Articles

An Episode We Could do Without

By Ranjit K Sahu

The secularism bug seems to have bitten a few selected individuals again and they are writhing in pain. Not that it has harmed them in anyway. On the contrary it has harmed the very social fabric they intend to protect from disintegration! The ruckus being created by the intellectuals and guardians of freedom of speech and free thinking has created ripples and though the source itself has now become obscure, its effects have reached divergent shores disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. Was there a purpose for raising this bogey in the present situation when the country is trying to stabilize on the economic front and is struggling for image makeover in the world scenario? We may never know. Yet it is important to examine the implications of these actions of selected individuals on the psyche of the society.

The latest such issue is the volley by Aamir Khan in the public that he felt insecure in the country. There has been a volley of offensive remarks against his blurt from celebrities while he has been supported by an equal number of enthusiasts who go by his vision. The amount of response and counter response to his remarks on the social media has been overwhelming with people swearing allegiance to either camp.

While some supported his cause saying that as an individual he has a right to express his opinion, others questioned his patriotism. Somewhere hidden in both these approaches is one single truth and that is people and the society expects Aamir Khan to behave in a certain manner, at least in public. There were people who said it was his personal matter. However in a country where film start and cricket players are accorded status of the highest kind, it is obvious that these people need to be prepared for any negative criticism as well while uttering their views in public. You need to take the brickbats and roses both in your stride.

What looks ridiculous though is that when these issues are tagged with the concept of tolerance. It is simply an irony of our times that tolerance is expected from the exploited and the victims and not vice versa. The people who bore the injustices of partition as a nation are further asked to show their patriotism by tolerating what may in any other nation be considered as an indication of anti-national rhetoric. Yes Aamir Khan is free to express his opinion. But then he should know better as an adult how to express his thoughts to drive home the right message to the right people citing the right context in the right manner.  It is just incomprehensible to the common man how could a rich and popular actor feel insecure when he has both money and power in a nation that worships these attributes!

And if he felt that he was being branded due to a rising wave of nationalism across the country, he may well re-evaluate his assumptions in the light of existing conditions around the world. Every country and every political, religious and social set up has its own prejudices and preferences. Humans have been categorized from the time of early civilizations into us versus them based on various factors like color, wealth, power, occupation, immigration status, religion, language and beliefs. Society is evolving but still the human race carries a baggage of this with it all over the world. Thus crying about discrimination and victimization would neither do any good to Aamir Khan or anyone else.  He will definitely find someone to support his statement in a population of 1.25 crores. However if he could use his personal aura and his social outreach to identify himself as a part of the society and use the same to convey a message of equality and prosperity to the youth instead of complaining about the negative aspects which may or may not be present, he would further cement his place as a person of substance.

He may have tried to contain the damage by declaring his intention to stay in India but he now need to do more in terms of active actions to demonstrate that he really means it. Lest he forget, it is only this country that could accept him as a half naked character in a movie which would have been highly unacceptable  had it been in any other country with an orthodox outlook that considers both movies and nakedness as against the tenants of its religious beliefs. He should be proud that he belongs to a country where the youth are evolving with times and shedding their concepts of religion, sex, color, caste and looking forward to determining a future for themselves through hard work and imagination. If he could be a part of the wave and progress along, it will be an ode to a nation and a new generation. Else he will soon be lost in the a wave of the emerging generations that have begun to look to assert their identities as Indians and that too as efficient and progressive individuals in the modern world.

About The Author: Ranjit Sahu, was born in India and is a doctorate in biotechnology. He has published two books in poetry ( 2005: A Year of Love and Drunk ) and his poems have appeared in the website of Poetry.com. Presently, he is working on several volumes of poems with different themes.

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