These two came from nowhere, and disappeared into nowhere
By Justice Markandey Katju
It is said that Hitler came from nowhere, and disappeared into nowhere.
I submit the same will be said about Narendra Modi one day.
Neither of them made any contribution for the good of mankind
Napoleon, though a soldier, instituted a number of lasting reforms : centralised administration of government, set up a higher education system, a central bank, the Code Napoleon ( which was a great step forward in jurisprudence ), and a road and sewer system, many of which are still in place today.
Winston Churchill led the British people against Nazi Germany when they were all alone in the world.
Mughal Emperor Akbar proclaimed the doctrine of 'suleh-e-kul' or giving equal respect to all religions, at a time when Europeans were massacring each other in the name of religion.
Great thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau and the thinkers of the Enlightenment ( like the French Encyclopedists ) strongly attacked the feudal system in France and religious bigotry, thus making a tremendous contribution in transforming the feudal societies of Europe into modern societies.
Progressive statesmen, scientists, engineers, writers, artists, educationists, doctors, etc have made great contributions which benefited mankind.
But what have Hitler and Modi contributed for the good or advncement of mankind ? Nothing, unless hatred and atrocities on Jews and Muslims be regarded as a great positive contribution. I could not find a single intellectual idea in their heads ( unless saying we had head transplant sugery and genetic engineering in ancient India is a great intellectual idea )
So these two, who came from nowhere, will one day disappear into nowhere, though leaving behind a dreadful, dark memory.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court. These are his personal views.)
