Taking a statement out of the context and then blowing it out of proportion is nothing new for us. We are sensitively emotional people who take people and statements at their face value. And media has perfected the art.
Now as the frenzy weakens, I a non-celebrity non-media citizen can find some confidence in attempting to make a point. If the irresponsible media had not added masala to the expression of a feeling there was nothing in it.
Aamir has also in a dignified manner capped the subject with his carefully worded statement: “First let me state categorically that neither I, nor my wife Kiran, have any intention of leaving the country. We never did, and nor would we like to in the future. Anyone implying the opposite has either not seen my interview or is deliberately trying to distort what I have said. India is my country, I love it, I feel fortunate for being born here, and this is where I am staying. Secondly, I stand by everything that I have said in my interview.”
I have gone through the complete interview and found it harmless. It was delivered at a reputed journalism award function. If we cannot voice our viewpoint in so dignified a forum and arguably august delegates, then I suppose we our level of tolerance is really low. In such a situation it may be essential for the celebrities of his level to get pre-approved his speech from illegal censor and courts. No further spontaneous open transparent interview.
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He was asked that Aamir, you have never stayed away from taking a stance. Why do you take stance…. Your success is different and not really formula based… how many times it is impulsive and emotional.
Aamir answered it ‘NO regret for any stance. I have faced flak for it but no regret. I did not consider commercial ramification of my stance’.
He said ‘As an individual myself, as a part of the country, as a citizen, we read in newspapers what’s happening and certainly I have also been alarmed. I can’t deny that I am alarmed.. by a number of incidences. For any society it is very important to have a sense of security. I mean there will be acts of violence in world for different reasons. But for us as Indians, as a part of society to have a sense of security… two-three things are very important, I feel. One is sense of justice. If there is a wrong step that anyone takes, then a correct justice is what is required. Common man should feel that justice will be done. That’s what gives a sense of security. The second and very important sense of security is the people who are our elected representatives – people who we select to look after us for five years if at state level or Centre. When people take law in to their hands and when there is a sense of insecurity, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, make strong statements and speed up the legal process to prosecute cases. When we see it happening there is a sense of security but when we don’t see that happening there is a sense of insecurity. So it does not matter who the ruling party is. It’s happened across ages. On television debates, we see where one political party, in this case, the BJP which is ruling right now, is accused of various things. They said, ‘But what happened in 1984?’. But that doesn’t make right what’s happening now. What happened in ‘84 was disastrous and horrendous. At other times also, through ages, whenever there is a violent act, when an innocent person is killed, be it one or a large number, that’s very unfortunate. And these unfortunate moments are the ones when we look towards our leaders to take a strong step. Make statements that are reassuring to the citizens.’
Then he added ‘To complete my answer that there is a sense of fear more than there was earlier. I do feel there is a sense of insecurity. When I sit at home and talk to Kiran. (Wife) Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India? That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet… growing sense of despondency. You feel depressed, you feel low.. why is it happening? This feeling exists in me too’
Like every other part of society… social fabric is reflected in politics, media and entertainment. The social fabric is not the best and it will be wrong that I have complete faith in media
Poor Aamir. He shared a very personal feeling and statement. He erred in transparently sharing it in full confidence with the nation he trust and a media that he respects.
Yes, the viewpoint becomes deeply colored when religious connotations are attached to it. If you were to look it san religion, it seems to ring true. It really does not matter if the statement was by his wife Kiran Rao who media has tagged as ‘his Hindu wife’. Who is intolerant?
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NOW all have taken these statements out of context. But where and why did they miss out on statements by Aamir, where he said.‘Acts of terror are not connected to any religion. If he is a Muslim and he engaging in acts of terror, I don’t think he is following Islam. Or for that matter, somebody who’s a Hindu who is engaging in an act of violence, is not following Hinduism. No religion teaches killing of innocents. When you see an act of terror or violence, instead of calling him a Christian or a Hindu or an Islamic terrorist, you should just call him terrorist and remove the religion tag from it… because he is not doing what religions support. That’s the first mistake when we label them. It’s just a terrorist who doesn’t have a religion. Islam just do not condone or allow killing of innocents. Terrorists have no religion.
Yes, I feel the vast majority of the moderate Muslims are most concerned about what is happening. They feel upset and uncomfortable with what is happening. If I am not mistaken, a number of Muslim organisations have begun to speak openly against the ISIS and similar terror organisations… at least in India
Well, you know, I feel very uncomfortable when you call me modern Muslim. I feel first of all why should I represent anyone and if I have to.. why should I only represent just Muslims and not everyone. You know, so in the capacity of myself as an individual if I am representing my country of society then I am representing everyone. I will stand for everyone. My birth may be in a Muslim household but if I speak it’s for everyone.
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He said towards the end when asked with reference to Paris attack. ‘They were not Islamic acts. A person who is holding a Quran and killing people, he may feel is doing an Islamic act, but as a Muslim I don’t feel he is doing an Islamic act. So I want to disagree with you on that. I am very clear that a person who is killing innocents is not a Muslim. He may claim to be a Muslim, but we should not recognise him as that. He is a terrorist and we should recognise him as a terrorist’
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In this period of volcanic debates across channels and newspapers the Constitution day came and went. Celebrating a constitution that puts huge importance to being secular and gives us the freedom of expression & speech.
In these 65 years, not officially but we have redrafted that to ‘You are free to have any opinion, till the time it is mine’. We forget that in the same world we all have our own mini worlds and experience sharing our conscience. We must expect and respect a differential point of views across subjects. That is tolerance.
I doubt if we are such a weak nation that statement of someone’s insecurity will made or break the code of a nation. We have forgotten that we as a nation take even the smallest of whisper as a feedback. We forget that we should be looking at the root cause of the issues.
I find the reverse swing in the media and political frenzy a sham. When the media itself tries to act a jury and places things out of context. Who is the real victim here?
If you think celebrity Aamir has over stepped the line. You believe he has acted irresponsibly as he is heard and reported across media.
I think he has chosen his words and the ‘PK- Satyamev jayate’ actor has pushed us to discuss and rethink what is the environment we are creating. I am personally thankful to him for doing this at the right time.
We have been banning and have banned lot many things than allowed people their freedom to do. We have been after controlling environment according to our liking.
Now we are banning opinions and free-expression. It is like a pseudo emergency imposed by the unrecognized militia. This forces every one to run for cover and place their finger on lips. Who is the real victim here ?
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Just because we have watched PK and we are open does not mean that he is not allowed to voice his opinion. Yes the Shivaji scene where he is running after him if replaced with Prophet Mohammad as some has pointed- may have had a different reaction. But then that is subset of people and their view point. The act of tolerance and act of religion frenzy should be separated as is the terrorist and religion.
