Open letter to Janaab Aamir Khan and his kind

A open letter addressed to Janaab Aamir Khan ( unfortunate victim of "insecurity") , his wife,  and the respected  intellectuals/politicians making a brouhaha against " intolerance":

Respected Janaab Aamir Khan ( and your brothers/ sisters protesting against " intolerance"),

Thanks for your enlightening comments on " insecurity "  and  “ intolerance” in the country that you profess to love, resulting in your and your spouse's inclination to leave the country . As a mark of respect for your points, shall we discuss the following enlightening examples of tolerance:

1. Pakistani flag being hoisted in J& K

2. Terrorist strikes/ Riots in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad , Pune and virtually everywhere

3. Liberal Muslim writer Taslima Nasreen being hounded out of India by Muslim fundamentalists

4. Your mocking of Hindu gods in " PK" ( defended by you in the name of " freedom of expression")

5. Janaab Asaduddin Owaisi of the MIM communalizing voters in Hyderabad

6. Janaab Bukhari, imam of the Jama Masjid in Delhi, frequently making politically irresponsible statements

7. Burning of Sabarmati Express  in Gujarat in 2001

8. ISIS infiltration into India over the last few months

9. Support to Saddam Hussain during the Gulf War

10. The growth of the radical Deobandi sect in Uttar Pradesh , which is directly linked to extremist activities

11.  Support and protests against the execution of   Yakub Memon, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts . Support even for Ajmal Kasab!!!

12. Hindus being lured towards Christianity using money and subtle coercion, especially in states like Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Punjab. I live in a state whose very demographics have changed due to this phenomenon.

13.The amount of religious brainwashing that goes on in Christian missionary schools

14. Ever heard of religious excommunication?

I am sure that we can go on expanding the list. Probably you and your friends think of these as  shining examples of “ tolerance”, but we don’t.Of course, none of these incidents ever made you or your wife insecure! How come  moderation and tolerance are expected from the majority community alone in our country by you, your pseudo-intellectual friends and the spineless leaders of the Congress and the so-called "secular " parties ?

I am liberal in our views and do not believe in many of the propaganda of the radical right and the lunatic fringe elements like Bajrang Dal, and I am sure there are many Hindus like me ( indeed, I believe that people should be allowed to consume beef if they want to...what is there to make such a fuss about it ? I myself used to have beef before I gave it up ). But the situation as furnished by you in your interview neither depicts reality nor represents the views of the majority, just as the BJP is not the only party in India. We Indians have learnt to coexist and flourish. I have  worked in a Muslim organization ( one of the only two non- Muslims in a Muslim team), studied in a Christian missionary school ( where we received good education along with some indoctrination into the Christian way) and I am happy to say that I have Muslim/ Christian/ Sikh/ Jain friends and colleagues, and attend both Iftaar parties and Christmas Mass. But we don't take bullshit from hypocrites like you, and many so-called "intellectuals", who want cheap publicity, while exploiting the benefits of a liberal nation where the constitution guarantees freedom of religion and a Muslim , Sikh or Christian can become President, PM or Home Minister( indeed, five years back in our "intolerant " nation, the President, the Prime Minister and the chairperson of the ruling party were all non- Hindus). As for you, try being a Hindu actor in Pakistan or a Hindu politician in Afghanistan ( there.....it sounds so absurd, doesn't it?).

In my current organization,we have people of all religions working together( I have Hindu, Muslim and Christian staff reporting to me)  and i am so sorry to disappoint you ,but no one has ever come to me complaining of " insecurity" , "intolerance" or discrimination at work. In fact , our concern is how to balance the holidays of the staff belonging to different religions. We don't differentiate between Diwali,Eid and Christmas.  We are committed to working honestly,as good citizens, not bullshitting like you and the pseudo- intellectuals who butter the government to get awards and then make a big show of returning them. Whom do you think you are fooling ?

During the recent communal disturbance in Ranchi, I ventured out with a Muslim colleague , who was understandably afraid ( I took the initiative to  find out the facts and assure him that nothing would go wrong )  , to prove the point that religion does not matter; life has to go on as usual , Bajrang Dal be damned. I am not afraid to face the fringe elements to protect a colleague belonging to another religion..Hinduism teaches us  that humanity is universal.  We don’t preach communal harmony like your pseudo-intellectual friends; we practice it and don’t seek publicity for that. There are lakhs of us in this country who do that as a part of our daily lives.

We grew up seeing the Babri Masjid demolition ( a truly shameful incident), listening to Sadhvi Rithambara and others of her kind spew venom against minorities.  Do you understand by any chance that in the present political set-up, these things have been marginalized? Does Modi talk about building temples or building a nation? The same United States which had earlier denied him a visa now embraces him warmly. The Indian economy is progressing ( if you care to read anything other than your own TRPs in the papers) , social indicators are improving, NDA- run states are doing better than their counterparts in all respects . The Dadri lynching took place under the nose of Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, not in a NDA-run state. How many cases of communal violence do you hear from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand or Uttarakhand, which are under NDA rule? And you and the imbecile pseudo-intellectuals have the gall to suggest that things have “ really  deteriorated”  in the last 6-8 months? Whom are you people fooling, really? The people of this nation, or yourselves? Just because Modi calls a spade a spade, you people seek to denigrate him? Are these armchair pseudo-intellectuals doing anything tangible on the ground other than returning their fancy awards? Are you doing anything other than shedding crocodile tears and going on foreign jaunts, buoyed financially by the movie revenue of  a country that you and your wife would love to leave, where the masses have been unfortunately adulating you so far?

An interesting anecdote: In the Old City area of Hyderabad,I was served Beef while the menu card clearly said Mutton.The explanation offered?        " Beef is also like Mutton." An enlightening example of " tolerance", perhaps ? Why force beef upon those who don't want to consume it ? Even in the face  of such provocation, we retain our faith in religious harmony.Because we believe that every one is not the same...there will always be rotten apples and good apples. And I have been fortunate enough to meet and become involved with good people from all religions.

The gym where I work out has a Muslim trainer, and none of the Hindu women even in a deeply conservative place like Ranchi have the slightest bit of hesitation in being trained by him. "Intolerance" ,did you say ?

The  pseudo- intellectuals who are protesting today,shouting and creating a farce,  are of the same creed who had earlier objected to the use of the saffron colour on television.

Stick to the point. If you want to protest against specific issues like the Dadri lynching ( which was truly deplorable and I condemn unequivocally ) , or  the radical  activities of the Bajrang Dal,  by all means , do so, but don't generalize and dramatize things. Because people are educated and aware;  they can see through your hypocritical mask. In any case, sitting in your air -conditioned apartment,in a posh area of Mumbai,  in the midst of luxury, do you really know what insecurity is all about ? Has it ever occurred to you that the real problem of this country is not religion, but poverty ? Have you done anything for this cause other than talking big and gaining TRPs? We work among the masses; we know insecurity when we see it, in the form of poverty, pain, death and disease. Come and work here for a few days, in a  rural area of the most economically deprived state of the nation,  and you will know what insecurity is all about.I know you won't do that,since  opportunists like you love problems,but never the solutions, because it keeps you in the news. If you are really so deeply concerned about " intolerance" , why did it take you 23 years since the Babri Masjid demolition, and 31 years since the horrible massacre of Sikhs in the aftermath of  the assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi,  to open your mouth? Did this " intolerance" come about suddenly like the winter monsoon?

How come you and your darling wife never felt insecure and unsafe when bombs and gunshots racked Mumbai every year and Ajmal Kasab and his gang ran amok , killing innocent people on a  bleak night in 2008 ? Because it was not politically convenient at that time ? Perhaps it was not the right time to feel insecure since Modi was not in power.

In spite of  all this, we still hold in reverence our non - Hindu friends, because ( please note this) , statistically speaking, this is the most diverse yet secular country in the world, with a long history and tradition of  welcoming and accommodating  all faiths. How else do you explain the fact that 23% of Indian states/ UTs (Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab) have a non- Hindu majority? Many other states, such as Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar , Uttar Pradesh, to name a few, have very large non- Hindu populations. Show me one country in the world which manages this integration in such a harmonious way.Are you angry because India has never seen a religious civil war despite this huge diversity? Or , did you decide to join in the merry game that your pseudo-intellectual friends started , since it seemed like the flavour of the season ,and the most politically convenient thing to do?

Just because the NDA is in power doesn't mean the country has become "intolerant". Both Modi and Advani have toned down their radical views over the years. In fact , Advani had even  gone on record praising Mohammed Ali Jinnah ( though I think there is nothing to praise about a nation-breaker like Jinnah). Is it actually a  strong, no-nonsense, non- appeasing government that people like you and your beloved wife are afraid of ?

Probably,in order to feel more secure, you, your frightened wife, your endangered kid ( whose future in an intolerant country you are justifiably worried about) and your pseudo-intellectual friends can consider migrating to a "safe" , " secure", "tolerant" country of your choice, since you clearly do not feel comfortable here despite the adulation of the masses. Which one would you like to pick: Saudi Arabia , Pakistan ,  Afghanistan , Syria, Chechnya,  Nigeria or Somalia ? Or, as a second thought, why not  France, where they are now busy cleaning the country of its Jihadi elements ? I am sure our government will be "tolerant"  enough to arrange comfortable flights for you, your family and others of your kind, and ensure safe and unhindered passage.

It is in this "intolerant" country that you are able to practice your religion without hindrance, carry out your professional work unhindered ( three of our leading male stars being non- Hindus), , and all religions including yours have their representation in public holidays and celebrations, with major arterial roads being blocked during Eid celebrations. Everyone cooperates , and many of us actually join in occassions like Bakri Eid , Iftaar, Christmas or Easter.  Please remember that this is not true for many countries, especially in the Islamic world. I have myself heard many Indian Muslims saying that they feel more comfortable in India than Pakistan. Can you kindly explain why thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims cross over to such an "unsafe" country like India? Possibly because they are concerned with living and earning, and not with duping the masses like you.

As mentioned, this letter is not addressed to you alone. You ,  an actor used to generating tearful antics for the TV , are expected to produce  theatrics for generating cheap publicity. It is the so - called " intellectuals " ,professing to be the guardians of public morality, and the shameless politicians supporting them, who are the real villains, because they started all this nonsense in the first place. For you,  used to shedding crocodile tears, it was only too easy to snap up this opportunity for your own narcissistic purpose. I shudder to think that I used to look up to you as a conscientious and respectable artist at one time.

As I write this,  I can hear " Azaan " going on in my locality.  And no, Hindu extremist elements are not disrupting it. This is in one of the most politically volatile states of this country. Where the hell is the widespread insecurity and intolerance that you and  your pseudo-intellectual friends talk of , I say? You people feel that you will take some incidents and blow them out of proportion, and no one will protest?  Just because you have acted in a few blockbusters, do you consider yourself the guardian of public morality?

Frankly, it's not the pseudo- victims of " intolerance" like you who are at the receiving end. It's the masses of this  country who are real the victims of " intolerance ". Because,to listen to hypocrites and publicity seekers like you and your kind talk crap  for your own vested interests is to stretch the absolute limits of tolerance and patience ( got a movie release coming up,have you?). Post Satyamev Jayate, you have learnt this art well,like the Nazi Goebbels ( another "intolerant" person) , who said that negative publicity is better than no publicity at all. Indeed, God save this nation and its citizens if people like you are public idols.

I won't boycott your movies ( I loved “Three Idiots” , and I don’t know if you realize it, but you have unfortunately turned yourself into a public idiot)  and I won’t stop buying things on Snapdeal, because THAT will be intolerance. You as the actor are ok  with me, as long as you keep yourself confined to that role. Just do what you do best- act in movies. You are not matured enough like many senior movie stars to seriously discharge a role as a public persona. And yes, we  will keep on protesting against you and every damned hypocrite who is having a merry time in targetting a government that shows guts and actually has a plan for the nation. Yes,  we are intolerant, and rightly so, against imbeciles who seek to misguide and polarize the nation. We are intolerant against all elements who seek to destroy this beautiful country, Hindu/ Muslim/ Sikh/ Christian identities be damned. We are , and will be , proud of this intolerance. We will speak up against your nonsense, and will continue to do so.

Lastly, if you feel like leaving this "intolerant" and "insecure " country, JUST PACK UP AND LEAVE. I am sure no one will stop you. This country could seriously do with some thorough spring cleaning.  Please don't waste our precious time with your cheap antics and theatrics.

From

An aggrieved Indian  , living in an "insecure" and " intolerant " country.