Opinion





Those who have not seen Brij ki Holi have not seen India

Those who have not seen Brij ki Holi have not seen India

By Justice Markandey Katju Holi is the festival of colours in India, and marks the end of winter and the advent of spring. Though Holi is celebrated throughout most of India and even abroad ( due to the Indian diaspora ), I venture to submit that those who have not seen Brij ki Holi have not seen India. Brij is the area comprising of Mathura city in the state of UP, India and its surrounding region including places like Vrindavan, Gokul, Govardhan, Barsana, and Nandgaon. It is associated with the life of Lord Krishna, an important god in the Hindu pantheon. The dialect of Hindi spoken there is called Brijbhaasha in which the great poet Surdas wrote. Brij ki Holi this year has commenced on 28th February, which was ‘Lathmaar Holi‘, and will last until ‘Dauji ka Huranga‘ on 9th March i.e. a total of 10 days. Holi in particular is on 8th March. During this period of 10 days the whole of Brij region will be full of colour and festivity. Lathmaar Holi, which marks the commencement of Brij ki Holi, was celebrated on 28th February this year, and takes place every year in Barsaana, which is 40 kms from Mathura city. It is believed to be the home town of Radha, the chief consort of Lord Krishna. There is a temple of Radha in Barsaana on a hillock, where people of all ages can be seen dancing and singing throughout the day. In Barsaana people greet each other by saying ‘Radhe, Radhe’ instead of saying ‘Jai Shri Krishna’. That is because Krishna fled to Dwarka ( in Gujarat ) when King Jarasandh attacked Mathura, thereby abandoning the people of Brij, but Radha remained with them. In Lathmaar Holi the young men and boys of Nandgaon, where Krishna spent part of his childhood, walk 9 kms to Barsaana, and are beaten with lathis ( sticks ) by the women of Barsaana ( the young men wear protective headgear to prevent serious injury to their heads, as the beating is usually on the heads ). Thereafter Holi is celebrated for…





debate opinion

Construction of Qutub Minar

By Justice Markandey Katju A few days back I went to the Qutub Minar in Delhi and took the pic given below. justice katju at qutub minar Thereafter I received this email from a certain Mr Gill : ” Sir, I am a great fan of yours and also follow you on Facebook.  I have a great curiosity about how Qutub minar must have been constructed.  It couldn’t have been from inside because you have to maintain fineness and accuracy from out side, and since the diameter goes on decreasing, every time you have to check its accuracy.  You did nothave modern and fine instruments and implements during those times. Since its not plastered, there are no signs of scaffolding. Then how was it constructed ? Was it  not scary doing work from outside at such a great height. And it was a period when you did not have cranes or lifts. Please throw some light on this GS Gill ”. Since I have no knowledge of architecture, I forwarded Mr Gill’s email to my niece’s husband Christian Schimert, who is a German, and is a highly qualified and experienced architect living in Vancouver Canada, asking him whether he could answer Mr Gill’s queries. Christian sent this reply to Mr Gill, copying it to me ( and he has given me permission to mention his name and email id ) “Dear Mr. Gill, We have very good records of how European Cathedrals were built in the 12th and 13th century, which matches the construction period when the Qutb was erected. I do not know too much directly about construction methods of the islamic influenced world at that time period. However, since it was Greek and islamic influenced mathematics and geometry, which enabled the European builders, it can be assumed that some of the construction methods in the islamic world and hence the Mughal Empire were similar too. Back then they did have cranes built from wood, operated with kind of hamster wheels occupied by some poor workers running in them. These were connected to pulley systems. The cranes sat on…



Samrat Ashoka

Emperor Ashoka’s 12th Major Rock Edict

In India, even many educated and sober people have become highly polarised. My own experience is that it is very difficult to discuss present-day politics with Hindu friends or relatives, for they often spout venom against minorities ( particularly Muslims ).



Debate Opinion

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan should be renamed The Jurassic Republic of Pakistan

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan should be renamed The Jurassic Republic of Pakistan By Justice Markandey Katju The misdeeds of the rulers of Pakistan are accurately described in this poem : Zameen bech daali zaman bech daala Lahu bech daala badan bech daala Kiya mere gulshan ki har shay ka sauda Shajar bech daala chaman bech daala Kiye the naukri-o-makaanon ke vaade Meri jaan-e-madfan kafan bech daala Main roti-o-kapdon mein uljha raha Ek nashai ne mera watan bech daala Details are given in the links below : Pakistan’s Never-Ending Cycle of Religious Barbarity Continues Upsurge In Forced Conversion Nankana Lynching Is Plain Viciousness And Barbarism. Where Is Pakistan Headed? Enough Is Enough: Pakistani Females Deserve To Live – And Die – Peacefully Women’s Safety Is No Longer A Walk In The Park In Pakistan Suicide Rate Increasing In Pakistan Freedom of Speech Under Siege In Pakistan Pakistan Treats Baloch People As Children of Lesser God The misdeeds of the rulers of Pakistan who looted the country for decades, has left the country bankrupt, majority of people destitute, hungry, unemployed, etc and with skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. This prompted the great Urdu poet Habib Jalib to write this poem about them. Habib Jalib Poetry – Hukmaraan Ho Gaye Kamine Log




justice markandey katju

Why does Justice Katju say, “Today I may be alone, but…”

Today I may be alone, but gradually a group of patriotic people will be created who will spread my ideas. I will certainly not be alive when the actual revolution takes place ( since I am too old ), but I will have helped creating the leaders of that revolution.



A Tale of Two Dinners

A Tale of Two Dinners

This reveals how backward Indian society still is, and how long will be our road to modernisation.


Yogi Adityanath

Justice Katju writes to Yogi Adityanath on misbehaviour with Kashmiri dry fruit vendors in Lucknow

Justice Markandey Katju Today I came to know of a disgraceful incident in Lucknow regarding some Kashmiri dry fruit sellers and how they were treated by some miscreants. Hence I sent this email to Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of UP : Respected Yogi Adityanathji I am writing this email to you in connection with a disgraceful incident which happened to some Kashmiri dry fruit sellers in Lucknow. Some miscreants threw their goods into the Gomti river and allegedly beat them up. Details are given in this tweet, by which I came to know of the incident. "कश्मीर से आये मुस्लिम ड्राय फ्रूट विक्रेता की पिटाई कर सारा सामान नदी में फेंक दिया" यूपी के लखनऊ में गोमती नदी के पुल पर ड्राई फ्रूट्स बेच रहे कश्मीरी युवको का सामान अराजक तत्वों ने नदी मे फेंक दिया। pic.twitter.com/CPxViJOY9I — Huzaifa Aamir Rashadi (@HuzaifaRashadi) February 4, 2023 My interest in the matter is that I too am a  Kashmiri, and hence I have a special bond with Kashmiris. Moreover, such incidents disgrace the whole of India, and I am writing to you as an Indian citizen. Please get the incident thoroughly and speedily investigated, and ensure that the miscreants are severely punished in accordance with law. Please also award adequate compensation to the fruit sellers expeditiously. They have come all the way from Kashmir to eke out a hand to mouth living, and must be given full protection. With regards Justice Markandey Katju Former Judge, Supreme Court of India Democracy means the people are supreme : Justice Markandey Katju interacts with law students