Of late there has been
much brouhaha about “growing intolerance” in the country. Actions reactions and
what not!! Being opinionated is one thing and being partisan is another and
being a partisan celebrity wielding BIG, POWERFUL words/phrases such as
“intolerance,” “not being secular,” “worst crime as a patriot,” “growing
despondency” openly in the public is seriously an act of irresponsible
citizenship!!!!
Our constitution
provides for the freedom of speech but it also warns us to use it prudently and
not to ignite disharmony amongst the masses. Having said that, I must say that
both the sides - Amir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and the like, and Yogi Adityanath and the rest, both are contributing to the
confusion, disturbance, furore, brouhaha, anger
and angst amongst the masses.
By saying this I do
not imply that people should not speak up about the problems in one’s own
country, or that speaking about insecurities in public should be banned.
However some things should be taken into consideration: One word coming from
the mouth of a celebrity is taken very seriously by the masses, the biggest
example is companies minting money just by getting a celebrity for endorsing
their brand!!! People buy Boroplus thinking that they will look like Kareena
Kapoor and Amitabh Bachhan!!! And one of the reasons why India could
dexterously eradicate Polio was because Amitabh Bachhan in his characteristic
baritone showed them the way. So a person in such a position should be careful
while speaking in public and not hurl words which would make the entire nation
upset.
Moreover, a
celebrity living ostentatiously, having securities hovering around them 24x7
claiming in public that his wife feels insecure because of some untoward
happenings is something which is not true, and they themselves know while
making such statements that this would be sensationalized beyond limits!!! And
then they start ranting about the sensationalism, which they invited and wanted
so badly!!!
Many people have
argued that what Amir and SRK did was just a way of discussing and voicing out
the current situation in India and their fears. Just like we too do when we are
frustrated or disappointed about something, isn’t it? Oh yes, that is true.
Just the other day I was complaining about the bad roads in Kolkata and the
government which is doing nothing about it and the Bengalis who are tolerant
about everything. But the fact is neither have I called a press conference to
voice that out and create a ruckus, nor will people react to what I say being a
commoner that I am.
What do they expect
they hurl BIG words generically labeling the entire nation and putting them
under one roof and they will escape the wrath, the fury, the questions?? What
exactly are these luminaries doing by returning their awards?? What purpose
would returning an Award serve?? I am clueless?? What kind of a protest is
this?? Do you think people would really care for an award that you have
returned or would it actually really matter to the one’s returning the award,
if not for the fact that they are being googled at an alarming rate at this
juncture and their fame is sky rocketing?? Had it been that they marched for
justice, observed the Gandhi way of fasting (though I do not approve of it),
even then I would have applauded their efforts as something really caring for
the nation and its people. All of these influential people will never do
that….they would never leave the confines of their comfortable homes.
The killing of MM
Kalburgi and Mohd Ikhlaq is condemnable and action should be taken against the
perpetrators of crime. But this kind of mob eccentricities were present and
triggered every now and then time and again. Why was there no protest when Taslima
Nasrin wrote Dwikhondito she received the same treatment and had to leave
India, why were no questions asked when Ram Swaroop’s book Understanding Islam
through HADIS was banned owing to furor in the Muslim community and its
publisher arrested, why was nothing said when Salman Rushdie’s book had to be
banned, and many more, why nothing happened then?
What is SECULAR
according to our constitution? The word secular in our constitution is used in
sense of the relation between the government and the people and it means equal
freedom and equal respect to all religions. India is a secular country and
always will be.
INTOLERANCE is a
BIG word and it cannot be used generically to define the entire Nation that is
India. And just the way SRK had said “MY name is Khan - Khan from the
epiglottis and I (We) am not a Terrorist”. Similarly I am an Indian, and just
because of the mistake of some rowdies, I (we) are not INTOLERANT. We are a
very tolerant mass of people.
