AAMIR KHAN KO GUSSA KYON AATA HAI?

Aamir Khan is past 50. In these years he has seen many ups and downs as we had all seen. Can he and all others who have become intolerant or who say they are facing intolerance, tell us truthfully what enhanced intolerance they are feeling nowadays which was not there in the last about 60-65 years?

I am sure Aamir Khan will not say there has never been such intolerable intolerance! What has happened now which could be worse than demolition of Babri Masjid?  Did he issue any statement at that time? Did his wife at that time, whoever she might have been, suggest they quit India? Did his 'intellectual' fraternity also return their awards in protest? If not, why not? How did they express their sentiments?

Now at worst there have been utterances by some VHP leaders about Hindus not getting their due in their own nation. Similar utterances have been made by hardcore Muslim leaders also about their not getting their share and this has been going on for years. There have been riots and killings from both sides. So what is new now for the 'intellectuals' to become so intolerant?

If the BJP leadership did not join the give and take, there was a pyrpose. They could see that opposition is fanning the flames of religion and casteism to increase the already existing divisions among people. Had they also joined the give and take, the situation would have further deteriorated. BJP leadership also was aware that all this had a political background of Bihar elections. They have been proved right by the sudden cooling of 'intolerance' of the 'intellectuals'!

Everyday a large number of murders, rapes, kidnapping, vandalism, etc. take place in our vast nation. Almost all of them don't even get a mention. However, if a VIP or politician is involved the whole media is aflame. It was not happening earlier because there was no Facebook, Twitter, emails or WhatsApp and neither the all pervading mobile phones or text messaging. There were not many TV channels devoted to news and that too 24 hours a day in regional languages and live in colour! Readership of newspapers was very limited to major cities and All India Radio or Doordarshan had never been exciting. Rumors were more effective though quite late. The net result is now the whole nation comes to know and responds, mostly in one way or the other swiftly. In the process whatever is creating the excitement, gets blown totally out of proportion and it almost seems everyone is talking only about that issue, which is never the fact. The pity is the so called 'intellectuals' are also taken in this flood of responses and react. It is not expected of them. They are supposed to be cool customers, more intelligent than we ordinary people and even claim to be custodians of our culture and guides of our future.

Besides all these innovations, it should also be understood that for the first time media and advertising agencies are making huge profits in marketing. Marketing depended upon viewership which in turn increased whenever there was some exciting news. What more could be more exciting than politics for a layman in India? Media have been having a field day flaming normal differences of opinion into shouting matches and war of words. Of course, if you ask the media they will say they are only doing their job and the money they make on the side is only incidental and not intentional! No wonder they have been named Presstitutes!

Lastly, you know when you are worried about something seriously, nothing cheers you up. Rather you find something wrong with everything which you had not noticed earlier. Is it possible that the sudden sense of 'intolerance' the Bollywood community has started feeling is because of their 'heroes' being asked to account for their illegal activities? For instance their not being able to keep on postponing court cases against for decades, getting notices from Enforcement Directorate to account for their investments, etc? Almost without exception everyone in Bollywood is involved in murky deals and for the first time, they are being asked questions about their wealth. Naturally the world looks to them very intolerant indeed when this happens after decades of laissez faire!