-: [rti4empowerment] Children's legal Notice to Justice Katju on "idiot" statement [1 Attachment]

[Attachment(s) from Amitabh Thakur included below]

Friends,

My children, 1^st year L.LB student Tanaya and her brother Class 11^th student Aditya have sent a legal notice to Justice Markandey Katju on December 9, 2012 regarding his statement about 90% of Indians being idiots; published in various newspapers on Sunday, 9^thDecember 2012. They have said that being average citizens of India, they were deeply hurt and humiliated by Justice Katju's words. They further added that Justice Katju's statements would deprecate the reputation of India and its citizens and a person of Justice Katju's stature should have deliberated on the implications of his statements. They have asked Justice Katju to issue a public apology, and in case this does not happen within a period of 30 days, they would move to the court.

I present a copy of the letter these two youngsters drafted and sent on their own, for your kind perusal and reactions, please

Amitabh Thakur

Lucknow

# 94155-34525

To,

Sri Markandey Katju,

Chairman,

Press Council of India,

New Delhi.

Subject: Regarding your statement about 90% Indians being idiots.

Sir,

We are Aditya Thakur, 14, and Tanaya Thakur, 17, residents of 5/426 Viram Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. We are students of Class 11^thPolice Modern School, Lucknow and 1^st Year BA.LLB at Chanakya National Law University, Patna respectively. We are writing this letter to you regarding your statement published in various newspapers on Sunday, 9^th December 2012 and reiterated from your contribution to The Indian Express editorial page.

Being average citizens of India, we in most likeliness fall in the same 90% category and were deeply hurt and humiliated by your words. Both of us have huge respect for you and have time and again found your views to be insightful and illuminating. But we also hold India and Indians in high regard and anything which undermines the honor of the country or its citizen affects us directly. As per an article in the Times of India and various other English newspapers, your words were: - "I say ninety per cent of Indians are idiots. You people don't have brains in your heads ... It is so easy to take you for a ride." You further added: - "You mad people will start fighting amongst yourself not realizing that some agent provocateur is behind this" and "You are idiots so how difficult is it to make an idiot of you". The newspaper further states that you said these harsh words to 'make Indians, whom he loved to understand the whole game and not remain fools.'

In our opinion, the aforementioned statements would help in nothing but deprecating the reputation of India and its citizens. No country in this world is free of riots or differences and India is no exception. The reasons for the unrest are different in different nations and calling the citizen of one of these countries 'idiots' and 'mad' is no solution. . A person who holds as esteemed an office as you should have deliberated on the implications of your statements. Your opinions are considered important not only in India but also abroad. In these circumstances when you call us 'fools' and 'idiots' it is bound to be taken in the negative sense and will have an undesirable effect on our country and our character in the eyes of the rest of the world.

Being Indians and being firm believers in the ideals enshrined in our constitution, we ask you, in this letter to kindly take your words back and issue a public apology. In case this does not happen within a period of 30 days; we would be left with no option other than to move to a suitable judicial forum for defamation and hurting public sentiments.

Letter No: AT/MK/DR-01

Dated- 9/12/12 (Aditya Thakur) (Tanaya Thakur)

5/426 Viram Khand,
Gomtinagar
Lucknow.
# 94155-34525

; ;

__._,_.___

Attachment(s) from Amitabh Thakur

1 of 1 File(s)