Markandey Katju

Markandey Katju in 2011

Markandey Katju (born 20 September 1946) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He was also the Chairman of the Press Council of India.

Quotes

• The word "Sanskrit" means "prepared, pure, refined or perfect". It was not for nothing that it was called the "devavani" (language of the Gods). It has an outstanding place in our culture and indeed was recognized as a language of rare sublimity by the whole world. Sanskrit was the language of our philosophers, our scientists, our mathematicians, our poets and playwrights, our grammarians, our jurists, etc. In grammar, Panini and Patanjali (authors of Ashtadhyayi and the Mahabhashya) have no equals in the world; in astronomy and mathematics the works of Aryabhatta, Brahmagupta and Bhaskar opened up new frontiers for mankind, as did the works of Charak and Sushrut in medicine.
  • On Sanskrit, as quoted in the transcript of a speech, titled "Sanskrit as a Language of Science" and delivered on 13 October 2009, published by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

• Many T.V. channels show astrology. Astrology is not to be confused with astronomy. While astronomy is a science, astrology is pure superstition and humbug. Even a little common sense can tell us that there is no rational connection between the movements of the stars and planets, and whether a person will die at the age of 50 years or 80 years, or whether he will be a doctor or engineer or lawyer.
  • On astrology, as quoted in "Justice Markandey Katju on the role of media in India", The Hindu (5 November 2011)

• No doubt the media should provide some entertainment also to the people, but if 90% of its coverage is devoted to entertainment, and only 10% to all the socio-economic issues put together, then the sense of priorities of the media has gone haywire.
  • On Indian media, as quoted in "Justice Markandey Katju clarifies", The Hindu (15 November 2011)

• When I said that 90 per cent Indians are fools I spoke an unpleasant truth. The truth is that the minds of 90 per cent Indians are full of casteism, communalism, superstition.
  • As quoted in "The 90%", The Indian Express (9 April 2012)

• With the aid of science we had built mighty civilizations thousands of years ago when most people in Europe (except in Greece and Rome) were living in forests. We had made outstanding scientific discoveries e.g. decimal system in mathematics, plastic surgery in medicine, etc. However, we subsequently took to the unscientific path of superstitions and empty rituals, which has led us to disaster. The way out of the present morass is to go back again to the path shown by our scientific ancestors, the path of Aryabhatta and Brahmagupta, Sushrut and Charak, Panini and Patanjali, Ramanujan and Raman.
  • As quoted in "Justice Markandey Katju's reply to two students who want to sue him", NDTV (10 December 2012)

• I strongly condemn this crime, and am of the opinion that those who are found guilty by a court of law should be given harsh punishment. At the same time, I would like to know whether the same hue and cry which has been raised about it in the media and in Parliament would have been raised had this incident happened in some other part of India, particularly in rural India. I am sure it would not. But surely Delhi is not the whole of India.
  • On the media attention focused on the 2012 Delhi gang rape, as quoted in "Delhi gangrape: 'Rape isn't India's only problem'", IBNLive (19 December 2012)

• I am a Hindu, and I have eaten beef, and will again eat it. There is nothing wrong in beef eating. 90% of the world eats beef. Are they all sinners? And I refuse to believe that cow is sacred or our mother. How can an animal be a mother of a human being? That is why I say 90% Indians are idiots, Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi included.
  • On beef ban in Maharastra, as quoted in "I am a Hindu, I have eaten beef, and will again eat it: Markandey Katju", ABPLive (22 May 2015)

• Are those people across the world who eat beef are bad and only we (in the country) who don’t eat are saints and seers, whats harm in it when people eat beef, I too eat and will even continue to eat further.
  • On 2015 Dadri mob lynching, as quoted in "Dadri lynching: Cow cannot be anyone’s mother, it’s just another animal, says Katju", The Indian Express (3 October 2015)