Don't see the prevailing situation with jaundiced eyes

Undoubtedly, Anupam Kher is a famous Bollywood actor, but the march for India against intolerance led by him to counter protests by writers and artistes against "rising intolerance “lends little credence because of his being close to the ruling party. He also happens to be the husband of BJP MP Kirron Kher. So it is natural that he would speak for Narendra Modi-led NDA govt. The counter march taken out by film actors and writers, who support BJP, reflects that they have chosen the path of confrontation. It would be better for the country if Anupam Kher had taken initiative in arranging talks between Modi govt. and writers, film makers and scientists who have returned their national awards in protest against growing intolerance in the country. Instead of mollifying them, BJP supporter writers and film personalities have aggravated the situation by taking out march for India against intolerance to counter protests. Anumpam Kher says that award Wapsi is to defame the country by projecting a wrong picture of the situation. It appears from his statement that he is blind to whatever is happening all over the country in pursuit of establishing the supremacy of the religion of the majority. What is Dadri lynching over the suspicion of Calf slaughtering and eating beef? Why was Akhlaq killed on mere suspicion that he slaughtered calf and ate the beef? It is the naked example of intolerance. The situation of intolerance has reached to such a pass that the news about it is being made headlines even in prestigious foreign news papers and News magazine. The blackening of writer Sudheerendra Kularni only for organizing the launch of Pak foreign minister Mehmud Kasauri's book launch in Mumbai allegedly Shiv Sainiks and the blackening of the face of independent J& K MLA Rashid Engineer allegedly by Hindu hardliners after being thrashed in the assembly by BJP MLA for holding the beef party clearly reflect that there is no freedom of expression and personal liberty. The killing of writers and rationalists allegedly by Hindu hardliners, who are bent on establishing the supremacy of Hindu religion over others, clearly reflects that there is no space for sense of reasoning. Food choice is a matter of personal affairs. What we should eat or what should we not eat can not be decided by others. What do we call this type of situation? It is nothing but intolerance. Anupam Kher has led a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan alleging that the "award-wapsi" campaign was to defame the country by projecting a "wrong" picture of the situation. It clearly appears that he sees all things with jaundiced eyes. At least 75 members of the intelligentsia have returned national or literary awards in an escalation of protests by writers, historians, filmmakers and scientists over "growing intolerance", voicing fears that the country's robust democracy might be "coming apart" in the current atmosphere. Instead of inviting writers, film makers and scientists, who have returned awards in protest against growing intolerance, for talks to know their point of view, the BJP-led government has dismissed the protest as "manufactured rebellion" and "politically" motivated.