Poet-lyricist-script writer Javed Akhtar has warned that the room for creativity or freedom of expression, which has been the ethos of Indian democracy, is shrinking and called for taking lessons from the "pathetic condition" of some neighbouring countries where such extremism was prevalent.
Akhtar, who has in the past faced the wrath of fundamentalists and trolls for his opinions on the social media, regretted that Indian society was becoming "more regressive".
"It is very unfortunate but true that as a society we are becoming more regressive. The elbow room for creativity, literature, cinema or for any kind of point of view is shrinking and that is not advisable at all.
"I think we should be careful about it. Because, look at the condition of regressive societies, where such extremism is an accepted norm. Do we want to emulate them? Just look across, we do not have to go very far," Akhtar, married to actress and theatre artist Shabana Azmi, told IANS.
"India has a democratic environment that is absent up to the Middle East. Why? What is so special about India that we could have democracy? Because it is an accepted norm in our society that people can have different beliefs, different Gods.
"Now, some forces are trying to put this society into a straitjacket, much like the way some of the other societies are," he warned.
In 2018, lyricist Javed Akhtar has tweeted out his support (rather belatedly) to the singer and anyone who opposes loudspeakers in mosques or any any place of worship in residential areas. “This is to put on record that I totally agree with all those including Sonu Nigam who want that Loud speakers should not be used by the mosques and for that matter by any place of worship in residential areas,” he tweeted.
This is to put on record that I totally agree with all those including Sonu Nigam who want that Loud speakers should not be used by the mosques and for that matter by any place of worship in residential areas .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 7, 2018
Last year, the azaan row went on for weeks and even resulted in Nigam shaving his head after a Muslim cleric announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone who will tonsure the singer. At the time, several Bollywood bigwigs added their voice to the controversy, but this new year, the conversation around the issue seems to have been reprised with Akhtar’s tweet
Quite unsuprisingly, the tweet ruffled quite a few feathers, with people responding with words of support as well as dissent.
“Being a Muslim I don’t have problem with loudspeakers or any religion activity.I respect all religions every religion has it’s own history everyone has a right to practice .i request all use something else to b in limelight leave religions aside,” tweeted one person, while another said, “Im not interested in the Mosque waking me up at 5.30am or the Temple waking me up at 4.30am. God does not need loudspeakers. No religion had loudspeakers as part of its history.”
In response to many of the dissenting voices that called him out, Akhtar later tweeted, “Maen har galat baat Kay Khilaf awaaz uthata hoon . Mushkil yehi hai ke aap dusron ki galti to maan saktay hain Magar apni nahin (I have raised a voice against all wrong practices. The problem is that you can recognise others’ mistakes, but not your own.”
Maen har galat baat Kay Khilaf awaaz uthata hoon . Mushkil yehi hai ke aap dusron ki galti to maan saktay hain Magar apni nahin .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 7, 2018
