Dear Bachhanji,
I wouldn’t have written
this letter but for your comments... Strangely as they irked me, there was
something inside me strangling to talk to you.
The recent rape
incidents in Kathua and the one in Uttar Pradesh have fuelled in all of us a
riot of emotions ranging from horror, disgust, depression, outrage, anger and
your comment affirms that unlike many other thick skinned devils who justified
the brutal rape and murder, there is a celebrity ‘dadaji’ full of sympathy and
compassion. You are a celebrity, one of the biggest India has ever seen and you
know well the ‘dos and donts’ of life of a celebrity; I am a nacheez to
make you aware of one of the dos and of the burden of your responsibility that
lies on your strong shoulders, today, in the times when violence has been
normalized. People are killed for their religion, their castes, for marrying in
to other communities. Crimes, rapes and other horrendous incidents are being
used for political gains and for stoking communal hatred, be it of religion,
ethnicities or caste. We are learning to live these incidents as if they are a part
of daily life because apart from being horrified and disgusted, what else can a
common man who works from 9 am to 7 pm do for such cases. Instances of unprecedented
violence are far too numerous to register individually a protest against and I
will not elaborate on those incidents of violence here.
For many of us in
India, and by us, I am talking particularly about the so-called middle class
that I belong to, our families nurture values of sincerity, obedience, modesty,
dedication towards work, taking care of one’s family and treating our neighbours
and guests as one’s own family members. The general outlook of a ‘normal’
family, - which is also seen in the elite classes or their counter parts from
the weaker sections of Indian society, is that politics should be kept away
from our personal lives. That politics could be idealist, that it could be
based on certain principles or moral values is hardly ever imagined and/or accepted.
Our families perceive it as bad, only for the corrupt, always done for one’s
gains and interests. Anything to do with politics is better left to ‘them’ –
the politicians or the rich and the well connected. Coming from a background
that has had good family connections with political parties, you are well aware
of the reality that politics is something that touches our lives whether we are
concerned about it or not. Unlike my mother who asks me to switch off the TV
when gory images of the battered body of Ashifa are shown, for she feels that
this disturbs the mental peace and the good vibes in our home, you know very
well that the brutal rape and murder of an eight year old is haunting us all. Unsettling
images of Ashifa have been inscribed in our memory, the chilling rape and
murder has already devastated us, it has disturbed the inner peace we always felt
in our family and in our homes.
Your aura is that of a swacch,
huge tide wiping clean the shores and it is at this opportune moment that
you have to listen to your conscience and act accordingly. I very sincerely
feel that you must use your tidal powers and this is the moment for you to act.
This particular incident is unique in ways it unfolded, and is still unfolding.
Rather than refraining from commenting, do seize this opportunity to speak loud
and clear, (- just as you acted and emphatically said in the movie Pink, “A NO
is a NO”), of what needs to be done, of a fair and fast trial assuring justice
for the departed one who will never see the meadows she was so fond of. In
response to a question, you said, “uss vishay ko uchhalo mat” - your comments
smell of repugnance and horror, I am certain of that and it is precisely for
this reason that in my opinion, you must rethink considering a stance for
campaign(s) you have been endorsing till now. Sir, these times are begging you to
act, else no matter how much respect, satisfaction of being a brand
ambassador for campaigns or happiness you get from any action done for your nation,
no matter the popularity or riches you earn, your grand children will remember
you as someone who didn’t voice his opinion at a time when it needed the most.
Regards,
Yours wannabe fan
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