I am particularly keen to see Lahore, with which I have a strong 125 year old connection from the time of my revered grandfather D KN Katju who went to study there in or around 1900.
Many Pakistanis have invited me to come to Pakistan.
However I cannot come due to these reasons :
(1) I will never get a Pakistani visa, since I have repeatedly called Pakistan a fake ( farzi ), artificial country, created by a British swindle called Partition in 1947, on the basis of the bogus two nation theory, and said it is part of India ( like Bangladesh ) to which it will be reunited one day.
I explained this in my video interview to my friend Haider Raza, a Pakistani who lives in California, and took my interview there
(2) Even assuming I get a visa, the chances are that I will be bumped off by some fanatic the moment I step down from the aircraft on Pakistani soil.
This is because I have repeatedly said that all religions ( which would include Islam ) are false and superstitions, and the truth lies in science, which is constantly developing
I have also praised Mustafa Kemal who modernised Turkey, and asked Indian and Pakistani Muslims to give up sharia, burqa, madasas and maulanas, as these are keeping them backward.
I have said that Islam came in the world as a great liberating force, as it spread the great message of equality, from Spain to Indonesia, and gave social emancipation to the suppressed sections of society ( e.g. dalits in India ), but today it has largely become an enslaving force because of sharia, burqa, madarsas and maulanas.
(3) My Pakistani friends who invited me said that they will ensure state security for me in Pakistan.
But even the then Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, was shot by his own security guard Mumtaz Qadri, just as Indira Gandhi was shot by her own guard Satwant Singh. The Praetorian Guards in ancient Rome, whose duty was to protect the Emperor, often assassinated him.
Thus the so called ‘security’ is in fact no security. There are plenty of extremist organisations in Pakistan which would be happy to bump me off e.g. Tehreeke Labaik, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Tehreeke Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed, etc
(4) The Pakistan army are the real rulers of Pakistan, and they have unleashed a fascist reign of terror in Pakistan after the events of 9th May, 2023 ( which many say were stage managed ).
In several articles I have described and exposed the Pakistan army, particularly its senior officers, as a bunch of corrupt, amoral, mafia type, gangsters, looters, gundas, terrorists, rogues and rascals, and as vampires who have since long been sucking the blood of the Pakistani people
Several army generals, serving or retired, and their relatives are millionaires, some even billionaires. They spend a large part of the government budget on themselves, enhancing their lifestyle and retirement benefits. They are some of the richest people in Pakistan, and after joining the army and getting promoted to senior ranks (major and above) their lifestyle drastically changes. They live in splendour, with huge houses, luxury cars and designer goods.
Ali Amin Gandapur is the Chief Minister of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ( KP ) in Pakistan, and belongs to former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the PTI.
Pathans are a brave people, who cannot be hectored or pushed around by anyone. Their land was invaded by Alexander the Great, the Moghul Empire, the British Empire, the Russians, and the Americans, but they never surrendered, and instead made their country a graveyard of invaders.
About Pathans there is a saying that if you give a Pathan respect, he will jump into a well if you tell him to without a second thought. But if you do not give him respect, and try to bully or cow him down, he will not listen to anything you say.
In Rambo III an Afghan tells Rambo a popular saying : ” May God deliver us from the venom of the Cobra, teeth of the tiger, and the vengeance of the Afghan. Do you know what that means ? “.
To which Rambo replies ” That you people don’t take any shit “.
So I often tell my Pathan friends ( and I have many ) ” You Pathans are a bit manphira ( crazy ) ”.
Ali Amin Gandapur also seems a bit manphira. But there is no doubt that he is a brave man who cannot be intimidated by anyone.
His leader Imran Khan, and his PTI party has the support of probably 90% Pakistanis ( as all opinion polls show ), but by a rigged election in February the Pakistan army, which really rules Pakistan, installed the corrupt PDM in power, with Shahbaz Sharif as Prime Minister. However, despite their best effort they could not prevent the PTI from coming to power in KP.
If the Pakistan Establishment thinks it can lord it over the Pathans and Ali Amin Gandapur, and subject them to their tyranny, they are forgetting their history. They are forgetting what Pathans did to Alexander the Great, the Moghuls, the British, the Russians, and the Americans.
6 Judges of the Islamabad High Court have written a letter to the Supreme Court Judicial Council of Pakistan, whose head is the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, complaining of the interference in their work, threats, and snooping on them by Pakistan’s Intelligence Agencies
The lawyers have called a convention to discuss this brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary
For quite some time it has been noticed in Pakistan that Court orders are not obeyed. For instance, the order of the Supreme Court to hold elections for the Punjab Legislative Assembly on 14th May, 2023, was simply thrown into the waste paper basket.
The latest revelations in the letter of 6 Hon’ble Judges of the Islamabad High Court shows brazen interference by the executive with the judiciary.
This takes us into the question why have a judiciary at all ?
It is in the nature of things that in every society, in all ages, there were, and will be, some disputes between the people, or between the people and the authorities. Hence there has to be a forum for peaceful resolution of these disputes, on the basis of some established principles, by professional experts who are conversant with these principles, known as Judges, otherwise they will be resolved violently by guns, bombs, swords, or lathis. Hence the purpose of a judiciary is to preserve peace in society.
A person presents his case in court, as does his adversary, and then the judge gives his verdict. Even if a party loses, he has the satisfaction that he was given a hearing, and this pacifies him to some extent.
But this presumes that the Judge was honest, impartial, and independent. In Pakistan, unfortunately, these features are missing. An example of this is the clearly dishonest verdict of the 3 Judge bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, which deprived Imran Khan’s PTI party of its symbol
A Pakistani journalist, Sohrab Barkat, of the social media forum siasat.pk, who is based in Islamabad, asked me what I would have done in this situation had I been the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
I told him I would have taken a very tough stand. I would have closed down all courts in Pakistan until the government gives a solemn assurance that it will obey court orders ( subject of course to provisions for review, or appeal to a higher court ), and will respect the independence of the judiciary.
I would have also sent to jail for contempt of court those who defied court orders, however high the person or persons may be
Unfortunately the former CJP Bandial, and the present CJP Qazi Faez Isa, have proved to be spineless in this regard, and the latter has proved to be servile to the Pakistan Establishment, and a disgrace to the judiciary, like a modern Judge Jeffreys.
Ever since he was arrested on 21st March in connection with the massive liquor scam he was expecting millions of people to turn out in protest by holding massive demonstrations in the streets of India, particularly in Delhi. But no one seemed to be interested. No one is happy at the prospect of becoming a shaheed ( martyr ) for this modern ‘Stalin’ ( I call him that as he has said in his message delivered through his wife Sunita ” Aapka bhai lohe ka bana hai ” ), who has since long departed from all his professed principles of integrity, etc
In the above message of 23rd March Kejriwal appealed to people to go to temples to pray for him. None did. They preferred celebrating Holi with gusto ( despite appeals by AAP leaders not to celebrate it ).
In his message Kejriwal also said ” ” Whether inside or outside, every moment of my life is dedicated to serving the country. Every drop of my blood is dedicated to the country,”
This was laughable. The public has understood by now, after bitter experience, that every moment of Kejriwal’s life is dedicated not to serving the people, but to his idea how he can remain in power by hook or crook, and even become Prime Minister one day, for which he regards himself fully deserving. He has mastered the art of Machiavellian ‘realpolitik’.
Even Anna Hazare, on whose ‘imaandaari’ movement Kejriwal rode piggy back, now condemns him.
Kejriwal added in his message that no bar could keep him inside, and he would soon return. He probably imagines he is a Lord Krishna, who after his birth was miraculously taken out of the jail of his mama Kansa. Or perhaps he believes that the jail walls will be stormed and he will be rescued by a huge crowd, like the revolutionaries who stormed the Bastille in Paris on 14th July 1789.
None of that will happen. Kejriwal seems to be in for the long haul
But here is a suggestion for AAP leaders and members who want Kejriwal to be released soon :
When I was a lawyer in Allahabad High Court, and there was a threat that a Meerut Bench of the High Court may be created ( thus drastically reducing our incomes, since Western UP districts were relatively affluent compared to eastern UP districts, and its people good paymasters ), we lawyers of the High Court went on a long strike.
Among the things we lawyers did was to dig a huge ‘agnikund’ ( pit of fire ) inside the High Court premises, into which we threw a lot of wood, set it on fire, and when the flames were leaping high, threatened to collectively jump into it, like a ‘jauhar’ committed by the women of Chittorgarh.
This did the trick, and the government, frightened out of its wits, announced that it had withdrawn the proposal to create a Bench.
I am sure Kejriwal will be released soon after AAP folk do the same ( but I advise them not to actully jump into the bonfire, only keep giving threats ).
But in Braj Mandal ( the area around Mathura city ( comprising of Mathura, Gokul, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Barsana, Nandgaon, etc ) ) it is played for one full week, commencing from Holi Day.
I believe that one who has not seen Braj ki Holi has not seen India
Throughout the week, commencing from Holi day, Braj Mandal is full of colours everywhere. Skits are performed in several places showing Lord Krishna’s life and ‘raas leela’ i.e. dalliance with the gopis ( girls ) of Vrindavan, and especially with his beloved Radha.
On the first day of the week, i.e. Holi day ( which will be this year tomorrow, 25th March ) there will be ‘lathmaar Holi’ at Barsaana, a place about 40 kms from Mathura city. There is a famous Radha temple in Barsaana on a small hill, which I have visited. There women of 80, girls of 5, and females of all ages in between, can be seen dancing all the time.
In Barsaana people do not say ‘Jai Shri Krishna’ as is said elsewhere, but ‘Radhe Radhe’. That is because they believe that Krishna deserted them when he was attacked by Jarasandh and fled to Dwarka in Gujarat, but Radha remained with them.
On this day boys of Nandgaon, which is about 7-8 kms from Barsaana ( and where it is believed Krishna had spent part of his childhood ) march all the way to Barsaana, where the womenfolk beat the former on their heads ( probably symbolising their anger at Krishna who had deserted their Radha ). The boys have to wear protective headgear, else they may be seriously injured, so fierce is the beating.
The last day of the Holi week in Braj is ‘Dauji ka Huranga’. Dauji is Balaram, the elder brother of Lord Krishna, and there is his temple situated about 30 kms from Mathura where this event takes place. There is a square courtyard there surrounded by buildings, filled with 1 or 2 feet coloured water. On this occasion the womenfolk tear off the upper garments of the menfolk there, dip them in the coloured water, and then beat the menfolk with those torn clothes ( probably symbolising getting back at the ill treatment they got from their menfolk for 364 days in the year ). In the meantime colour is flying around everywhere in the air.
I have appealed to Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to also play Holi
Who is behind the ongoing Indian farmers agitation ?
Indian farmers’ agitation.
There was a Farmers’ Agitation in India in 2020-2021, which died down when the farmers’ demand of repeal of 3 agricultural laws was accepted by the Government of India
Now, shortly before the forthcoming parliamentary elections, another farmers agitation, mainly led by farmers of Punjab demanding MSP ( Minimum Support Price ) for their agricultural products, has suddenly commenced.
The news about this agitation has gone viral, and is all over the Indian media. Many people have commented on it, including this humble self :
An interesting and important question is who is really behind this agitation ? There are of course the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and some other groups which are heading the agitation,
But who is really behind these groups ? This is the question which will sought to be answered here. Since my answer may sound a bit bizarre, it needs to be explained in some detail.
Today the main conflict in the world is between USA and China ( which has replaced USSR as the main rival of USA, after disintegration of the former ). China with its massive industrial base, has emerged as a super power, and is aggressively expanding everywhere in the world, hungrily in search of markets, raw materials, and avenues for investment for its huge 3.4 trillion dollar foreign exchange reserve.
Prime Minister Modi has taken India wholeheartedly into the US camp, and the Americans have welcomed this, as they need a strong counterpoise to China in Asia. This would naturally have been strongly resented by the Chinese.
Parliamentary elections will shortly be held in India, and Modi’s BJP seems sure to win a third 5 year term, particularly after the hype around the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and, to a lesser extent, the agitations regarding the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, and the Shahi Masjid in Mathura.
Obviously this prospect would be unpalatable to the Chinese, who perceive the BJP as strongly pro-American. Hence I have a strong hunch that it is the Chinese who are really behind the present farmers’ agitation and the groups leading it.
Now it may be immediately asked : what evidence do I have for such an outlandish assertion ?
My answer is that true there is no direct evidence, but there is also a thing called circumstantial evidence, which is reliance on rational inferences.
Would not the Chinese oppose the pro-American BJP coming to power again by winning the forthcoming elections ? Yes, they will do so tooth and nail. And what better way to do that than by arousing the Indian farmers, who comprise of 60% of India’s population ? And the best way to do that is to start an agitation for MSP.
MSP is a popular demand of Indian farmers, who do not get adequate remuneration for their produce ( over 400,000 of them have committed suicide ), and they want a law guaranteeing MSP.
The Swaminathan Commission set up by the Indian Government recommended a statutory MSP at cost price+50%. In other words, if it cost a farmer Rs 100 to produce an agricultural product, by law the government must buy it at Rs 150. Private traders can also buy it, but they too must pay Rs 150, otherwise they will be penalised. This was the law proposed by the Swaminathan Commission, and being demanded by the agitating farmers, who want to enter Delhi, but are being prevented by the police.
MSP sounds a very rosy idea, and people opposing it risk being branded as anti farmer, and as hostile to our ‘annadatas’ ( bread providers )
However, I submit that MSP is not feasible in a free enterprise economy.
Presently, though MSP is declared for 23 crops in India, it is implemented mainly for wheat and paddy, and that too for only a small percentage of Indian farmers.
70% Punjabi farmers get the benefit of MSP, while less than 10% Bihari farmers get it.
If a law for MSP is made, all farmers in India will demand that the government must buy all their produce at the MSP. This would well nigh be impossible for the government to comply with. The only option for farmers then would be to sell the produce to private traders, but these may be unwilling to buy at the high MSP. They will then covertly buy at lower prices, thus subverting the entire MSP scheme. Moreover this is bound to result in largescale police corruption, as the police will sooner or later grow wise to the underhand dealings, and then start extortion from both the seller and buyer.
Furthermore, the meaning of ‘cost of production’ is unclear
It is estimated that MSP would cost Rs 17 lakh crores, which is half the Union budget.
The Union Govt has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that it would not be possible to determine MSP according to its promise, as such increase would distort the market
I submit that the present farmers agitation is only with an eye on the forthcoming parliamentary elections in India, and the Chinese are behind it.
What is the farmers’ demand?
The farmers’ demand is to get a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) of their crops. MSP is the lowest rate at which the government buys crops from farmers to protect them from market fluctuations and ensure income security. The farmers want MSP to be fixed at 50% above the cost of production, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission¹². They also want MSP to cover all 23 crops under the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)³. Currently, the government only procures wheat and rice at MSP, leaving other crops vulnerable to market forces⁴. The farmers fear that without a legal guarantee for MSP, they will lose their bargaining power and livelihoods. 🌾
What are the three agricultural laws that farmers want to repeal?
The three agricultural laws that farmers want to repeal are:
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020: This law allows farmers to sell their produce outside the regulated markets (mandis) and across states, without paying any fees or taxes. It also permits online trading and contract farming. ¹²
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020: This law enables farmers to enter into agreements with private buyers, such as companies, processors, exporters, or retailers, for the sale of future produce at a pre-agreed price. It also provides for dispute resolution mechanisms and quality standards. ¹²
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020: This law removes commodities such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onions, and potatoes from the list of essential commodities, and deregulates their production, storage, movement, and distribution. It also removes the imposition of stock limits, except in cases of war, famine, natural calamity, or extraordinary price rise. ¹²
The government claims that these laws are aimed at increasing farmers’ income, enhancing competition, reducing intermediaries, and creating a unified national market for agricultural produce. ¹²
However, the farmers fear that these laws will expose them to the vagaries of market forces, undermine the minimum support price (MSP) system, weaken the state-regulated mandis, and favour the corporate sector.
Bill Tammeus is my American friend, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. USA with his wife Marcia.
He had come to Allahabad with his parents and 3 sisters in 1957. Bill’s father was an agriculture expert from Illinois University who had come for 2 years to India to teach modern methods of agriculture in the Allahabad Agriculture Institute.
Bill was admitted to Boys High School, Allahabad (where the famous Indian filmstar Amitabh Bachchan had also studied ), and we were classmates from 1957-1958. He was then about 12 years old.
Later, he went back with his parents to America, and became a journalist in the Kansas City Star (where the great writer Ernest Hemingway had once worked). However, we remained in touch since then, through letters which would take 10 days or more to reach ( there was no such thing as email then ).
Thus, we have been friends for about 66 years, quite a record !
Bill has since retired, and does social work, including serving as a part time preacher in his Presbyterian Church ( for which reason I call him ‘Reverend’ ).
I had requested Bill to be one of the speakers in the recent Christmas special global online webinar of the organisation Ibaadatkhana, which promotes inter faith harmony. I am the patron of this organisation, Tasawar Jalali, who lives in San Jose, California is its Chairman, Irfan Ali, who lives in Princeton, New Jersey is its Vice Chairman, Naren Singh, who lives in California is its Gen Secy, and Ritu Jha who lives in California, and is the editor of indicanews.com, is the head of publicity and public relations.
The video recording of the webinar can be seen on my facebook page.
Bill had to decline my invitation due to prior commitments. He explained that this is the holiday season in America, and everyone’s calendar, including his own, is jampacked well in advance.
However, he sent this video recorded Christmas and New Year greetings.
A Real Father is one who takes care of all his children. He is like a banyan tree which gives shade and protection to all who come under it.
From that viewpoint, who are the real forefathers of the Indian Nation ?
1. The Father of the Indian Nation
The Father of the Indian Nation is the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar ( 1542-1605 ), who proclaimed the doctrine of suleh-e-kul i.e. giving equal respect to all communities, a policy which was inclusive, because of which the Mughal Empire lasted so long.
He built the Ibaadatkhana in his new capital Fatehpur Sikri, a building unique in the world, where scholars and saints of all religions discussed amicably about the good points in their religion
Great Mughal Emperor Akbar
2. The Grandfather of the Indian Nation
The Great Emperor Ashoka ( who ruled from 268 to 232 BC ) is the Grandfather of the Indian Nation.
The Great Emperor Ashok
Emperor Ashoka conceived of the idea of a Welfare State, 2000 years before it was conceived of by Europeans ( see Major Rock Edicts 2, 6, and 7, and Pillar Edicts 1 and 6 ). He regarded all his subjects as his children, attending to their welfare being a king’s duty.
Major Rock Edict 12 ( also known as the Girnar Rock Edict ) of about 260 BC, declares Ashoka’s policy of religious tolerance
( Girnar is near Junagarh in Gujrat, and the Edict is inscribed on a rock, which I have seen ).
” Thus saith His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the King : The King honours all religious sects. His Sacred Majesty does not value gifts and honours as he values the growth of the essential elements of all religious sects. But the root of it is restraint of speech, that is, there should not be honour only of one’s own religion and condemnation of other religions. On the other hand, other religions should be honoured too.
By doing this, one helps his own religion to grow, and benefits the religion of others too. By doing otherwise, one harms his own religion and injures the other religions too. For whoever honours only his own religion and condemns others’ religions gravely injures his own religion.
Hence concord alone is commendable, and all should listen, and be willing to listen, to the beliefs professed by others. This is the desire of his Sacred Majesty. “
3. The Great Grandfather of the Indian Nation
The Great Grandfather of the Indian Nation is Lord Rama, who regarded all his people, not just a section of them, as his children.
The Great Grandfather of the Indian Nation is Lord Rama
If he had been India’s King today, Rama would have given severe punishment to those who committed atrocities on minorities in India.
India is a country of tremendous diversity. Hence the correct policy for running it is as shown by the above great figures, i.e. giving equal respect to all communities. Promoting religious polarisation and communal hatred may benefit some people in the short run ( by getting them votes ), but in the long run it will do great harm to our nation.
As Bheeshma Pitamah told Yudhishthir :
भेदे गणाः विनश्यन्ति भिन्नास्तु सजाया: पराः
तस्मात् संघातयेंन प्रयतरेण गणाः सदा
i.e.
“ Republics are destroyed only because of internal strife among the people
Therefore the authorities in a republic should always strive to maintain good relations among the people “
( Bheeshma Pitamah’s upadesh to Yudhishthir in the Shantiparva of Mahabharat, chapter 107/108, shloka 14 ).
Former Supreme Court Justice Katju Advocates for Dignity and Support for India's Sex Workers, Urges Implementation of Vocational Training Programs
Prostitution is a taboo word in India. It is hardly ever mentioned among people, in the public discourse, among politicians, the so called ‘intellectuals’, in the educational institutions, or in the media, as if the unfortunate sex workers do not exist, or live on another planet, to be given a wide berth, like lepers in the past.
And yet the truth is that in 2007 the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development reported that there are over 3 million female sex workers in India, ( unofficial estimates are there are upto 10 million, many of them children ). India has one of the largest sex industries in the world, a 1 billion dollar one, and fast growing. In perhaps all cities in India there are ‘red light areas’, e.g. G.B. Road in Delhi, Sonagachi in Kolkata, Sonapur in Mumbai, and Meerganj in my home town Allahabad.
There is massive poverty in India, and most women and girls enter the flesh trade not because they enjoy it but due to abject poverty, to fill their stomachs, and once in it they are stigmatised forever, and can never get out, and have to live forever beyond the pale of ‘civilised’ society, which shuns them.
They live horrible lives, the brothel owners giving them little to eat or wear, and they are often brutally beaten by the latter or their customers.
In one of his great poems ( called Chakle ) the Urdu poet Sahir Ludhianvi writes poignantly about their plight :
” Ye Kooche Ye Neelaam-Ghar Dil-Kashi Ke
Ye Lutate Hue Kaarvaan Zindagi Ke Kahaan Hain Kahaan Hain Muhaafiz Khudi Ke Sanaa-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Ye Pur-Pench Galiyaan Ye Be-Khwaab Baazaar Ye Gumnaam Raahi Ye Sikkon Ki Jhankaar Ye Ismat Ke Saude Ye Saudon Pe Takraar Sana- Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Ta’ffun Se Pur Neem-Raushan Ye Galiyaan Ye Masli Hui Adh-Khuli Zard Kaliyaan Ye Bikti Hui Khokhli Rang-Raliyaan Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Wo Ujle Dareechon Mein Paayal Ki Chhan-Chhan Tanaffus Ki Ulajhan Pe Tabale Ki Dhan-Dhan Ye Be-Rooh Kamron Mein Khaansi Ki Dhan-Dhan Sanaa Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Ye Goonje Huwe Qah-Qahe Raaston Par Ye Chaaron Taraf Bheed Si Khidkiyon Par Ye Aawaazen Khinchte Huwe Aanchalon Par Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Ye Phoolon Ke Gajre, Ye Peekon Ke Chheente Ye Be-Baak Nazaren, Ye Gustaakh Fiqre Ye Dhalke Badan Aur Ye Madqooq Chehre Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Ye Bhookhi Nigaahen Haseenon Ki Jaanib Ye Badhte Huwe Haath Seenon Ki Jaanib Lapakte Huwe Paanv Zeenon Ki Jaanib Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Yahaan Peer Bhi Aa Chuke Hain Jawaan Bhi Tano-Mand Bete Bhi, Abbaa Miyaan Bhi Ye Beewi Bhi Hai Aur Bahan Bhi Hai, Maan Bhi Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Madad Chaahti Hai Ye Hawwa Ki Beti Yashodha Ki Ham Jins Raadha Ki Beti Payambar Ki Ummat Zulaikha Ki Beti Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain
Zara Mulk Ke Rah-Baron Ko Bulaao Ye Galiyaan Ye Kooche Ye Manzar Dikhaao Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Ko Laao Sana-Khwaan-E-Taqdees-E-Mashriq Kahaan Hain ”.
The plight of sex workers has been depicted in Indian and world literature, as mentioned below :
In the facebook post below I referred to a case, Buddhadeb Karmaskar vs State of West Bengal, which my bench ( with Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra ) decided in the Supreme Court. The ghastly facts of the case are mentioned in the fb post, hence I am not repeating hem.
In that decision I said that sex workers are also entitled to a life of dignity, in view of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and directed the central and all state governments to frame schemes to give some vocational training to them, so that they could earn their bread by some vocation instead of by selling their bodies.
I retired from the Supreme Court soon after passing the above order, but another bench of the Court hearing the same case gave further directions in the matter
Things being as they are in India, I doubt my order will be implemented ( except paying some lip service to it ), but at least I have the satisfaction of doing my little bit, and creating some awareness in the public about the plight, tribulations and travails of these unfortunate women and girls
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God, that he was resurrected to life after the third day of his death by crucifixion, that he performed miracles, etc, etc.
As an atheist I obviously cannot believe all this. When there is no God, how can there be a son of God ? How can a dead person come alive after being dead for 2 days ? And since I believe in science, how can I believe in miracles ?
What I believe is this : at the time of Jesus, the Jewish priests in Palestine, and particularly in Jerusalem, had become corrupt, and the Jewish religion had become a means of deceiving the gullible Jewish people. Jesus, being a good man, was horrified seeing all this.
Most people who see wrong things going on all around them, remain silent, fearing that if they raise their voice against it, the powerful vested interests profiting from these wrongs will retaliate and do them harm.
However, there are some sensitive and good people who simply cannot tolerate this state of affairs, and become determined to expose and oppose it, whatever the risk. Jesus was one of these. His aim was certainly not to create a new religion, but to reform the Jewish religion and practices, particularly the crooked practices of the Jewish priests. This so infuriated the latter, who fearing that their vested interests would be adversely affected, got him crucified.
Now it seems that when he grew up, Jesus had become some kind of ‘sadhu’ ( like many who abound in India ). He claimed to be getting revelations and messages of God ( like Prophet Mohammad P.B.U.H 600 years later ), and had gathered numerous disciples and followers, particularly since he himself set very high personal moral standards of conduct. After his death, Jesus’ message was spread to many parts of the Roman Empire, particularly by Paul of Tarsus, who could do so because the Roman Empire provided security to travellers.
Jesus’ message was, in a nutshell, this : the Kingdom of God is at hand, i.e. it is imminent, and will come into existence very soon, within one’s lifetime, not in the remote future. So people should repent of their sins and become good, turning over a new leaf, and that will thereby send them to paradise when they die, where they will live a comfortable life, otherwise they will be sent to hell fire.
This message may not make sense to us today, but it made a lot of sense to people living 2000 years ago, when most people were superstitious and unscientific. And it made a lot of sense to the slaves, artisans, and poor people of Rome, who together constituted about 90% population of Rome, and who toiled day and night, doing hard, continuous, unending, nerve wracking work of crushing drudgery, which stultified and degraded them. while the rich senators and merchants of Rome lived in great magnificence and luxury.
To escape from their miserable existence, the former readily accepted a religion which gave them a hope and prospect of leading a happy, comfortable afterlife, devoid of their sufferings. The preachers of this new religion were men who led austere, unblemished, very high personal moral lives, which made their words readily acceptable to the populace.
Once Christianity became well established in Rome, it rapidly spread to other parts of the Roman Empire, steadily gaining more and more converts, and this process was greatly accelerated by Constantine the Great, who became Roman Emperor in 306 A.D. and supported Christianity
I respect Christianity because it gave a degree of social emancipation ( even if mostly in imagination ) to the suppressed sections of society, and I respect it for its ethical teachings. But beyond that, being a scientific person, I regard its metaphysics, etc as mostly unscientific nonsense.
