You can go through this for Aamir’s interview to rediff.
Now, my points:
1. http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=2&fodname=20060503&fname=madhu&sid=1
http://indianexpress.com/story/2887._.html
Please go through these to know another side of the NBA. You’ll need an Outlook ID and password for the first. You can register there. I don’t know if it is legal to reproduce the article here. It is very long, anyway.
2. Aamir says he is reiterating the Supreme Court’s verdict.
Please see this:
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/may/09look1.htm
You’ll know who follows the Supreme Court and who doesn’t.
Well, the courts have also ruled against reservations for muslims. I would like to know Aamir’s views on that.
3. Rehabilitation of farmers is a concern we all share. And that is one thing all four states have failed in - Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP, Rajasthan. Except Gujarat, the others have been ruled by congress in the recent past. Yet, Aamir chooses to attack only Gujarat and the BJP.
4. He never talked of rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits (all are human beings but the Kashmir problem is much more serious as it has much more serious repurcussions on the nation than the case of the Narmada farmers. Even the numbers - 300000 displaced - affects equations in the neighbouring states and the overpopulated city of Delhi. Further, Kashmiri Pandits have been KILLED and RAPED. Narmada farmers haven’t. Aamir’s energy will be more useful in Kashmir. Yet, he is not concerned.
On being asked specifically this, he says he is with the Pandits. Well, he should go to Srinagar and tell the Hurriyat this, go to pakistan (there is a bus service available courtesy the same BJP he attacks) and tell Musharraf this.
6. Both the congress and the BJP protested against Aamir’s comments. The congress actually outdid the BJP this time, seeing a narrow chance of winning appeal in their lost bastion, Gujarat. The violence undertaken by congress activists may be a reason why multiplex owners might have decided to stop release of Fanaa. Yet, Aamir bashes the BJP rather selectively.
7. Aamir plainly hints that the BJP has stopped the release of Fanaa. If that were so, why would that stoppage be limited to the multiplexes? Why are all the other (single) theatres releasing the film in Gujarat? There is also a hint here - why does the media become a ’source’ of information when it comes to NArendra Modi and the BJP?
8. Aamir is sad about innocent people getting killed int he Gujarat riots. He probably thinks that the children, women and men aboard the S6 coach of Sabarmati express that was arsoned in Godhra were guilty of something. He also doesn’t have words against rioters in Mau, Marad, Akshardham, Varanasi, Delhi, Mumbai blasts. He is not targetting Mulayam Singh Yadav. He is not against the congress for its role in 1984 riots. He selectively indulges in Modi bashing. Is it his ignnorance?
9. Aamir is against George Bush for killing people in Iraq. We all know Bush messed up with Iraq but he also did some good by removing the Taliban from power in Afghanistan. He also did something good by breaking age-old barriers with India in going forth with a nuclear deal. It was for the first time that a US president gave the pakistani establishment a cold shoulder.
Aamir is not against Pervez Musharraf who killed (and continues to kill) thousands of innocent Indian civilians and militarymen - some of them like Lt Saurabh Kalia in a sadistic fashion, to say the least. Pakistan’s role in sheltering the talibs and hence, being involved in more and more deaths in Afghanistan. And what about the sheltering of Al-qaeda whose antics resulted in the loss of lives and economy in multiple countries across the world?
10. >>Those who instigate others in the name of religion are wrong. Period.<< This is what Aamir says. For his information, the BJP is the ONLY party that talks of a UNIFORM civil code. Hence, they are the ONLY ones who believe in treating everyone equally. The other so called secular parties do not even have the guts to talk about a uniform civil code.
11. >>I am also against the ways terrorists, of attack by bomb blasts as only innocent people get killed.<< From this sentence, it seems like he is not against terrorism per se but is interested in having their 'ways' changed. Any alternative ideas, Aamir?
12. Aamir says that everyone is with him except the BJP. Well, he should have heard the congress official on TV who supported BJP’s view that Aamir should apologise. Shankar Singh Waghela (ex-BJP, now congress) also had the same to say about Aamir’s ‘opinion’. He should also read the numerous blogs on the Net. He has support, yes, from his fans. But those are the innocent souls who do not see much beyond the silver screen.
13. Aamir says this is a democracy and he has a right to express his opinion. Then does he think that those who oppose him (congress or BJP) do not have a right to voice theirs?
14. On being questioned about Arundhati Roy’s opposition to Coca-Cola, a brand he endorses, Aamir says he is ‘investigating’ the issue and will give a definite answer in ‘one or two’ months.
What a great investigator he is. I wonder what his modus operandi is that takes him one or two months to find out what can be found ont he Net. Check this out:
http://www.environmenttimes.net/article.cfm?pageID=205
or
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20050516&fname=Coke+%28F%29&sid=1
or
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060418/asp/nation/story_6113256.asp
or
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1677457,0035.htm
15. Aamir says that multiplexes charge very high rates. That’s true. But they did so for Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Pandey and RDB as well. A part of his high paycheque comes from the fact that rich people are ready to pay higher for his movies. Of course, he speaks for poor people. Why doesn’t he take lesser money so that we can pay less for his movies?
You speak for the poor people, Aamir? Then why do you live in a posh Pali Hill bungalow? Why do you earn in crores? The poor don’t drink Coke, drive Toyotas or wear Titans.
Aamir Khan, the double-faced
Posted in Politics.
– May 26, 2006
17 Responses
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Hmmm…
Mind blowing…
i kno i ve touched a raw nerve here and wth ur response i am happy wth the kind of debate v r having. i ve tried to answer the points u ve raised in my blog, the best i cld. heres cheers to a good debate and fredom of expression!
man good work i liked it. you did a great job compiling all it. i read all the points and felt like u read my mind, i simply support ur all views and comments.
great job
>>rather than picking such personal points it wld b better if v discussed the issue of rehabilitaion!c< < as far as this point of yours is concerned, why don''t you ask the same from Aamir? Rather than picking a personal fiught with Modi, why isn''t he doing something for the people he claims to represent, the displaced?
How much time did he spend with the displaced and how much time did he spend giving interviews and making appearances on TV?
As far as his hard work is concerned, it shows. His expressions and especially his dialogue delivery seems to be like reading a book.
Did you notice that his expressions and dialogues in the TV interview was exactly like in his films?
He must have put in a lot of hard work for that, too.
He goes much beyond filmmaking to see that his films do well. He sits on dharnas against the supreme court with NBA members to get publicity just before his film - THAT is what has irked the gujaratis, not the rehab issue. We are all concerned about rehab, not just of the gujaratis but the kashmiris, too. we also want poverty alleviation, etc, etc.
So, Swati, there is more than what the eye can see over here.
As far as the money is concerned, in India, a lack of money is the most important cause of all ills. We Indians are generally content but that doesn”t mean we should have famine. I support materialism and it is fine if Aamir is earning in crores. The film industry also employs thousands and it is fine with me. My purpose of bringing the money factor here is that a crorepati in India can do a lot for the needy which we ordinary citizens cannot. We can and do contribute to organisations like CRY but most of us cannot actively support social causes. This is where money comes in. A moneyed person can do a lot of active social work. Now, if aamir claims he is ”moved” by the plight of poeple displaced from their homes, what stops him from putting in more money there? With his kind of money, he can easily make temporary arrangements for the displaced until there is something more concrete done by the governments?
Please visit the link I have posted int he blog to read about the other side of NBA through Madhu Kishwar, not on the BJP’’s side but a very respectable journalist.
If rehab due to the sardar sarovar dam is the issue, then rehab in all the states is a must. you cannot ask for rehab selectively from one state when the reason of rehab is the same. It’’s like the MCD demolishing 10 buildings and then Aamir shouting for only one.
In fact, the real rehab is pending in MP. Moreover, this rehab issue is more than a decade old. Where was Aamir all this while? Does he realise that earlier, the gujarat govt had given a very good rehab package to the oustees. But medha patkar and her gang came in and stopped that from reaching the oustees - it keeps her in limelight to have those people struggle.
Swati, do you realise what the congress has done here? They joined the BJP in this opportunity to win Gujarat (seeing the people’’s anger), protested violently against Aamir at the state level and then used the central stage to castigate BJP using the full power of the anti-BJP media. Please wake up, Swati.
As far as hi slove for the supreme court is concerned, I have a small task for your concerned citizen. Please ask him to go to medha patkar and arundhati roy and read out to them the SC order about dam height increase and to tell them that he is simply reiterating what the SC has said. Will the concerned citizen do that, please?
Again, wasn”t he inspired enough when innocent protestors against reservation were beaten up badly by the police in Mumbai and Delhi? This was taken straight out of his movie RDB. Didn”t it inspire him? This issue is more contextual and has the potential of destroying this whole nation by perpetuating casteism. Yet, Aamir has cunningly kept away from it.
Agreed that Aamir is not a social worker and has the freedom not to be involved with every social cause available. BUT… he claimed he was moved by his own film RDB where a set of people sat together signifying protest. On the same grounds, he first supported NBA protestors who were there against the supreme court order of dam height increase. It was only later that he realised his mistake and changed his statement that he was not against the dam height increase and that he only wanted rehabilitation.
Once again, your concerned citizen charges BJP only with creating trouble for his films… while we all saw congress leaders on TV bringing down the posters of his film RDB and threatening to do the same if fanaa was released. We saw the Gujarat pradesh congress committee chief demanding an apology from Aamir as well the comments from shankar singh vaghela. Why do you think both parties are on the same side here? because the people are against Aamir. understand politics?
Your concerned citizen was concerned in 2002 and now again in 2006. Common thing? BJP and Modi, according to him. In the mean while, he concerned me with the dehabitation of his own wife of years.
.
Also, According to me, the 2002 riots were a reaction to the gruesome Godhra incident in which children and women were burnt alive. The people participated in it. If it were government orchestrated, do you think only 700 muslims would have died? The congress government had killed at least 3000 sikhs within days in 1984. Forgotten that?
Well, Swati, I wrote this blog to enlighten poeple like you who think he is a concerned citizen. If he were, there were loads of other things he could have done. It is not just about the other states (which would easily bring out a congress hand - which is why he is not naming them).
As far as the ‘’shame” of 2002 is concerned, that has nothing to do with this topic. Even after his outbursts against Modi, his films HAVE been running in Gujarat, haven”t they?
Aamir is picking on one incident where muslims died. He has no words for where hindus died - Mau, Marad, Lucknow, Mumbai blasts, Delhi blasts, Varanasi blasts, Godhra and the Gujarat riots as well. Leave Kashmir alone for the time being if you must because that brings out the stark contrast in what Aamir is saying and in what he is doing.
Don”t you see that your concerned citizen has taken it very, very personally against Modi because muslims were killed in gujarat in 2002 in reaction to the gruesome incident in Godhra?
tho i m no supporter of aamir khan, but i find this sort of opposition is unjustified in my view. firstly i agree tht all the four states r responsible n shd b criticised, but it affects gujrat the most, also the shame of 2002 riots is inescapable isnt it?
Accusing Aamir Khan of not picking the other worthwhile causes is stupidity, he is an ordinary citizen out to support a cause and not the Indian govt looking after our overall wellbeing.
Also is it his fault tht he has made so much money thru all these years? tht he wrks hard on every role and goes deep into filmmaking so tht his film makes money? rather than picking such personal points it wld b better if v discussed the issue of rehabilitaion!