Should Kamal Haasan be shot dead? Hindu Mahasabha Warns
South Indian popular actor, National award winning film personality Kamal Haasan is in the eye of controversial storm for his remarks on Hindu terrorism. The controversy brew big with Hindu Mahasabha calling out to either shoot dead Kamal Haasan or hang him for his words on Hindu terror. The actor who recently plunged into political arena by openly announcing that he has got into politics seems to have put himself into trouble with the right wing activists and Hindu groups raising their voices against Kamal’s statement on Hindu terrorism.
What did Kamal actually say? In a column written for a Tamil magazine, he wrote: “In the past, Hindu, right-wing groups would not indulge in violence. They would hold a dialogue with opponents. But now they resort to violence.”
Hitting out at those claiming that Hindus cannot be found guilty in terror-related cases, he said, “right wing cannot challenge talk of Hindu terrorists because terror has spread into their camp as well.” He also added that “Hindus are losing faith in ‘satyameva jayate’ and instead subscribing to ‘might is right’.”
These words have not gone well with right wing activists. Kamal Haasan’s statement tangled quite a few feathers, with leaders of BJP, RSS and fringe Hindu groups lashing out at the Tamil superstar, mentioning that the actor was playing to the vote bank politics and by blaming Hindus he was targeting the Muslim votes.
As a reaction to his statements on Hindu terror, a case of defamation for hurting religious sentiments has been filed against the actor in Varanasi. Haasan has been booked under sections 500 (Punishment for defamation), 511, 298 (hurting religious sentiment), 295-A (intend to outrage religious feelings), and 505-C (attempt to incite hatred enmity between classes) of the Indian Penal Code.
Kamal’s comments did not go down well with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar today said that Haasan should apologise for the statement. “His mental state is unstable. He should be getting treated in a hospital. Politics of such defamatory nature is not okay. He doesn’t have any proof,” he said.
Kamal is not just alone, he is ably supported by his fellow actors. Prakash Raj in a tweet asked “If instilling fear in the name of religion..culture..morality is not terrorizing..than what is it..” He was followed by Arvind Swamy, of Roja fame, who openly came out in support of Kamal and his statement.
If instilling fear in the name of religion..culture..morality is not terrorizing..than what is it ..#justasking pic.twitter.com/hs8Y3H700L
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) November 3, 2017
A day after a defamation suit was filed against Kamal Haasan in Varanasi over his “Hindu terror” remarks, a court fixed November 22 for hearing the complaint.
As if the defamation case was not enough, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha said, “Kamal Haasan and likes of him should either be shot dead or hanged so that they learn a lesson. Any person who uses abusive language for people belonging to Hindu faith does not have the right to live on this holy land and they should get death in return of their remarks,” the Times of India quoted Pandit Ashok Sharma, national vice president of the outfit as saying.
Even as the court case has been filed and call for Kamal to be killed is making waves, the war of words continues to make headlines across the media. Kamal retorted to Hindu Mahasabha’s call saying that “If we question, they call us anti-nationals and want to put us in jail. Now since there is no space in jails, they want to shoot us and kill us… but in democracy, everyone has a right to express one’s mind.”
Even as the media makes merry of the sequence of events that have emerged over the days, was Kamal Haasan really wrong in voicing dissent? Has he become an anti-national because of his words against Hindus? Was he totally on a wrong footing by saying that Hindu-terrorism exists?
Not exactly! India is a vibrant democracy and it has always given space for the voice of dissent or encouraged the views from all sides. Of late, the people seem to have lost patience and believe in aggression as well as pulling others down for petty reasons. The aggression has become a passion and any voice of dissent or words that are against their beliefs will be treated with extreme reactions like call for killing the persons.
