by B. R. GOWANI
Indian actress Sonam Kapoor and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in a scene from Khoobsurat produced by Sonam’s sister Rhea Kapoor. PHOTO/Fawad Afzal Khan
The Maharashtra based communal Shiv Sena party frequently resorts to fascist methods to maintain hold of fear over people and to oppose better relations with Pakistan. It threatened to disrupt Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali’s performance in Mumbai last month that was subsequently cancelled. It has done similar things in the past. It has threatened to not let Pakistani artists Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan to promote their Indian films (Mahira’s Raees and Fawad’s Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) in Maharashtra. On October 12, 2015, it tried to stop launch of a book, “Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy,” by former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri by pouring black paint on the face of the host Sudheendra Kulkarni. The launch went ahead with the black paint-face host at the ceremony.
Pakistani film Bin Roye (in Hindi/Urdu) starring Mahira, couldn’t get released in Mumbai, the major center of Urdu/Hindi films known as Bollywood, because Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) (founded by Raj Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena founder) threatened to vandalized cinema houses showing the film-despite the fact that it was passed by the Indian Film Censor Board.
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan and Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan. Their film Raees will release in 2016. PHOTO/Express Tribune
Shah Rukh Khan, Mahira’s co-star in Raees, when asked about the ban, had this to say:
“Well the fact that she [is] in my film means that she should be… the word is not allowed. Whichever place starts questioning its creative people will face backlash.”
When asked if it bothered him that he could be attacked by the Shiv Sena for taking a stand for Pakistani artists, he replied:
“I have a weapon. I’m extremely loved by people, and if there is a stand against me, I know that enough people will love me back to stand by me.”
Salman supports Pakistani artists working in India. Indian actress Sonam Kapoor, who has worked with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in her home production Khoobsurat, or Beautiful, also supports Pakistani artists working in India:
“I have worked with Fawad Khan and I would love to work with him again. Fawad is like family to me, so whether he is Indian or Pakistani does not matter. Some of my best friends are from Pakistan. I don’t think we should stop something because of a few people…. Intolerance based on anything, whether religion, caste, creed or sexuality, is unacceptable.“
Mahesh Bhatt and many others also supports Pakistani artists working in India.
Pakistani actor Shaan, Pakistani film industry’s watchman, is an over patriot. He reacted to Shiv Sena’s bans:
“Now you will know why there are borders and now you will see them clearly.”
Just because the thuggish political party Shiv Sena has created problems for Pakistani artists, cricketers and writers in one state in India, is Shaan justified in defending the 1947 Partition of India? Shaan’s logic could then justify building dozens of borders:
between Pakistan and its province of Balochistan
between area in Sindh province where Hindus live (whose daughters are regularly kidnapped, converted to Islam then married off to Muslims) and others
between Christians (regularly accused of blasphemy, insulting Qur’an or Prophet Muhammad) and Muslims
between Ahmadi Muslims and other Muslims
between Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims.
One can go on and on. Suffice to say that a border, in most cases mostly benefits a small segment of population, the ruling class.
Ghulam Ali could not perform in Mumbai, he was invited to Delhi (Capital city), Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and Calcutta in West Bengal by its Chief Minister. Also noteworthy regarding the beef ban is that the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (a Hindu) said that nobody could stop him from eating beef if he wanted to eat it. He said the same about pork.
Is this possible in Pakistan? No. The Punjab Governor Salman Taseer opposed the blasphemy law and was gunned down by his own security guard. Can anyone in Pakistan in the wake of Taseer’s murder come forward and say “to hell with blasphemy law – no God, no Prophet, no scripture of any religion is more important than the human life?” No one would dare!
Shaan thinks Pakistan is utopia and so he is blind to the murders of Shias, Ahmadis, Christians and others but only focuses on the Indian Muslims:
“India needs a Martin Luther king to free the Muslims of India.”
On that point, Shaan is right. India indeed needs a strong reformer to eliminate the inequality between the high caste Hindus and Dalits; and between high caste Hindus and Muslims and Christians; and also between the various states before it’s too late. India needs a reformer to eliminate the demon of Hindutva. But had Shaan ever thought: Who does Pakistan need? But Pakistan will need a combination of Che Guevara, Frantz Fanon, Eqbal Ahmad, and Malcolm X to take it out of the horrible mess it is in right now.
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com