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Gandhi was a British agent who did great harm to India: former Indian SC judge

Markandey Katju says Gandhi continued British policy of divide and rule

Web Desk March 12, 2015

PHOTO: REUTERS

A former judge of the Supreme Court of India has termed Mahatma Gandhi, India’s ‘father of the nation’, a British agent who did great harm to India, Zee News reported.

Markandey Katju in his blog blatantly stated that he was unopposed to making statements that would in turn make him “very unpopular”.

“I say such things as I believe they must be said in my country’s interest,” the former judge said.

Read: Mahatma Gandhi remembered on anniversary of death

He backed his statement by giving a list of reasons pertaining to explain just how India’s father of the nation continued the “British policy of divide and rule”.

Katju said Gandhi would bring religion into the sphere of politics for several decades, with emphasis on the Hindu religions ideals such as celibacy, protection of cows, and the caste system.

He questioned why a political leader used this ideas, and what effect they would have on orthodox Muslims.

Read: India's Sonia Gandhi hospitalised for infection

“It would surely drive him (an orthodox Muslim) towards a Muslim organisation like the Muslim League.”

“Was this not serving the British policy of divide and rule?” he asked.

COMMENTS (22)

Stranger | 9 years ago | Reply Ufff Here a WB There a WB everywhere a WB . WB on articles secion , WB on blog comments section . WB Is there any way we can get rid of you dear ?

Mulana Diesel | 9 years ago | Reply @Deepak: If we tried to understand what you said, I can assure we are going to live with peace even in separate countries.

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Ariba | 9 years ago | Reply Only 19 comments in total. Where is 1.25 billion Indians who rant all the time on Pakistani news websites? ET plz let this one get posted.

Deepak | 9 years ago | Reply Two nation theory alienates human, I am sure every Pakistani will believe that Islam is tolerant religion, then why a paradox of partition by a selected few? How can any Muslim believe in two nation theory when Islam tolerated Hindus for centuries and lived side by side. Two Nation theory contradicts Islam!

jay | 9 years ago | Reply @jun: Jinnah ? how many times did the British put Mr Jinnah in jail ? Remember the call of direct action day by Mr Jinnah , How many people died in those riots ? Pakistan sent tribals to Srinagar, what do u expect Indian to do sit and watch ..... You can also read Jinnah love for wine and pork on google.who coined the word Kafir E azam ? plz google just like u ask us to read MG sexual encounters ..... BTW Jinnah would have been a target in Pak since Jinnah was a Shia ! ET Some one making fun on Mr Gandhi has to be answered back ... DNT censor !!!!

Sun Tzu | 9 years ago | Reply This is a healthy development to strengthen Indian democracy - no topic should be taboo. No leader should be worshipped. EVERYONE starting with the 'Father of the Nation" must be subject to transparency and public scrutiny and debate! Bravo India......

ModiFied | 9 years ago | Reply Mr Katju loves to remain in news by giving controversial statements now and then. Hope Pakistanis remember his statement two years ago that Pakistan will sooner or later break down and will merge in India (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/pakistan-will-be-reunited-with-india-says-katju/article4476192.ece)?

C. Nandkishore | 9 years ago | Reply I wish all the judgments given by Katju as a judge should be reviewed again.

Ouch | 9 years ago | Reply Ouch!!!! that must hurt the feeble egos of people across the border. I have a feeling not many will dare comment here. If they will, they'd try their best to discredit the gentleman who made these remarks. Oh well, indians and there fascination with Pak.

BlackHat | 9 years ago | Reply It is not reasonable to judge history or historical personalities through the prism of present values. It was Gandhi who first mixed religion in politics and Jinnah was the last. But then, most of India's population was poor and illiterate. Centuries of socio-political instability, marginalization had made most indifferent to who ruled the land or to the politics that went on. The INC was there before Gandhi came on the scene. But the leaders were educated elites who barely connected with the poverty stricken masses. The general population was very devout and god fearing. It was under these circumstances, traveling across the country, that Gandhi understood that the only way he could touch the hearts and minds of the people effectively was through the medium of religion and thereby awaken a people from slumber and pave the way for emancipation and independence. He was not a bigoted partisan of a religion. He said "Ishwar, Allah tero naam ...". He advocated use of Hindustani instead of bickering over Hindi and Urdu. He said Hindus and Muslims were the two eyes of Mother India. He believed in the composite culture of a plural India. Yes, it was Gandhi who first mixed religion in politics and Jinnah was the last, both accomplished their missions more or less successfully.

Hozur | 9 years ago | Reply By making such comments this "eminent judge" hopes to get into the good books of BJP.Looking for a continued tenure even after retirement and tha is his great contribution

amir jafri | 9 years ago | Reply The British, in ww2, were completely defeated by the Japanese in South Asia . They ran away abandoning even their Australian ally. The decision to abandon IMperialism was already made then..IF Subhash Chander Bose, the real hero of freedom was not kicked out of congress by this charlatan, India would have WON freedom rather then GRANTED freedom. NO nation has ever achieved freedom and independence by dialogue and signatures....That is called a revision and reediting term of slavery. America, the first colony of England achieved this by rebellion, by killing the British masters, THose seeking freedom develop hate for imperialista..they play baseball, not cricket..football not soccer, drink coffee, not tea, drive right side, change light switch positions, and refuse to speak in king's english. On the contrary the Indie-Pakie slaves love english language, love cricket...are terrified if not allowed in British commonwealth....These hash brownies have a lot yet to learn from the American Blacks...who were chained, enslaved physically but never in spirit and mind. The Presence of Emmex, fair and lovely, and english-medium O/level riffraff kind ...and the portrayal in Bollywood (now MOLLYWOOD?) of dark faces painted snowwhitish to give an impression "no Desi lives here" is the reason the worlds looks at these 2 living wonders of the world. They wonder, " these guys don't have their own language and culture? these 2- numberees trying to impress us with english and white make up?".... No wonder there monkey-donkeys and toata-mainas are the butt (ha Ha ) of all the jokes around the world.

woody | 9 years ago | Reply Another pseudo intellectual who conveniently overlooks the fact that this "British Agent" was largely responsible for India's independence from the Brit. If he was a British Agent he did a lousy job.

wb | 9 years ago | Reply @wb: "Markandeya Katju was against Modi during Congress rule and he’s not against Gandhi during BJP rule." Major correction. I meant, he's NOW against Gandhi and not 'NOT'. Funny how the keyboard works, or is it the subconscious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shah | 9 years ago | Reply It was Gandhi and Congress that brought religion into politics. That important fact is frequently suppressed in the history books.

jun | 9 years ago | Reply @Stranger: He said that after India gets its independence,he would throw the weapons into the Indian Ocean.Rather,soon after independence,he ordered his army to attack Pakistan to get Kashmir.He blessed his army.It is recorded in the history books.He always said that Muslims Hindus are brothers,like Cheen Bhai Bhai,but when his own son joked that he has converted to Islam,he was thrown out from his home.Read the accounts of his close secretary who wrote about his sexual experients in the name of mediations.At least Jinnah was straight forward guy.Brits were not afraid of Gandhi but Jinnah.So India owes Jinnah more than Gandhi.Jinnah should be the Real Independent Fighter,Father of Indian Continent.

John B | 9 years ago | Reply Some people have no relationship to their education and enlightenment. Gandhi was a pain in the neck for Brits. They wished he would have never came to South Africa. It has become fashionable in BJP circles to malign INC to present congress politics and they make a good effort in fooling themselves. Then again, unless we have fools, we cannot distinguish intelligent people. Here is a political science lesson to all those who are still interested in Gandhi: Gandhi was not a politician. He was a social reformer of that time and his social reformation methods touched politics, stood the test of time and applicable even today. And that is the reason, whatever he touched blossomed, in S. Africa, Britain, in India and elsewhere. He emancipated the minds of the Indians wallowing in social segregation based on caste and religion, understood the world he was living in and India his party was going to inherit. Gandhi knew the great divide that existed between the dalits and other Hindu classes, and between hindus and muslims of that time and unless he unite their minds, he knew India was not going to prosper and independent India will be same old British raj or the kind of previous generations. He was the voice of Indian souls of his generation who were longing for a messiah to rescue them from the wretchedness- social, political, spiritual, psychological- they were trapped in for centuries. Creation of PAK and independence of India are collateral outcome of the time. Independence was a foregone conclusion following WW I. Gandhi set the tone of modern India and Jinnah set the tone of PAK.

Stranger | 9 years ago | Reply Even the dead are not spared by these so called today's intellectuals . We are born in a free country only because of MG and the likes of him . I am not saying ONLY MG but there are many like him ( including him ) . MG did what he thought was right. Leave the dead pet alone now please. So much energy , time and money spent on some person / thing / logic long dead and buried. Try to spend half of the resources on living ones . You will be surprised at the positive results .

Ramesh | 9 years ago | Reply I always had this question in the back of my mind. A careful analysis of Gandhi's Satya movement will reveal that he was encouraged by British authorities and the purpose was to counter rather weaken the parallel but strong movement of Netaji(Subhash Chandra Bose). This movement was well organized and the British were fearful of popularity of Indian National Army particularly among rank and file of the military and emerging Indian officers class.Making it simple the British were not ready to face another mutiny and that also at very crucial time.

wb | 9 years ago | Reply Markandeya Katju was against Modi during Congress rule and he's not against Gandhi during BJP rule. Interesting fella.

Pity | 9 years ago | Reply Now Indians will descent to prove that Gandhi was indeed a 'British agent'.

Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply Dear Indian and two nation theory rejectionists, the stage is set for you ;)

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