Author: Dr Vijaya Rajiva
Publication: HaindavaKeralam.com
Date: February 4, 2010
URL: http://haindavakeralam.com/HKPage.aspx?PageID=10316
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has managed
to stay in the news for the last few days prior to the screening of his film
'My Name is Khan'. His comments about the inclusion of the Pakistani cricket
team in the IPL series were meant to be a statement on liberalism.
Pakistani players are amongst the best in
the world India should have therefore included them in the IPL.
On the face of it, it all looks quite 'liberal'
and harmless enough. But is it? The Shiv Sena predictably reacted very strongly
and accused him of being unpatriotic. At a London Press Conference SRK asked
quite disingenuously: what should I have said ? what do they want me to say
?
In the opinion of this writer, it is not what
he should say, but what he should not have said and here is the entire story.
At a program hosted by NDTV's Prannoy Roy Shah Rukh Khan publicly stated that
Pakistan is a great neighbour, let us love them! SRK's body language, facial
expressions and the words he used showed insensitivity to the history of Indo
Pakistani relations in the last 60 plus years.
The captive audience, mostly of very young
people burst into applause. It is not necessary to remind readers that Pakistan
is far from being a 'great' neighbour. Since Mohammed Ali Jinnah proclaimed
Direct Action Day in 1946 and started the massacre of Hindus in Bengal, Pakistan
has been a not so great neighbour. Its leaders have openly stated that they
intend to administer a thousand cuts to India (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) and have
continued to do so in practice.
Should India 'love' such a neighbour? It is
clear that SRK was using his star power to influence a gullible Indian public
into indiscretions, just as the Aman ki Asha project has been trying to do.
And today's news is that the Foreign ministers of India and Pakistan are scheduled
to meet shortly to discuss ALL issues, including terrorism. This at a time,
even as we speak, the very terrorist groups are meeting in Pakistan Occupied
Kashmir, to plot their strategies. Pakistani officials are blandly stating
that they are only discussing Kashmir!
It is time that the Congress came clear as
to what it is up to.
Shah Rukh Khan, ofcourse, in not a politician,
but in the name of liberalism he is creating a smoke and mirrors effect whose
result, intentionally or unintentionally is to disarm the Indian public and
help to let down their guard.
(The present writer has already raised some
of these issues in the article 'The Road Show: The Aman ki Asha tamasha and
its twin The Road Map to Peace ' ) (Haindavakeralam, Jan. 21, 2010).
Nothing has changed in the situation.
In 2008, two Bollywood actors Amir Khan and
Saif Ali Khan, used the 'liberal' argument to justify their participation
in the carrying of the Olympic torch to the Olympic games at Beijing. Their
basic argument was that the games belonged to everybody, not just China. They
were able to sustain this phony 'liberal' argument by ignoring the fact that
the Chinese were using two prominent Muslim personalities to disguise China's
suppression of minorities, the Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang and the Buddhists
of Tibet.
The football player Baichung Bhutia saw through
this ploy because he knew that China was engaged in a cultural genocide (and
probably more) of the Tibetan Buddhists.
One can think of many such 'liberal' arguments,
for example the participation in the Olympic games held in Hitler's Germany,
under the argument that the games did not belong only to Germany.
The Shiv Sena often cries 'Wolf' but in this
instance there is something to be said for their hard line stance against
SRK. What is troubling is the report in The Pioneer that even the BJP supports
SRK on this question. The Pioneer ran a report which said:
"The BJP has also come out in support of the star." (See 'SRK sad
at furore over his IPL statement', The Pioneer, Wednesday, Feb.3, 2010).
However, a report in The Hindu says a different
story. BJP leader Shaina N.C. is reported to have met the state Police Chief
seeking protection for SRK. The report also states that she is a good friend
of Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan.('Police protection sought for screening
of My Name is Khan, Feb.4,2010).
This might indicate that it is MS. Shaina's
personal interest rather than a political statement by the BJP. It is not
clear what the BJP spokesperson's statement today is. Shri Mohan Bhagawat
of the RSS is absolutely right in saying that Mumbai belongs to all Indians
and that RSS cadres should look out for all citizens in Mumbai, especially
the North Indians and Biharis. And this would include SRK also. Neverthless,
it is incumbent on the BJP to explain the difference between protecting SRK
and justifying his attempts to effect a rapprochment with a hostile neighbour.
SRK is being targeted not for being Muslim,
but for muddying the waters vis a vis Pakistan. And the IPL was right in sending
a certain message to Pakistan that cricket and terror cannot be mixed (journalist
Shoburi Ganguli in The Pioneer) One can take this further and say : cultural
and artistic ambassadors of goodwill should be in sync with the nation's security.
Ganguli made two important points: cricket and terror do no go hand in hand
; the IPL was sending a clear signal to Pakistan.
At present SRK is taking a hardline position
and refusing to apologise for certain statements. The stand off can go either
way. And if it is a question of being vigilant vis a vis a dangerous and unreliable
neighbour, the Indian public must wake up to the facts.
- (The writer taught Political Philosophy
at a Canadian university).
