Markandey Katju : A few days back a ‘shok prarthana sabha ‘ was held in Delhi on the death of a well known Kashmiri Pandit. I did not go there ( I rarely go to such functions ), but a close relative of mine went, and later said that after the shok sabha several Kashmiri Pandits criticized me vehemently for the various statements I have made. Some even suggested that I should be taken for mental treatment. This is my fate. Even my own biradari condemns me.
Some time back I had been invited for a function in Allahabad, my home town, and I had accepted the invitation as I had not visited Allahabad for many years. Out of my 70 years of life about 55 have been spent in Allahabad, so I was happy I got an opportunity to go there. Later I got an email stating that the programme had bben cancelled due to financial constraints. My guess is that the real reason for cancellation of the programme was that some high ups were unhappy with some of my statements.
The Vice Chancellor of Jamia Milia University, Delhi, Dr.Talat Ahmed, had said to me that he would like to appoint me as senior consultant in the University, and I accepted, but a few weeks thereafter he told me that there were some objections to my appointment. The head of Amity University, Dr. Ashok Chauhan, also has reacted in a similar manner, and I have yet to hear from JNU.though I was told a proposal had been sent a couple of mionths back.
When I went to address a function organized by the Commerce Department of the Delhi School of Economics in the NDMC Convention Centre a few days back I was told by Prof. J.P. Sharma, the Head of Dept. that the previous evening the Union Ministry officials had telephoned and said that the programme was cancelled. It was only after vociferous protest that the function could be held. at all. But all this has not rattled me at all. I will do my duty to my country at all costs. As the great Urdu poet Majrooh Sultanpuri said:
“Sar par hawa-e-zulm chale sau jatan ke saath
Apni kula kaz hai usi baankepan ke saath”
जाने-माने जस्टिस मार्कंडेय काटजू के फेसबुक वॉल से.
