YgaW5kaWE%3D


    Moeed says my knowledge of history is superficial because I am not a historian, history teacher, or expert.


    Now it is true I was never a professor of history. But by my study of history for over 6 decades I can claim to have more knowledge of history than most of these professors. T

    o the latter history was only the means of getting a job. To me it was, and is, a passion. Knowledge in one’s head is what is relevant, not high sounding titles and designations. Moeed obviously does not understand this.


    In his last video Moeed does not deal at length with my central thesis ( that developed nations will oppose tooth and nail rapid industrialisation of India, because if we become a modern highly industrialised country, like China, with our cheap labour we will undersell the developed countries, causing their industries to collapse, and millions thrown out of employment ).


    Moeed asks questions like why did India and Bangladesh not unite after 1971, since I claim India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are really one country, only temporarily divided. He says that ‘ansuni” was done by me to that question.


    The truth is I had replied to the question by saying that the Western powers opposed unification, since it is their policy to keep us divided.

    This is because they do not want India to emerge as a united modern industrial giant, and with its cheap labour to undersell them, thus causing their industries to collapse, and millions thrown out of employment.


    Moeed talks of Stanley Wolpert’s book ‘Tryst with Destiny’, and suggests that Partition was because of differences between Nehru and Jinnah.
    This again is a superficial understanding.

    The British were determined to partition India before they leave, and the Cabinet Mission was just a decoy. In fact this was a favourite technique of theirs.

    Thus, they also partitioned on religious lines Ireland, Palestine, Cyprus, and even prepared to partition Turkey by the Treaty of Sevres, 1920, but prevented by Mustafa Kemal ” etc before giving them formal independence.

    This they did to keep the communities fighting each other even after the Britishers leave, so that Britishers can still dominate the region, or at least safeguard their economic interests.


    I may be having more interviews on this or other topics with Moeed, whom I respect, as he is a brave man

  • All caste based reservations for govt jobs or admissions in educational institutions should be abolished By Justice Katju

    All caste based reservations for govt jobs or admissions in educational institutions should be abolished By Justice Katju

    Recently the US Supreme Court has struck down reservations for blacks and other races in USA as they violate the equality provision in the US Constitution.


    https://thewire.in/world/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-race-based-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions


    I submit that the time has come when the Indian Supreme Court, too, must declare all caste based reservations in India as unconstitutional, being violative of the right to equality.


    While ostensibly for uplifting the historically suppressed backward castes, the truth is that reservations have become just a political tool for getting votes, and in fact such reservations greatly harm the SCs and OBCs.


    This is because there are so few govt jobs that hardly 0.01% SCs and OBCs can get jobs through reservations ( these too usually go to the ‘creamy layer’ ), but an impression is falsely created that all SCs and OBCs will be benefited thereby. This is a motivation to SCs and OBCs to not work hard, because they think a job is guaranteed to them even if they score poor marks.


    How long will SCs and OBCs walk on the crutches ( baisakhi ) of reservations ? They should throw away these crutches, and say that we dont need reservations. We will work hard, compete on merit, and show that we are not intellectually inferior to the upper castes.


    However, while caste based reservations should be abolished, special facilities should be given to poor boys and girls of all castes ( even upper castes ) and communities, so as to provide them with a level playing field.


    For example, many poor boys and girls may not be able to buy the school text books ( which boys and girls of rich families may be able to afford ). Hence the govt should give these to such poor students free of cost Other facilities should also be given to poor students, to ensure for them a level playing field with rich students.


    But there should be no caste or communal reservations, which have only become a vote catching device.

  • Burning the Quran By Justice Katju

    Burning the Quran By Justice Katju

    An Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden reportedly burnt a copy of the Quran on Wednesday, 28th June, publicly before the Central Mosque of Stockholm in Sweden.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMdf3RAkvFs&pp=ygUVcXVyYW4gYnVybmluZyBzd2VkZW4g


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shhPIUDJfs4


    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66052670#:~:text=Several%20Muslim%2Dmajority%20countries%20have,Stockholm’s%20central%20mosque%20on%20Wednesday.


    Many Arab and other Muslim countries have condemned this incident, and protests are still going on in the Muslim world.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t3-Y9avOQc&pp=ygUdbXVzbGltcyBjb25kZW1uIHF1cmFuIGJ1cm5pbmc%3D


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_TFqsm_8lo&pp=ygUdbXVzbGltcyBjb25kZW1uIHF1cmFuIGJ1cm5pbmc%3D


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTMNyBVJmE&pp=ygUobXVzbGltcyBwcm90ZXN0IGFnYWluc3QgYnVybmluZyBvZiBxdXJhbg%3D%3D


    However, Sweden has approved Quran burning protests as part of the freedom of speech enshrined in its Constitution.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQOH-tY5lTE&pp=ygUUcXVyYW4gYnVybmluZyBzd2VkZW4%3D


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixrE55CEKuA&pp=ygUWbXVzbGltcyBxdXJhbiBiIHVybmluZw%3D%3D


    Now let me give my opinion on this issue.
    The Quran is the holiest book in Islam, and I can quite understand that most Muslims feel very hurt if a copy of it is deliberately burnt publicly. I too condemn such mischievous acts.


    However, the question is what should be the response of Muslims to such desecrations and insults ?


    I submit that the best and most mature response would be to simply ignore them.


    It must be realised that such mischievous acts are usually done deliberately by agent provocateurs hired by powerful forces to provoke religious, ethnic, or communal strife.

    Gullible Muslims innocently fall into their trap by being provoked, and then the matter gets further exacerbated.


    In Hindi there is a proverb ‘taali do haath se bajti hai’ ( i.e. to clap needs two hands ). So if Muslims do not extend their hand, and turn a Nelson’s eye to such provocative and insulting acts, there will be no clap, and such mischievous people will be denied the publicity they seek, and on which they survive.

  • Eid al Adha in Court By Justice Katju

    Eid al Adha in Court By Justice Katju


    Today 29th June is Eid al Adha ( also called Eid ul Zoha or Bakrid ) an important festival among Muslims in which an animal is sacrificed ( qurbani ).


    This reminded me of a case I heard in the Allahabad High Court shortly after I was appointed a Judge there in 1991.


    The petition, presented a few days before Eid al Adha, prayed that I should order ban on slaughter of buffaloes as a sacrifice during Eid.


    Now it is a belief among Muslims that sacrifice of one buffalo gives the same spiritual benefit of qurbani to 7 persons which sacrifice of a goat gives to one person. So poor persons who cannot afford to buy a goat, often collectively buy a buffalo and sacrifice it, as the per head cost is much less than the cost of a goat.


    I asked the counsel for the petitioner why I should ban killing of buffaloes during Eid ? He replied that buffalo is the carriage ( sawaari ) of the Hindu god Yamraj ( the god of death ). So slaughter of buffaloes hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus.


    I replied that mouse is the sawaari of Lord Ganesh. Should I ban killing of mice ? Most Hindu gods ( it is said there are 330 million of them ) have some animal as a ‘sawaari’ or ‘vaahan’. Should killing all of such sawaaris be banned ?


    https://www.hinduismfacts.org/how-many-gods-are-there-in-hinduism/


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vahana
    I added that this would be absurd. I could only prohibit killing of some animal if there is a statutory law against it. For instance, there is a law against killing of cows in most ( but not all ) states of India e.g. the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. So I could pass an order prohibiting slaughter of cows.


    There is also a Wildlife ( Protection ) Act, 1972, so I could prohibit killing of wildlife.


    But to prohibit killing of some animal, though there is no law for that, just because someone’s religious feelings are allegedly ‘hurt’, would not only have no legal justification, but would also raise a host of problems.

    Which animal is sacred ?

    Opinions may differ on that ?

    When do religious feelings get ‘hurt’ ?

    Again, opinions may differ.


    I dismissed the petition, saying I would only enforce the law, not sentiments.

  • The need for reviving and revamping Kalidas Ghalib Foundation By Justice Katju

    The need for reviving and revamping Kalidas Ghalib Foundation By Justice Katju


    I have created 3 organisations ( with the help of other likeminded secular persons ) viz (1) Indian Reunification Association (IRA ), (2) Ibaadatkhana, and (3) Kalidas Ghalib Foundation (KGF ), all of which I am the patron ( email justicekatju@gmail.com ).
    Behind creating these organisations was a single idea–I want my country India to emerge as a modern, highly industrialised giant, for only then can we get rid of the curse of massive poverty, unemployment, child malnutrition, lack of proper healthcare and good education for our masses, etc which has afflicted us for centuries.
    We have 2 of the 3 requirements for building a massive industry in India and become a super power like USA or China viz (1) a huge pool of technical talent in the form of thousands of bright engineers and scientists ( Indian IT engineers are largely manning Silicon Valley in California, and there are many NRI Professors in Mathematics, Science and Engineering Departments in American Universities ), (2) immense natural resources. However, we lack the 3rd, viz unity among our people, and without such unity we can never attain our national goal..
    All the abovementioned 3 organisations were therefore created to help forge such unity. While the first two have become strong and are progressing fast with numerous units and members worldwide, the third is lying dormant, but desparatedly needing to be revitalised and reactivated. Let me explain.

    1. IRA
      IRA aims at political unity of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, since we believe they are really one nation, which were separated by a British swindle in 1947 on the basis of the bogus 2 nation theory ( that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations ). We share a common culture, many of us speak the same language Hindustani ( culture largely revolves around language ), and we were one since Mughal times. Many of us were befooled by the Britishers and their local agents into thinking that Hindus and Muslims are inherently each other’s enemies, but how much longer must we remain befooled ? How much longer must we waste our scarce and precious resources in hostility with each other ? Is 76 years since 1947 not enough ? We must reunite under a secular government led by modern minded patriotic leaders determined to rapidly modernise and industrialise the country, and give our people decent lives.
      https://indicanews.com/2023/01/24/indo-pak-reunification/
      https://indicanews.com/2023/03/09/justice-markandey-katju-indian-reunification-is-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/
      https://indicanews.com/2023/06/13/justice-markandey-katju-on-dr-pervez-hoodbhoys-superficial-understanding/
      https://indicanews.com/2023/05/14/justice-markandey-katju-a-response-to-dr-akbar-ahmed/
      https://indicanews.com/2023/05/07/justice-markandey-katju-india-the-sleeping-giant-will-awake/
      The Chairman of IRA is Indervansh Chadha who is based in Jalandhar, Punjab ( email harindrealtors@gmail.com ), Senior Vice Chairperson is Husnara Salim based in Kolkata ( email husnarasalim@gmail.com ), Vice Chairman is Dr Arshi Malik, based in Aligarh ( email arshimalik @gmail.com ) and National General Secretary is Irfan Pullani, a Keralite presently in Costa Rica ( email pullaniirfan@gmail.com ). We have also state units in many states.
    2. Ibaadatkhana
      Ibaadatkha aims at social unity in India, by promoting communal amity, following the policy of suleh-e-kul of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, who is the real Father of the Indian Nation.
      http://justicekatju.blogspot.com/2015/06/emperor-akbar-real-father-of-indian_10.html
      Ibaadatkhana is named after the building in Fatehpur Sikri bullt by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar where scholars of different religions would meet amicably, and point out the good points in their religion ( such a structure is unique in the world ).
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibadat_Khana
      Unlike IRA, Ibaadatkhana does not talk of reunification of the 3 countries. This is to make it easier for Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to join our movement, without joining IRA
      Section 123A of Pakistan Penal Code makes it a criminal offence to speak against Partition, with a jail sentence of upto 10 years, and there is a similar provision in Bangladesh. So citizens of these countries would be scared of joining IRA ( though a Border Peace Forum has ben created to meet with this anxiety and fear ).
      Ibaadatkhana explains to the people of the Indian subcontinent the causes of our tremendous diversity–so many religions, castes, languages, ethnic groups etc.and points out that the correct policy for India is to give equal respect to all religions and communities.
      https://indicanews.com/2020/12/14/the-historical-importance-of-the-ibaadatkhana-movement/
      https://indicanews.com/2020/12/17/ibaadatkhana-foster-a-peaceful-just-and-inclusive-society/
      https://indicanews.com/2019/12/09/ibaadatkhana-function-and-unity-dinner/
      Ibaadatkhana has held many global webinars to promote its ideals, which can be seen on Youtube.
      The Chairman of Ibaadatkhana is Tasawar Jalali who is based in San Jose, California ( email tjalali17@gmail.com ), Vice Chairman is Irfan Ali based in Princeton, New Jersey ( email irfan79@gmail.com ), and General Secretary is Narendra Singh based in California ( email narensingh@gmail.com )
    3. Kalidas Ghalib Foundation
      This organisation aims at promoting cultural unity, particularly in the fields of art and literature ( Including films and the media ).
      The organisation was very active once, but has been inactive for many years. It needs to be revived, made strong,and put on a stable basis,as has been done with IRA and Ibaadatkhana.
      This is because Indians have to wage a historical, protracted, arduous people’s struggle, calling for many sacrifices by patriots, before they can succeed in setting up a political and social order under which rhere is rapid industrialsaion and modernisation. Art and literature can inspire the people in their struggle, e.g. the booklets and articles of Voltaire and Rousseau, the great French thinkers, which inspired the great French Revolution of 1789, Thomas Paine’s booklet ‘Commonsense’ which inspired the patriots in the American War of Independernce, the song ‘La Marseillaise’ during the French Revolution, the works of Maxim Gorki ( e.g. his novel ‘Mother’ and his poem ‘Song of the Stormy Petrel’ ) which inspired the1917 Revolution in Russia, or Ram Prasad Bismil’s revolutionary poem ‘Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai’, or much of Urdu poetry, like the poetry of Faiz anf Josh.
      https://indicanews.com/2021/03/21/the-role-of-literature-in-the-transitional-era/
      https://indicanews.com/2021/02/14/the-song-of-the-stormy-petrel-justice-markandey-katju/
      https://indicanews.com/2022/12/18/the-role-of-films-in-india/
      https://indicanews.com/2020/12/25/the-role-of-the-media/
      I disussed the matter about inactivity of KGF for a long time with some senior members of the organisation. I said there was ugent need to revive and reactivate it, as we have to combat the virus of religious and caste polarisation being spread all over the country by vested political interests.
      I said that most of the senior members are in their seventies ( me including ), and therefore are not being able to properly run the organisatuion as it should be. To my mind we must therefore have a team of younger people, who have more energy, to do the actual running of the organisation, while we elder and senior people will only give guidance from time to time, and keep an overall watch on the activities. My proposal has been accepted.
      I therefore appeal through this post to all secular, patriotic Indians below 50 years of age who wish to be members of this proposed team to run KGF, send an email to me or others whose email id is given in this post ( with copy to me ). The applicant must give details to show his interest in cultural activities. It is made clear that there will be no payment to a team member for his work, and the work is purely voluntary. It is also made clear not all who apply will be selected.