Being Aamir Khan

The gross over-reaction to Aamir Khan's statement has only validated his deep-rooted fear about Indian intolerance

Aamir Khan’s statement that his wife, Kiran Rao, suggested leaving India in the wake of rising religious intolerance has turned the superstar into India’s most attacked, at the moment. The vitriolic outrage against Khan from all quarters, which include scathing rants, police complaints and death threats, has been shocking to say the least. People threatening to uninstall the Snapdeal app (of which Aamir is the brand ambassador) unless the company dissociates itself from him, is beyond ridiculous. That said, I can see why a section of people are feeling betrayed with his remark, which to them is smacking of ingratitude. After all, India is the country that has created, fed, loved and protected Aamir for decades. In crisis, we need public figures to stand by the nation and find ways of alleviating the menace. While these might be mildly reasonable points of view to explain the national fury against Aamir, I believe as much, that Aamir (much like every individual) has the right to express his opinion — right or wrong.



Freedom of speech is a fundamental right and this isn’t the first time a Muslim star has spoken out against the environment in India. So why single him out? I’m sure that Kiran and Aamir have valid reasons for fearing India’s growing intolerance. The rising incidents of communal hatred are a cause for concern. Aamir’s statement needs to be viewed in perspective — it is in the nature of a plea and need for course correction. It raises a valid concern about the country’s contemporary polity and politics. The panoply of rage against him for candidly discussing his family’s fears in public is unfounded, considering that the ire should, in fact, be directed at the miscreants who perpetrate heinous religion-based crimes. If anything, the gross over-reaction to Aamir’s statement has only validated his deep-rooted fear about our intolerance.

 Indians lash out at Aamir Khan for statement on intolerance

Tailpieces

1) The emergence of the Islamic State (IS), while an enormous threat to the developed world, is in fact a far bigger threat to Pakistan, which has been unable to eliminate the TTP. Pakistan cannot afford to become a hotbed for another terrorist outfit, especially one that is moneyed and impeccably organised. This will further worsen the country’s internal security and external image. The IS has gained rapid traction in Afghanistan and has started spilling into Pakistan. There is no dearth of gullible youngsters willing to get radicalised and converted into foot soldiers for this deadly group. The interior and foreign ministries need to stop denying the existence of the IS in the country before the monster grows too big to contain.



2) When a “Mr Ugly” contest gets organised and the contestants actually fight for the title, you know the world has turned into a strange place. A 42-year-old unemployed Zimbabwean, who was missing several teeth and dressed in torn overalls, won the pageant, bagging a princely sum of $500. The runner-up, who walked off with $100, cried foul that the winner was not naturally ugly, while he was. Someone tell me this isn’t for real!

3) An interesting job has just come up for grabs. For once, I wish I was in Aberdeen. A new confectionery factory is advertising a chief chocolate taster. I don’t suppose it requires any qualifications, other than a sweet tooth.

4) After Charlie Sheen confessed he was HIV-positive, his father, Martin Sheen, said he was fiercely proud of his son. Not surprising coming from a father who was himself a violent alcoholic and who dragged his young family to the brink of hell when assuming the role of Willard on the set of Apocalypse Now. Charlie, a violent, drug-using alcoholic himself seemingly had sexual relations with scores of women after contracting HIV and is frankly difficult to sympathise with.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th,  2015.

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