Stand Up And Fight Against Injustice

Its matter of grave concern that  India is still a medieval mindset driven country despite nearly seven decades of democratic republic. We refuse  to discard outdated ethos and  swear by our so called rich past. I still fail to understand how our past is rich while we have been under colonial  feudal rules for long time. As we celebrate 67th Republic day on Tuesday, its disgusting to find the hypocrisy and narcissism overriding our mindset. The arrest of stand-up comedian Kiku Sharda is a case in point. Kiku was arrested twice for mimicking Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmit Ram Rahim as if it was a serious crime. An simple mimicry act was made out to be a grave law and order problem. There was not a whisper of protest. There were some voices of concern  in media. Even, the fellow comedian Kapil Sharma just extended an olive branch asking Kiku to " forget and forgive'. Kapil was smart enough to read writings on wall. The anticlimax to writers, artist and great thinkers' protest could be working on Kapil and his collaborator's  mind. Putting up brave faces on "intolerance" by returning the "Govt Awards" (read union minister  Nitin Gadkari statement on Asha Parekh), most of them are now courting Modi govt overtures, notwithstanding the "intolerance" has grown more severe. Apart from the arrest of Kuki Sharda, the unceremonious exit of Bollywood "Mr Perfect" Aamir Khan from Modi Govt orchestra "Incredible India" and bashing of public outbursts  on  "intolerance" (Karan Johar, the latest victim)  underlie all this. Our leaders  spur on public platforms  accusing each-other of becoming more intolerant. But, in reality all leaders are averse to criticism. BJP had to suspend its MP Kirti Azad for criticising  finance minister Arun Jaitley. And take it for granted, if someone speaks a word or two against Prie Minister Modi's policies, he will thrown out of party at once. In Congress, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are sacrosanct and and even a slightest word of caution can lead to expulsion. The scenario is no different in Madame Mayawati monopolized  BSP and Mulayam Singh Yadav family hold Samajwadi Party ( wonder if a family owned party could have a socialist face) and so are regional parties like Akali Dal And Shiv Sena.   The mute public outcry against arrest of Kiku Sharda  is understandable. He is a small hard-toiling actor, not  to the stature of Salman Khan or Aamir Khan.  If Salman Khan would have been arrested, Mumbai and other parts of India would have gone in flames. That's the impact of our colonial and feudal past. We still adore erstwhile Rajas and Maharajas and consider "Angrejon ka rule kahin behtar thaa (British rule was far better). Mimicry is a great art and humanize the contemporary society.  The comic as clown, jester, harlequin, mimic is  essential to the logic of power.Sometimes it is only the comic that can remind the king of the idiocy of power. Remember the historical character of Birbal in Akbar Kingdom.  Chaplinsque comedy had  Hitler cut to size. Mahatma  Gandhi ha great admiration for comic and cartoon. Laughter is the tonic for health mindset and  herein lies  a beautiful cybernetic wisdom to the arrangement of dissent We are a strange country, democratic by intent but feudal in purpose. And it is this mindset that India is being pushed back despite strong economic fundamentals.  The arrest of Kiku Sharda has to be seen in the backdrop of new threat to Indian democratic set-up. We must stand up.