Karni Sena: Should individuals, celebrities of community speak up when groups claiming to represent them indulge in violence?

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Once again this question arises in the wake of pan-Indian violence by Karni Sena.

There are not just death threats to actors or acts like burning down theatres but also warning the state, not listening to courts and even attack on school bus carrying children.

When a group gets violent, claiming to represent your community, is there need to speak up that no they're wrong, not representing us.

Need for 1-2 celebrities of the industry or leaders-bizmen-sportsmen need to condemn, speak. Or no need for it?

How many Rajput celebrities including Bollywood stars or Rajputs in Sports, Business, Army, Bureaucracy, Police have issued statements and said that we don't agree with Karni Sena (that has no respect for even SC) or that it doesn't represent us?

When it comes to Muslims, on any petty issue involving a Muslim, many of us get uneasy, unable to sit silent, start profusely apologizing for someone else's conduct just because of Muslim name and start giving justifications.

This situation comes up again and again. In some instances, people too ready, more than eager to condemn, feeling guilty for others' acts. In some cases, absolutely passive.

Ideally though, State-cops that needs to deal with lawlessness. But because it doesn't happen, there is often pressure on the community. Though many support the muscle-flexing.

Secret admiration for 'Gunda', 'Gundagardi' of own community in Indian society

Frankly, in India, people even admire 'gunda' of own community, gundagardi too. There is secret admiration--feeling that 'chalo ek taaqatwar aadmi ya group tayyar ho gaya'.

In states, regions, you hear people talking with pride about their own 'bahubali'. Love for muscle-flexing. Once a group-person gets powerful, people draw power from them. 

Throwing its name, weight, in situations. In a country, where law doesn't act equally, that's bound to happen. One can get away with arson-violence if has backing, other can be jailed under 151 without doing anything.

When politicians-bureaucrats-other power centres wield disproportionate power, when their allegiance or signal can start or stop any action, nothing can stop it. That's how this country runs. 

Meryl Streep's speech shocks India: Bollywood stars don't take stand, indulge in sycophancy, crawl

Meryl Streep's strong speech* at the Golden Globe awards has come as a shocker in India, where Bollywood celebrities refuse to take stand.

The stars avoid speaking up and it is almost impossible to imagine a Bollywood star daring to speak critically about any powerful politician.

Over the years, Bollywood stars have shed the 'secular' pretence.

Many of them generally support the ruling party, even going to the extent of being labelled as sycophants and bhakts.

Taking stand is something that is unheard in Indian film industry. A few dared to speak up but were bullied into silence or their movies targeted through different ways--threat of violence, boycott call or intimidatory tactics.

No wonder, Bollywood celebs are seen as spineless. The great 'Big B' or Amitabh Bachchan is known for not taking stand. He even capitulated before MNS' Raj Thackeray.

Clearly, Meryl Streep's speech has come as a wake-up call.

Twitterati asked when Indian movie stars would dare to speak up or take bold stand.

Streep had criticized President-elect Donald Trump.

On the other hand, in India, many film stars sense opportunity to cosy up with the politicians, irrespective, just to gain 'power'. Right now the race is on to become 'bhakt'. At the Golden Globe Awards, 2017, she criticised Trump and urged other artists to take stand on issues.

LINK TO MERYL STEEP'S SPEECH

Big B, Khans ahead of Narendra Modi on Twitter: Bollywood beats cricket stars in list of Indian celebrities with most followers; Sachin Tendulkar left far behind

Who is the most popular Indian on Twitter? Big B, Amitabh Bachchan, has 13.2 million followers.

Bachchan was active on Twitter long before other celebrities took to it.

Second is Shahrukh Khan, the Badshah of Bollywood, with over 11.4 million or 1.14 crore people following him on this micro-blogging site.

Surprisingly, Aamir Khan comes after him with 11.2 million or 1.12 crore people following him. 'Dabangg' Salman Khan is fourth with 10.6 million or 1.06 crore people following him.

But PM Narendra Modi is giving them a tough competition. The Prime Minister of India has over 10 million followers (10.1) too, and this makes him a rare politician in Asia with such a huge number of followers on this social media platform.

Modi has more than 0.1 million followers now. The difference of one digit may seem less but there is still a difference of 3 million or 30 lakh with Big B and over 1 million or 10-14 lakh followers between him and King Khan.

In fact, earlier it was reported that Modi was second only to Barack Obama among politicians in terms of popularity on Twitter. India's huge population is definitely an asset for its movie personalities as well as its politicians.

Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra are also knocking at the door of the crore-pati [10 million followers] club on Twitter. Deepika has 9.5 lakh followers while Priyanka Chopra has 8.79 lakh. Then comes Hrithik Roshan [8.5 lakh]. Akshay Kumar is also in the line with 7.5 lakh people following him.

Tendulkar is not a crore-pati on Twitter yet: Bollywood beats God of Indian cricket

The general perception is that two things Indians love most is Bollywood and Cricket. But here, cricket seems to be lagging. The 'God' of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has 5.07 million or over 50 lakh followers. Not a crore-pati on Twitter yet. Even Karan Johar has more followers that him. 

The exception is Virat Kohli, who has quickly reached 5.5 million. Given his popularity and that he is in full flow, he is likely to give a tough competition to other celebrities on the social media site.

Dhoni has 3.5 million or 35 lakh followers. My hero of yesteryear Sunil Gavaskar has less than 50,000 followers. Can there be anything more saddening? We all know that on Twitter, many inactive tweeple follow their celebrities, even if the latter rarely tweet.

But given the huge difference in following, it seems, cricket maniacs are less in number now. The movie stars are far ahead. Among politicians, once, Shashi Tharoor, was far ahead in popularity. But now, he is far behind, with 2.78 million or 27.8 lakh followers. Digvijaya Singh is close with over 25 lakh followers.


Twitter: The handles of these celebrities are mentioned below

List of the TOP TEN Indians on TWITTER

Celebrities               Twitter handle                          Number of followers

Amitabh Bachchan @SrBachchan                                        13.2 million  [1.32 crore]
Shahrukh Khan       @iamsrk                                                11.4 million  [1.14 crore]
Aamir Khan            @aamir_khan                                        11.2 million  [1.12 crore]
Salman Khan          @BeingSalmanKhan                             10.6 million  [1.06 crore]
Narendra Modi        @narendramodi                                    10.1 million  [1.01 crore]
Deepika Padukone  @deepikapadukone                                  9.5 million [95 lakh]
Priyanka Chopra     @priyankachopra                                     8.79 million [87 lakh]
Hrithik Roshan        @ihrithik                                                  8.51 million [85 lakh]
Askhay Kumar        @akshaykumar                                        7.54 million [75.4 lakh]
Karan Johar             @karanjohar                                            5.6  million [56 lakh]
....................................................
....................................................
Virat Kohli              @iamvkohli                                               5.5 million [55 lakh]
Sachin Tendulkar    @sachin_rt                                               5.07 million [50.7 lakh]
.....................................................
.....................................................
Arvind Kejriwal       @arvindkejriwal                                   3.63 lakh
Dilip Kumar            @TheDilipKumar                                 3.36 lakh
MS Dhoni                @msdhoni                                          3.52 lakh

The leaders are mostly movie stars, politicians or, yes, some cricketers. The rabble-rousing politicians (the names which may come to your mind) have followers in thousands only.

[Just the most popular personalities with highest following on Twitter have been mentioned. Not all celebrities have been mentioned here. The statistics are till February 15, 2015]

Salman Khan meets Narendra Modi, sets social media ablaze: Of rights, wrongs and expectations...

The moment reports about Bollywood star Salman Khan's meeting with Narendra Modi, started appearing on Tuesday afternoon, social networking sites were flooded with comments.

It was inferred that he had endorsed the latter for the post of PM. Khan didn't say directly about who should be the Prime Minister. 

But said that God would decide the best man and then also pointed at Modi, saying that "there is a good man standing amongst us". 

The middle-aged star also had lunch with Modi. The Gujarat chief minister also tweeted about his meeting with Salman. 

Many Muslims seemed upset with Khan, who had recently gone to Saifai despite criticism that while riot victims were denied relief, the Chief Minister was having fun with Bollywood actors. 

While Alia Bhatt, had apologised and her father Mahesh Bhatt said that it was the failure of his upbringing that she went to participate in the event. Khan had defended the decision then also. There were sarcastic comments from different sides and that how film stars can go anywhere to dance, if they are offered money. 

Now many of his fans are hurt. There are angry posts and even cartoons mocking Khan. Even in the post-partition era, the most idealistic stars who were staunch communists, didn't lead the kind of life which they propagated. 

Among stars, Salman Khan has a very strong appeal among Muslim youths. He is the person whose posters with skullcap on his head, are seen in Muslim localities. In coming days, there could be protests on the streets in different cities. 

The effigies may also be burnt. Perhaps, the fans, have a right, to be upset. But isn't it irrational to expect that you star will always be politically correct and always behave in accordance with your affiliations and expectations.

There were posts on Facebook that how could Salman Khan meet Modi? After 1992-93 Mumbai riots, who had stopped meeting Congress leaders or the then Chief Minister Sudhakar Rao Naik, though more people were killed in those riots than Gujarat 2002.

The billionaire stars act in politically correct manner just because they tend to avoid controversies. It is not about taking stand or not taking stand. Salman Khan's act may anger his Muslim fans, but it can also boost his image among his hardliner right-wing fans. 

The criticism is that if celebrities, especially, the Muslims, keep meeting Modi, then it will give credibility to the latter. May be, such things slowly and steadily have an impact. The fear among certain sections is that the anti-Modi stance will get diluted. 

Many 'secular Hindus' were also upset with his 'endorsement of Modi'. But why? If he is a Muslim he is supposed to be anti-Modi? There is no logic in it. Then, all Hindus should be pro-Modi. But the biggest opponents of Modi are Hindus, aren't they? 

Either we talk in terms of activism, legal fraternity, political class or police officers, majority of those opposing him are not Muslims. Similarly, to expect that Muslims are monolithic to such an extent that everybody is expected to act in the same manner is absurd.

Why should we expect that Salman Khan or any other celebrity will take a stand. There is no surprise. With general elections a few months from now, we will see such occurrences and 'controversies' on a regular basis.

Link:
1. Report on IBN about Salman Khan-Narendra Modi meet
2. Sudhakarrao Naik and Congress' role in Mumbai riots