There's never a dull moment with retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju. An avid blogger and social media enthusiast, the 70-year-old, who also happens to be former chairman, Press Council of India, has entertained many and infuriated even more people with his opinionated posts on social media over the last few years.
On Tuesday night, the maverick judge, who loves to rake a storm in a cup every once in a while with his strong opinions on things big and small, posted a status message on Facebook that began with the usual dramatic flourish:
"Probably this is going to be my last facebook post."
What followed was in the same tone and tenor that Katju's more than 3.85 lakh followers have come to expect from him.
I am a man of 70 and have very few years more to live.
I tried to pass on all my knowledge I acquired in my life to you, so that you may benefit. This knowledge I acquired from my gurus, before whom I stood with folded hands for decades before they gave me that knowledge. But what did I get in return? I got mostly abuses from most of you, because most of you are stupid and arrogant, and have no desire to learn.
I am sorry I even tried to teach you. So, goodbye.
As was to be expected, the post was widely shared and commented on, with some of his followers remonstrating with the good judge, exhorting him to stay on, while some others expressed relief and wondered whether something in particular had upset him.
Katju then appears to have taken a screenshot and posted it as an image on Twitter with a message saying, simply: 'Goodbye'.
He did not specify whether this was meant to be a goodbye to Twitter as well, or was merely an announcement of goodbye to Facebook.
However, on Wednesday morning, the post could not be spotted on his Facebook page. While the post had disappeared from Facebook, a reminder was left behind on Twitter:
Goodbye pic.twitter.com/ynyOaYKi24
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 26, 2016
In between, by way of an explanation, Katju also chose to pin, on top of his Twitter profile, an old tweet from January 19, simply saying "Time to stop" with a longer post from Facebook enclosed, expressing his increasing dissatisfaction and fatigue with these interactions, concluding with these words:
now I intend to write fewer posts and only when they are required by the changing circumstances
Time to stop. pic.twitter.com/bJfMgoH97m
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 19, 2016
As an explanation, though, it could be best considered cryptic, for the simple reason that it remains unclear whether he was reassuring his followers that he would continue to post "when...required by the changing circumstances" or whether this was just background information as to what may have led him to finally decide to say goodbye.
Dedicated Katju watchers would recall that he had once earlier disappeared for a long spell from Twitter in 2013, soon after people claimed on his behalf that his account was hacked when tweets, which appeared to be from him, with Urdu poetry addressed to various journalists, started doing the rounds.
In the last few weeks and months alone we have got excellent examples of why, even if he may be too prolific, Katju was an asset to have online. At the start of the year, when asked to predict what he expects from 2016, the former Supreme Court judge told Scroll that conditions will be more and more like features of the Kaliyug, according to the Puranas.
He then called Delhi women "vishkanyas (poison women)", made statements regarding his disapproval of gay marriages and has even asked for "beautiful women" to be elected as politicians.
A sampling of just his pronouncements on the controversy over Jallikattu, a Tamil tradition involving bull-baiting that animal rights activists have called torture, gives you the full spectrum of what Katju offers: from critiquing the court he once sat on to throwing regionalism into the mix, to making reference to European history and literature to self-effacing (religious) humour.
The Supreme Court today passed a silly order staying Jallikattu, for which all preparations had been made. Tamilians are deeply distressed
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 12, 2016
No problem, Just change name of the event to ' Pongal Vilayaattu ' i.e. ( Pongal sport ).and go ahead. There is no ban on Pongal Vilayaattu
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 12, 2016
Supreme Court trying to stop Jallikattu is like King Canute trying to tell the waves to go back
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 12, 2016
Taking anti-biotics and hot fluids. I think it is a punishment to me by Lord Shiva for displeasing him by supporting Jallikattu
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 11, 2016
Tambrams may be excellent in physics and mathematics, like Raman and Ramanujan, but when it comes to relieving the distress of the people,
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 13, 2016
, you need the brains of a Kashmiri Pandit. e.g. Could a Tambram have even conceived of Pongal Velayaattu ?
— Markandey Katju (@mkatju) January 13, 2016
Meanwhile, on Twitter, the reactions remained, as always, mixed. A sampling:
@mkatju Goodbye. We want 2 learn from the young people like Adi Shankaracharya & Swami Vivekananda.They died at the age of 32 & 39 rspectvly
— Tapan Ghosh (@hstapanghosh) January 26, 2016
Dear @mkatju Sir,many times I hav agreed with ur views,many times opposed but I have always found u as a man of guts. 70 is not age to quit.
— Abdulla Madumoole (@AMadumoole) January 26, 2016
@mkatju You are a modern day Rishi. Let us be blessed with your wisdom. As an Allahabadi we have special claim upon you.
— Lalmani Tiwari (@TiwariLalmani) January 26, 2016
@mkatju sir, don't leave twitter..ur tweets & blogs r quite informative..I also started reading some books after u mentioned them in ur blog
— Paresh Rawal (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) January 26, 2016
@mkatju Sir, u tries to pass on ur knowledge to a country where 90% people are idiots. How could they use it? Please try again.
— Optimist (@DesiOptimystic) January 26, 2016
RT if you feel bad for Katju. As stupid as he is; kinda sad to see grandpa figure so hurt.
— flying fafda monster (@slyandsulk) January 26, 2016
Katju is quitting Facebook like it's the cheerleader squad. The other girls don't like him and he thinks they're stupid. #teenage
— Arpitha Desai (@arpithadesai) January 26, 2016
@JayaniGautam Katju is the biggest disgrace Indian judiciary ever had. @INCIndia
— Bimal Pr. Mohapatra (@bimal_pr) January 26, 2016