Try renting an apartment using a Muslim name, Shashi tells Anupam
Twitter spat began between the two as veteran actor Anupam Kher said he is scared to openly call himself a Hindu
Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. PHOTO: REUTERS
Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor while defending his Twitter argument with veteran actor Anupam Kher, said if the actor is scared to openly call himself Hindu in India, he should try renting an apartment with a Muslim name.
During an interview Kher confessed that he fears “saying I’m a Hindu”. “In this country, I’m scared to say that if I wear a tilak (mark worn by a Hindu on the forehead to indicate caste, sect) and a gerua (saffron colored clothes), then I will be branded as an RSS (right-wing party) guy or a BJP fanatic,” said Kher.
Today, I'm scared to say I'm Hindu: Anupam Kher
A spat broke out as Tharoor tweeted against Kher's comment, stating that though India has people from various religions, the country is recognised by Hindus at large. Kher in reply to the comment called Tharoor a 'Congi Chamcha'.
Stating that minorities in India are the ones who have to struggle much harder than Hindus to be accepted by society, Tharoor in a column on NDTV said, "Try renting an apartment, for instance, while using a Muslim name: there are many parts of many towns where you will be turned away with one specious excuse or another. And yet Muslims are expected to grin and bear it, and move on. "
Blind Muslim teacher barred from renting flat in India
"So when I said, truthfully, that I openly, and without self-consciousness, say I am Hindu, I am acknowledging that it's far easier for me to do so than it is for an Indian Muslim or Christian to wear his faith on his sleeve without being typecast for doing so. And when I added that I am not the Sangh's kind of Hindu, I meant that I am not belligerent about my Hinduism," he wrote.
Picking on Kher's abusive language, Tharoor in his tweet said he was a proud member of the Congress.
Indian Muslim allegedly forced to vacate flat because of her religion
Taking an initiative to end the battle which began on Twitter, Tharoor at the end of the column invited Kher for a 'drink and chat', hoping to be able to "proudly avow about our faith."
This article originally appeared on NDTV.
During an interview Kher confessed that he fears “saying I’m a Hindu”. “In this country, I’m scared to say that if I wear a tilak (mark worn by a Hindu on the forehead to indicate caste, sect) and a gerua (saffron colored clothes), then I will be branded as an RSS (right-wing party) guy or a BJP fanatic,” said Kher.
Today, I'm scared to say I'm Hindu: Anupam Kher
A spat broke out as Tharoor tweeted against Kher's comment, stating that though India has people from various religions, the country is recognised by Hindus at large. Kher in reply to the comment called Tharoor a 'Congi Chamcha'.
Stating that minorities in India are the ones who have to struggle much harder than Hindus to be accepted by society, Tharoor in a column on NDTV said, "Try renting an apartment, for instance, while using a Muslim name: there are many parts of many towns where you will be turned away with one specious excuse or another. And yet Muslims are expected to grin and bear it, and move on. "
Blind Muslim teacher barred from renting flat in India
"So when I said, truthfully, that I openly, and without self-consciousness, say I am Hindu, I am acknowledging that it's far easier for me to do so than it is for an Indian Muslim or Christian to wear his faith on his sleeve without being typecast for doing so. And when I added that I am not the Sangh's kind of Hindu, I meant that I am not belligerent about my Hinduism," he wrote.
Picking on Kher's abusive language, Tharoor in his tweet said he was a proud member of the Congress.
Indian Muslim allegedly forced to vacate flat because of her religion
Taking an initiative to end the battle which began on Twitter, Tharoor at the end of the column invited Kher for a 'drink and chat', hoping to be able to "proudly avow about our faith."
This article originally appeared on NDTV.