A country with a billion fools By Justice Katju

I once said 90% Indians are fools

https://www.newslaundry.com/2012/04/26/katju-on-90-of-indians-being-fools

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-90

I also said that it is dangerous to joke in India, because these fools will not understand you are joking

https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2024/08/03/opinion-it-is-dangerous-to-joke-in-india.html

For instance, I once said on my fb page that since Pakistanis keep demanding that Kashmir should be given to them, we should say we will give it provided they take Bihar also with it. Now anyone with even a little common sense would have understood I was joking. How can I, a retired man, give Bihar to Pakistan ?

But soon afterwards demonstrations were held against me all over Bihar, posters with my picture on it blackened, and my effigies burnt. The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned me, and a police case for sedition was filed against me by an MLA.

Similarly, I said in lighter vein on fb ” Why can’t Bengalis find a good husband for Mamata Banerjee ? ”. A TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said he would slap me if I come to Kolkata for saying this

https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/will-give-him-tight-slap-tmcs-kunal-ghosh-on-markandey-katju-asking-bengalis-to-find-mamata-a-good-husband-3487773

https://thephilox.com/it-is-dangerous-to-joke-in-india/
Some time back a lady lawyer messaged me ” My Lord, please give me tips on effective arguments in the courtroom ”To which I replied ” Judge ko aankh maar do ”

I also wrote as a follow up ” All lady lawyers who winked at me in Court got favourable orders ”.

All this was as a joke. But what I forgot was that 90% Indians are fools, who cannot understand that I was speaking in lighter vein. And now these fools are shouting and screaming ( rather, braying ) against me, calling my remarks sexist, distateful, demeaning, etc, etc and demanding that all my judgments be reviewed

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/wink-supreme-court-ex-judge-markandey-katju-woman-lawyer-problematic-sexism-fairness-judiciary-heres-how-2774730-2025-08-21

https://www.news18.com/india/lady-lawyers-who-winked-at-me-got-ex-sc-justice-markandey-katjus-advice-triggers-row-ws-l-9520206.html

https://www.livehindustan.com/national/former-sc-judge-markandey-katju-faces-backlash-after-suggesting-a-woman-lawyer-wink-at-judges-for-favorable-orders-201755792751210.html

https://www.msn.com/en-in/entertainment/bollywood/lady-lawyers-who-winked-at-me-got-favourable-orders-former-sc-justice-markandey-katju-draws-backlash-after-controversial-x-post-later-deletes-it/ar-AA1KVqXe

So my recommendation to all Indians is: never joke. It is dangerous to do so. You may get embroiled in a criminal case filed by someone whose ‘feelings have been hurt.’ And always have a funereal, sullen, morose, surly, melancholic, humorless, gloomy, grim, stony, dour, forbidding, and somber countenance. That is the only way to keep out of trouble in India.