Aamir Khan has started a strong debate in India.
By Sreekanth A Nair
Oscar Award winning composer A R Rahman has come out in support of Aamir Khan and has reinforced the growing resentment in India of systemic intolerance in the country spewing from the antics of far right Hindutva parties and their supporters.
Rahman said on Tuesday said he identified with Aamir Khan’s statement on growing intolerance and that his wife felt like leaving the country when he said he too faced a similar situation a couple of months ago, reported The Times of India.
Rahman was referring to Mumbai-based Raza Academy’s fatwa against him after he composed the music for Iranian film ‘Muhammad: Messenger of God’, which alleged that the title was humiliating to the Prophet. At that time, chief ministers of Delhi and UP had cancelled Rahman’s concerts at the last minute. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad was quick to invite the Oscar award singer to “re-convert to Hinduism”, saying it was time for his “ghar wapsi”, the Times report said.
“I had gone through something similar a couple of months ago,” Rahman said, in Panaji. “Nothing should be violent. We’re all ultra-civilized people and we should show the world that we are the best civilization,” the composer said.
Meanwhile, BJP and BJP-supporting Bollywood actors came down heavily on actor Aamir Khan after he joined the debate on so called ‘rising intolerance’ in the country, on Monday..
Meanwhile, opposition leaders came up in support of Khan and alleged that the government was trying to suppress difference of opinion.
While speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards on Monday, Aamir Khan said that his wife Kiran Rao had expressed her concerns over raising communal clashes and was thinking of leaving the country.
“When I chat with Kiran at home, she says, ‘should we move out of India?’ That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day. That does indicate that there is this sense of growing disquiet, there is growing despondency apart from alarm,” he said.
In response to his comment, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Minister of State for Minority Affairs said, “We won’t let Aamir leave the country, he is safe. This kind of comment influenced by a politically motivated campaign insults those who have given so much honour to Aamir in India.”
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affair, said that the number of deaths in communal clashes had decreased after the BJP came to power and “to make a blatant statement is not proper.”
Prominent Bollywood actor Anupam Kher tweeted: “Dear Aamir Khan, Did you ask Kiran which country would she like to move out to? Did you tell her that this country has made you AAMIR KHAN.”
“Intolerance!PK did rattle the belief of Hindus, but Aamir dint face the wrath of Hindu or THE MAJORITY n but was super hit n made crores!,” tweeted another actor Paresh Rawal. He criticized Khan in a series of tweets.
Supporting Khan, the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “BJP shud stop silencing voices thro abuses n threats. Its high time centrl govt took concrete steps 2 instil sense of security amngst people.”
Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja joined the discussion by tweeting a more controversial comment against Aamir Khan. “Dear Aamir Khan, If You Really Want To Leave India, Just Leave It. Please Don’t Insult My Country By Saying It’s Intolerant,” he tweeted.
2 Comments
Why no reservation for majority in jobs, sarkari naukri etc etc… We want nothing but still you cry ” Hindu Fanatics and Hindu Taliban…. ” while when terrorist attack happen you started saying terrorism has no religion… Ask this first.
we are discussing a lot about intolerance. some are believing there are
many intolerance happened before and some are saying there is no
intolerance in the country since we got freedom. I shall ask you few
questions to you, who is hardly believing there is no intolerance in
India. How Many of you allow you to go out your sister, Mom, Daughter
after 10 PM, why people are murdered of eating beef, why our sisters are
getting Raped in Public, why we are afraid about our safety, why always
minority people are getting vanquish, So we all ask ourself and decide
is there any intolerance in India or what ..?????