Can there be anything more unedifying – or downright absurd – than implying that Shah Rukh Khan is unpatriotic? That is what a BJP general secretary has done, by declaring that while Khan lives in India his “soul (aatma) is in Pakistan.” “Pakistan” is of course code for unpatriotic and anti-national and an enemy of India; that Khan is a Muslim adds an extra dimension to that allegation.
“Go to Pakistan” has become the insult of choice for right wingers to be deployed at anytime and at anyone who does not fit in with their own notions of nationalism—these can be journalists, leftists and liberals. It began with Giriraj Singh saying, during the election campaign in 2014, that anyone against Modi could go to Pakistan and then has taken on a life of its own.
Shah Rukh Khan has earned the wrath of Kailash Vijayvargiya because of his interviews where he spoke about rising intolerance in the country. Ironically, Khan’s point is illustrated best by Vijayvargia’s intolerant reaction, but then the politician is not likely to understand that. For him, anyone who implies that not all is well in India under the dispensation of Narendra Modi has to be attacked in the vilest possible terms.
In this, Vijayvargia is not alone. Implying that Indian Muslims are somehow devoted to Pakistan is an old right wing ploy because that way an entire block of 14 percent of the country’s population can be made an enemy. The ultimate aim is Hindu consolidation, so that they vote as one. That this could lead to polarisation and violence does not matter to the Hindutva rightwingers—in fact, that may well be part of the plan. Haven’t you heard the RSS talk in terms of “Bharatiyas” (i.e. Hindus, who are the true Indians) and others, such as Muslims and Christians?
Vijayvargia did not stop at just saying this much. In a series of tweets, he built his case on why he thought Khan was not just a Pakistani at heart but was working on its behest. “His films earn crores in India but he says there is intolerance here. If this is not treason, what is?” He implied it is all a plot hatched by Pakistan and others at a time when India is due to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Any sane person would laugh at this conspiracy theory. To think that Khan has plotted with anyone, leave alone Pakistan, to derail India’s UN ambitions is far fetched in the extreme. That this kind of ridiculous claim is being made by an office bearer of a national party which is running the government is shocking, even worrying. Doesn’t the party vet its office bearers? Or does it not care?
There is no dearth of loonies who make all kinds of wild claims and allegations against those whom they see as inimical to their own political ideology. One has to just spend a few minutes on Twitter to see the unending stream of hate and personal invective put out by trolls and “bhaktas” (devotees) who just cannot stand anyone with an alternate point of view. Women get the worse of it, since many trolls, encouraged by the anonymity, even make personal threats of violence.
The unending stream of hate and personal invective put out by trolls and ‘bhaktas’, on Twitter, who just cannot stand anyone with an alternate point of view is not the same as a responsible member of a political party. When Vijayvargia speaks, he speaks for his organisation. The BJP can – and should – distance itself from his utterances.
But that vast army of trolls is not the same as a responsible member of a political party. When Vijayvargia speaks, he speaks for his organisation. The BJP can – and should – distance itself from his utterances. Prakash Javdekar said on television that Vijavargia is not authorised to speak on behalf of the party. That is good. But then what is the party going to do about it?
This is an important question. Mahesh Sharma, minister of culture who said that Kalam was a nationalist “despite being a Muslim” and then made some other outrageous statements after the Dadri lynching, was not dropped or even reprimanded. He got allotted the large bungalow in which Kalam had lived after retirement, which was immediately construed as some kind of reward.
None of those who have been making incendiary comments – whether Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar or Sadhvi Prachi or indeed Sakshi Maharaj have been admonished by the party establishment. Reports had indicated that Amit Shah had summoned three party members to stop making such statements that were plainly communal and controversial, but Maharaj, who was one of them, plainly declared that he was not told anything of the sort. Whether or not Vijayvargia is pulled up or not is not the issue anymore. The damage has been done. For all practical purposes, he has achieved his mission.
This is the time when the film industry should stand up as one and condemn Vijayvargia and demand that the party make him apologise. The film industry is one of the most secular institutions in the country and Khan is its biggest star. Sadly, that may not happen in any organised way, because the industry stays away from anything controversial. And the Vijayvargias of this world will get away with their hate mongering.
