The alleged suicide last month of television actress Tunisha Sharma, who starred in Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul, is one more case of an artiste ending their life. Sharma’s suspected suicide may have been due her alleged break-up with co-star Sheezan Khan. The 21-year-old was found dead in Khan’s make-up room on Dec 4. Khan is in police custody after Tunisha's mother Vanita Sharma filed a complaint and blamed him for the death.
While some may see this as a case of emotional turmoil, a vocal section of society views this as another instance of the so-called 'love jihad', as Hindu girl Tunisha was in love with a Muslim man.
Khan’s reported statements that he ended the relationship because he was ‘disturbed by the atmosphere in the country’ after the murder of Shraddha Walkar by live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala, only added to theory of love jihad.
Khan had reportedly called off their relationship over their age and religious differences. During interrogation, he reportedly also said that Sharma had attempted suicide after their breakup.
Such instances force one to take a fresh look at the popular adage 'love has no boundaries'. One wonders if religion, caste and age pose barriers for two people seeking that perfect partnership, and if suicides can have causes other than mental health and emotional turmoil.
Love Has Boundaries
Clinical psychiatrist Dr Alpes Panchal said depression or inability to control their impulse drives people to suicide.
“Not everyone who goes through a breakup has suicidal ideas,” Dr Panchal said. “Suicide is an unfortunate progression of depression. The second thing could be inter-religion relations. People will be afraid of consequences, which is normal. But we should not promote the idea, as it will set a bad precedent. There shouldn't be any discrimination based on religion.”
Clinical psychologist Sneha Jain said inter-faith and inter-caste relationships have always been under scrutiny in India. Jain said, “In urban areas, we have started seeing a change but in the past few years, people have again become narrow-minded.”
The psychologist said the very fact of being in a relationship with a person who is not accepted by the family and immediate society can create stress and emotional challenges.
“Failing affair is one of the primary reasons for depression leading to suicide,” she said. “But the idea of religion being the cause should not be promoted. Relationship between any two people can fail and lead to emotional turmoil which can become unbearable if not handled well.”
In the latest case, BJP MLA Ram Kadam added fuel to the fire by saying the angle of “love jihad” will be probed in the case. Kadam reportedly said, “The accused will not be spared. Tunisha’s family will get justice 100%.”
India is not short of divisive and harmful conspiracy theories. The ‘love jihad’ theory, which gained momentum since 2020, can be a cause of concern if individuals like Khan are afraid to take their relationships forward because their partner subscribes to a different religion.
Author and social activist Sabah Khan believes love jihad creates an atmosphere of fear and stress. “Love happens, you don't plan it,” she said. “But now people will think twice because of the threat to their lives. Unfortunately, in a secular country which has the Special Marriage Act, people exercise this conspiracy and get away with it.”
When Religion Comes in Between Love
In times when relationships fall apart and the idea of risk pushes people on the back foot, Zulfakar Sadriwala and Debasmita Haldar have been married for a year, challenging societal norms.
“There were challenges from both sides,” said Sadriwala, a documentary film-maker married to a lawyer. “So I chose a court marriage over traditional wedding. Everyone is scared about marrying their girl to a Muslim boy. My parents were not very receptive but they came through.
"I got married when I was shooting a documentary on love jihad with RSS workers. I saw the entire narrative and how it was put forth but I stood by my decision. No one converted because we don't want to prove the idea of love jihad. There were no apprehensions about what will happen in future because we know we will fight.”
On the other hand, Surendra Sharma and Fiza Rahman ended their relationship in September because of family pressure. “We were in a relationship for four years, but her parents didn't agree,” said Sharma. “There were so many problems and marriage wasn't possible, so the best option was to move away.”
