Every controversy reveals a disgusting degree of ugliness and malice, but, even by these standards, the ruckus over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) taking down actor-environmentalist Dia Mirza’s public awareness video on Diwali celebrations must hit rock bottom. To boot, it was a video she shot at the request of the civic body, which had enlisted several stars to urge people of Mumbai to avoid bursting firecrackers in compliance with the directives of the Bombay High Court to reduce air and noise pollution. It was a sensible reminder to be responsible, given that Mumbai’s air quality has already turned poor over the past few days.
Objections To Mirza’s Awareness Video
Mirza, who also serves as a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, had urged people to adopt eco-friendly celebrations—nothing controversial in that—as did icon Madhuri Dixit, Marathi actors Nishigandha Wad and Swapnil Joshi, and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane. However, BJP Mumbai chief Ameet Satam, followed by Mayor Ritu Tawde, took objection to only Mirza’s video, and the BMC, keen to be on the right side of power, took it down from its social media handles on November 1. It required the Bombay HC’s suo motu intervention on November 3, expressing pain and displeasure at the BMC’s decision and explicitly asking for Mirza’s video to be reinstated for some sanity to subdue the controversy.
Allegations Of Religious Bias And Political Pressure
It is difficult to avoid the inference that Mirza’s video message was selectively picked because of her religious identity and independent or critical positions on current affairs, including her support for the recent protests against the central government. That similar messages of public awareness by Maharashtrian-Hindu stars and cricketers were not given the ‘special treatment’ by BJP leaders reveals a deep-seated bias and the silencing of anyone who does not toe the government’s line. The BMC’s administration covered itself in derision by bending to please its political bosses when it should have—and could have—stood its ground and refused to take down Mirza’s video message.
Political Leaders Urged To Apologise
The consolation came from the BJP’s ally in power, the Shiv Sena, which called out the political pressure. Satam, ever eager to please his boss, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, must revisit his position but be mindful of the responsibility his words carry and the impact they have. This is important because he is an ambitious man, as is Mayor Tawde, and they find themselves in a party that is not shy of rewarding leaders who turn into religion-based controversy creators.
Through all of this, the Diwali fervour has been needlessly vitiated. The public awareness to reduce air and noise pollution was a timely reminder that firecrackers could worsen Mumbai’s air quality and that celebrations would have to be sensitive to this reality. Satam and Tawde must apologise to Mirza—and to Mumbaikars—for raking up a toxic controversy.
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