Alaarming India

The last week saw almost everyone talking about what Aamir Khan had to say about leaving India and how it was wrong and so forth. I think that the people who are criticizing Aamir for having made that comment don't seem to recognize that there were a lot of other things that he said besides expressing concern over his wife's doubt as to whether India is anymore a safe place for them or their children to live in. And there is very little that we could disagree with him on regarding what he had to say in entirety. He said that when we find our leaders not prosecuting people who are found to be making intolerant comments, when we find that the government in power is not reassuring its people over the fear that some people are trying to spread, then the people would naturally be forced to express their protest. Whether it is just by voicing their concern or by returning their awards. As for whether returning the awards is the right way to protest- Aamir said that as long as the protest is non-violent, people should not have a problem with the way. Aamir referred to how some people are trying to justify what is happening in India today by what happened in India back in the 84' riots. He said that what happened in 84' was wrong and what is happening in India now is also wrong.
What is ironical is that within this very gathering that Aamir spoke, we also had BJP's frontline leader Arun Jaitley who, as Aamir began the discussion, agreed that people from all walks of life should express themselves on the things that they feel strong about. And the irony is that the very party that Arun Jaitley belongs to has opposed Aamir by making some shameful statements (something that they seem to have become used to of doing). Statements like Air India tickets can be arranged for Aamir if he wants to leave this country; or that the population of the country will  reduce a little if some part of the population leaves the nation, etc., have been made from the BJP's MPs and MLAs. I have even received some What'sApp messgaes asking people to boycott watching Aamir Khan's Dangal and ShahRukh Khan's Dilwale.
But I don't think that there is any wonder in the same. We have been known to be a nation living in denial. We can't seem to accept that something is wrong even if the wrong is right in front of us. We want to hear that India is the greatest country on earth even though the very Prime Minister of the country right now is a man whose biggest political mileage has been the communal riot that took place in Gujrat in the year 2001. And people here have helped him to win with a mandate not seen in the last thirty years. It is the same mindset which makes us ban a documentary like India's Daughter because it shows Indians and their culture in a bad light. It demonizes us. Well, you can't blame a documentary from drawing a bad conclusion about the country if that is what we deserve. And you can't demonize an actor from calling the situation in the country alarming if the situation is alarming.
But we don't want to hear such words about ourselves. It hurts our pride. It puts a dent in the thinking that we are the most civilized, ancient and cultured nation in the world. 
Well, we can either consider these as offences or as an opportunity to see what's really wrong and make the necessary correction.


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