New Delhi, August 16
Noted film actress Shabana Azmi, a social activist and a former MP, has described the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir as “a cauldron” and feared that the situation in the state could have repercussions on Hindu-Muslim relations in other parts of India.
Azmi was speaking to Karan Thapar in his Devil’s Advocate programme to be telecast by TV news channel CNN-IBN tomorrow. In reply to a question Azmi said, “It’s a cauldron, the situation has been allowed to go out of hand and there's a deliberate attempt to communalise it, which is a huge pity.” Asked by Karan Thapar whether this could spiral out of control and could create differences between Hindus and Muslims elsewhere in India, she said: “Absolutely, absolutely. I can see that happening, and that's why I am so distressed over what’s happening in Kashmir and for heaven's sake it should be brought to a stop, and this should have been brought to a stop right when it started with that nonsense.”
Shabana Azmi also spoke at length over discrimination against Muslims in India despite the Government expressing its commitment to a secular policy.
She alleged that Muslims are victims of discrimination. She cited her own instance and said, “I wanted to buy a flat in Bombay and it wasn’t given to me because I was a Muslim and I read the same about Saif (Saif Ali Khan.) Now, I mean, if Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi cannot get a flat in Bombay because they are Muslims, then what are we talking about?”
She said, “I think there is not enough understanding of the fact that in a democracy, how you treat the security of the minority must be a very important part for the success of a democracy. You can’t only make token gestures and actually let them be in the state that they are as the Rajinder Sachar committee report shows. So what has happened
is token gestures are made but real issues are never addressed.’’
She blamed the Indian politicians for promoting a stereotype image of the Muslim community and not allowing moderate liberal Muslim voices to be heard. She said, “You look at the politicians, whether it is Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi or anybody else. The minute it is a Muslim question, you will get all the dariwalas and all the maulvis only to speak.”
She also blamed the muslim community for allowing itself to listen to fundamentalists and said, “The community is also allowing itself to listen to fundamentalists, who actually are not their leaders at all.”
The noted film actress however denied the necessity of Muslims depending solely on leaders from their community. She said, “No, no, no, no. Jawaharlal Nehru was a leader of Muslims and that is the way it should be. You don’t need a Muslim leader for that.’’
