As violence against north Indians remained unabated in Maharashtra, the film fraternity has made a strong appeal to politicians not to indulge in "divisive" politics
NEW DELHI: As violence against north Indians remained unabated in Maharashtra, the film fraternity has made a strong appeal to politicians not to indulge in "divisive" politics, warning it could lead to an explosive situation in the country.
"Divisive politics has pitched people against each other in Mumbai. The common man whether coming from north India or any other part is suffering due to violence and it is leading to an explosive situation for the country in general and in Maharashtra in particular," Bhojpuri actor and a migrant from Bihar Ravi Kishan said.
Terming the violence as an "absurd" attempt to fragment the country, National award winner Director Rahul Dholakia said, "The government should look after the basic necessities of its people and defend their fundamental rights."
Kamal Rashid Khan, whose coming film 'Deshdrohi,' portrays the hardships of a north Indian youth who comes to Mumbai and falls prey to regional politics, said, "divisive politics has brought India on the verge of split and that day is not very far when it will be divided into 31 separate countries on the lines of language, culture and religion".
"Our politicians will have to think seriously about the situation as how far it is right to divide the country for the sake of power," he said.
Khan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, recalled that the discrimination against the north Indians was very much in place that time but now it has come to "the fore with an ugly face".
"When I arrived in Mumbai around 10 years back I went through the same experience of discrimination as today any youth from Bihar of Uttar Pradesh is undergoing in this dream city," he recalled.
Veteran actress and socialite Nafisa Ali said, "this is a disgrace and a political manipulation to garner the vote bank. It is a sheer nonsense to discriminate people on the line of region. India is for Indians and anyone can live anywhere as far as he respects the law and order of the land".
Herself a Mumbaikar, Ali said, "I feel most of the Maharashtrians are upset with the 'goondaraj' of Raj Thackeray and want to see an end to his hate politics".
Ravi Kishan, who stayed away from the Diwali celebrations as a mark of protest over the violent situation in Mumbai, also said all the members of Bollywood are deeply grieved over these developments.
The cases of Rahul Raj and Dharam Dev are not different from the protagonist of 'Deshdrohi' Raja who comes to Mumbai for job and finds tough being a north Indian to stay here and eventually takes recourse to weapon to teach a lesson to the corrupt politicians, said Khan.
The filmmaker, however, feels that Bollywood is so far not plagued with such a mentality of discrimination and hate as it welcomes people from every part of the country.
"The film fraternity is sad over the increasing incidents of violence against north Indians in Mumbai. We believe in the unity and integrity of the country and project the same ethos through films," he added.
Bollywood lyricist Prasoon Joshi is of the view that the common Maharashtrian does not have any grudge for anyone coming from any part of the country.
"In many years of my work in Mumbai I have never experienced any ill feeling among the Marathis against any one migrating to the state or Mumbai. Even all of my staff is Marathi but they are very cordial and supportive in behaviour," said Joshi also a migrant from Uttar Pradesh.
Bollywood, he said, "is the greatest place of cultural harmony where people from every nook and corner of the country co-exist peacefully. There is hardly any feeling of regionalism.
Born in Uttrakhand and brought up in Uttar Pradesh, Joshi feels that India is one country and every one has the right to move or work at any part of it.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}