The “Where were you when that happened” rhetoric seems to have faded off this time in Aamir’s case. The usual “politically motivated” jibe has also been reported missing. Questions of “doing it for money” will be no less than a joke.
And so, there is a new one in the market. “If not India, where will you go?”
Pretty sure this naive argument of how people are mistreated in Middle East or our favorite neighbor Pakistan, would be another response to my blog. Is the idea of our country so weak, that we have to bring in comparisons from other countries? Especially ones which are countries which are ruled by concepts of One Religion?
Sorry, but I don’t live in a Hindu Country. And would fight to not turn into one, if I have to.
The common thread binding all the reactions is, that it shows why people are okay with Intolerance.
Yes, they all are okay with it. They tell is, Sure there is Intolerance in India, but then it is there elsewhere too?
I don’t live “elsewhere”, I live in India. I’ll judge my country based on what it stands for.
This isn’t altogether new. When Dadri happened, there was the need to justify it. Justification that this might be a result of a local conflict, instead of being a case of a person being killed because of eating Beef. Not to forget that even a forensic test was carried out on the meat.
But then we’re okay with this. Why should anyone eat something which one community doesn’t eat ?
When media reported incidents like Dadri, they were accused of leaving out another story of a certain “Prashant Poojari” who was killed by “Muslims”.
Sadly, when reports showed two people who are not Muslims were arrested by the Mangalore Police, hardly anyone reported. Now, was the Indian media selective? Or was it you?
But then we’re okay with this. Why bother when the news has died down?
Fact is, people are okay with Intolerance unless it directly affects them. Indians are not alone in this, but since we are discussing India, let’s skip that part.
When Aamir’s PK was released, there were protests. Protests not because he was showing fraud babas from Hindu religion, but why is he only showing the Hindu ones? A series of attempts to hold protests to paint him as an anti-hindu actor was evidently seen across the county.
The reactions to the whole Intolerance debate are testimony to why we are okay with Intolerance. We don’t shout down the fringe in unity. We verify which side is he on, and the decide. We have our own biases when the “fringe” speaks. Why?
Is it because it is easier to let the fringe speak for yourself, while expecting things to be “better for you” in a Hindu Rashtra? You don’t need to look further than our “favorite” neighbor when they let the fringe take control for our convenience. So, while we deny any association for what the fringe says, we’ll still continue to reap the “rewards”. Look where are countries which thought like that, now?
But then we’re okay with it. They are the torch bearers of our religion, no ?
The so-called apolitical people like Anupam Kher is the go-to person for issues where famous people speak out against “Intolerance”, speaks on why we should all stand behind India.
Yes, we do Sir. We do. And that’s why we are speaking out to keep the Idea of our India intact. Will not speaking out save it from being overtaken by fringe? Can anyone guarantee us that there won’t be another Dadri ? Because if the PM takes 15 days to respond to Dadri even when wishing every Tom Dick and Harry on his birthday, what should we expect?
But then we’re okay with this. As long as we’re holding huge rallies on our foreign trips?
YES. Like everyone else, even I wouldn’t like my country to be called Intolerant. But denying the fact that the atmosphere has become intolerant won’t turn our country tolerant.
There is a quote from Aamir’s Rand de Basanti, “Koi country perfect nahi hoti, banana padta hai” (No country is perfect, we have to make it perfect).
Abuses hurled at Aamir Khan, a few days back on Shahrukh and anyone who has remotely suggested that there is Intolerance, are proof enough why these statements are being issues. Although both of them never actually said, “India is Intolerant”, they remarked how there is rising Intolerance which needs to be taken care of. Are they wrong ?
This won’t happen if you keep yourself on the denial mode and continue living in the dreams.
Unless you realize that your denial is only going to make the situation worse while these politicians milk away votes and then money from you. This also gives enough reasons for fringe to develop in other communities. The vicious cycle of hate gives rise and keeps adding fuel to it.
Let us stand behind India and not behind these politicians who support this sort of divisions. Idea of India needs to be saved. Hiding behind the shroud of “We are a tolerant country” won’t save us, but will turn us into a Hindu Pakistan.
Sanit Nair
People who sit in AC rooms and travel via AC car and flight 365 days an year and live in 5 Stars will never understand what true intolerance is on the streets for the middle class who has to struggle and yet not get their due, that is precisely the reason why AAMIR KHAN who has earned more than 1500 crores in a country like India has no moral right to talk of any intolerance when he hasn’t really faced any trouble in India ever. Thats why he does not deserve to be the ambassador to India and rightfully he has been shown the door.
Regarding Saudi/Pakistan being 1 religion following nations, thats not the case, even in those countries there are minorities but their condition is pathetic because the religion is majority is Islam and not Hinduism. Hindu majority country would be a little better, I am not saying we need to establish any hindu rasthra BUT if at all there could be a tolerant religion as majority then it is hinduism since it is more of a dharma than a religion.
Coming back to improving India and all that …. Noble thought really … However supporting Aamir Khan is pointless … The likes of Akshay Kumar, Bachchan sahab and Nana Patekar are to be followed in bollywood, not opportunists like Aamir Khan ….
mohammadfarooq
India functions well coz it is a democracy without a religion as its “official” religion. You can check any state of the world.
Leave aside Aamir Khan, there can be hundreds of stories of people who can tell you about Intolerance they’ve faced.
Sanit Nair
Ok putting aside Aamir Khan I have to say growing population is what is the source of unrest, not to mention lack of empathy in people, quality of education in kids being not upto mark, many things for that matter. Sometimes small things like you visit a monument or some place of heritage and you find ‘lovers’ scribbling their names on it to spoil the beauty of it, thats intolerance too, respect for the nature and things around you needs to be taught to people on then can they be more tolerant, as we grow in number we are striving for success with more competition and the middle class suffers more due to crowded roads and more busy lives than their ancestors, more greed in people because they ain’t happy right since childhood …… All this results in intolerance …. RELIGION hardly has ANY ROLE to play in our lives …. One needs to cut down the number of humans in India to reduce intolerance and then needs to educate people as well in a better to make them better humans and for that one needs to respect environment around us a LOT ….
Nd yes Hindu faith being “official religion” is better than Islam being majority ….. As weird as it sounds but Islam can easily survive in India one its own even if India were to be hindu rastra …. Not that I want a hindu rastra, just saying…. However hinduism cannot survive if India becomes Islamic rastra …. proof is islamic countries where other faiths have not survived …. struggled like hell …. So this talk of India becoming Hindu Pakistan is absolutely false …. VHP or Bajrang Dal are too insignificant an organisations to make a difference to anyone and can be crushed just like that if the situation demands….
mohammadfarooq
If you don’t want a Hindu Rashtra, why even bring it up?
Also, comparison cannot be made as to which religion would be better if made the official one. There’s no Hindu nation to cite an example. It would be comparing Apples and oranges.
Amir
Seems like you dont the the history of middle east and south asia. Better first real world history than bark. Islam is a faith, which says there is one god, which was long present long before the birth of muhammad(pbuh). Even Jesus(pbuh), abraham(pbuh) and noah(pbuh) had spoken the same things spoken by muhammad(pbuh) about the one god, which was practiced by the middle east and elsewhere. After birth of muhammad, islam(faith of one god) rises and accepted by the majority of middle east upto africa, Persia even in china and indonesia etc. Islam was the major religion practised by majority of middle east, with a single state “caliphate” which was destroyed and cut into slices by french and britain after world war 2 resulting in small small muslim countries throughout middle east. Those countries practiced islam before there creation so what you say is absolutely foolish that other religion will vanish if any country ll become islamic. Its absolutely rubbish. Because a country become islamic when people of that country accept islam. Like indonesia was a buddhist nation 100 years ago and now it is the country of majority of muslims. The point is that whatever you think or believe, islam was fastest growing religion before birth of chirst (spreaded by teachings of abraham), islam was fastest growing religion before muhammad,(real teachings of jesus about one god)) islam was fastest growing religion after muhammad, 700 AD, till now islam is the fastest growing religion. Even it is the fastest growing religion in countries like usa, whole of europe, china etc. So dont just hate. First understand what Islam is and what it says and you will realise that why people are afraid of islam. People who want curruption are afraid of islam, people who want wars are afraid of islam, people who want to become rich by oppressing poor are afraid of islam, thats the reason islam is portrait bad by those warmongers and currupt people who are in power.
Sanit Nair
@Amir
22 arab countries with same language, same religion are divided amongst themselves, can’t live peacefully. The whole Syrian war is about the sunni pipeline vs shia pipeline to europe and people like you make a living calling it western conspiracy. Not once you guys point at Saudi royal families mischief to keep their hegemony intact and you take credit saying Islam is fastest growing religion ?
People all over the world are realizing that concept of religion (be it any) is outdated in the 21st century and they are becoming atheist/agnostic, you are busy converting people to your religion and thinking you have done a great job ?
What has Islam contributed to science and technology till now ? Any great inventors of anything ? Except making money from Oil what has Islam followers done till now ? Lets not gloat on how many gullible public have converted to any faith, its pointless, talk in terms of what people have done for humanity if possible.
Dadri Incident was an unfortunate event condemned by all, but people like you push Malda incident under the carpet. Islam has got its problems of not having reformed enough every religion has had it and eventually it will reform or perish like many other religions. Your wet dream that people are afraid of growth of Islam is hilarious. More Muslims have died in Islamic wars and long before America Britain came into play. America is just 300 years old. Arabs have been fighting since past 1500 years.