In early November Shah Rukh Khan caused controversy amoung idiots with his comments on what he calles India's growing intolerance "We have made a huge thing about our meat-eating habits. How can the food habits of people be an issue?" Khan told the NDTV news channel.
"It is stupid… It is stupid to be intolerant and this is our biggest issue, not just an issue… Religious intolerance and not being secular in this country is the worst kind of crime that you can do as a patriot."
He was referring to the lynching of a 50-year-old farmer in October because of rumors he and his family ate beef.
That and the gunning down of Dr MM Kalburgi a leading Indian scholar and a well-known rationalist thinker, has provoked debates over what some say is a growing trend of violence against minorities in India.
The actor Aamir Khan also provoked backlash when he stated he also feels that the sense of insecurity and fear has been growing, and has even considered moving out of India. “When I chat with Kiran at home, she says ‘Should we move out of India?’ That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day."
(Both Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan are muslims, a religious minority in India and have faced discrimination because of it)
Priyanka Chopra recently came to their defence, saying in a recent interview "It is not just about this. I think everyone has an opinion about it. We are supposed to be the greatest democracy in the world.""There have been many incidents that have happened in the last few years where people have been bashed for giving their opinions. Everybody has an opinion. We are in a democracy. Our forefathers fought for freedom of speech and being Indian," the actress said in an interview.
Critically-acclaimed actress and filmmaker Nandita Das says curbs on freedom of expression are taking on freedom of expression are taking a "dangerous" turn. "I don't think freedom of expression has ever been so threatened. It is something which is dangerous and the only way to counter it is to not be fearful. It is time to speak up and when there are more of us speaking up then nobody is isolated." Nandita told IANS on the sidelines of Film Bazaar.
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Have you ever been the subject of intolerance, ONTD?