Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has reacted strongly to the brutal crackdown on protestors particularly the students at Jantar Mantar.
On Wednesday, the actor took to his Instagram, and shared a video of himself talking straight to the camera. The actor looked visibly angry over the treatment meted out to the “students”. He also targeted the political leadership of the country.
He said, “I would like to say two things to you all. The first thing is that if an ignorant person leads this country, then his heart will want the whole country to become as ignorant, incomprehensible, and merciless as he is. Even though I have completed two different courses of acting at the National University of India and the FTII, the most I have learnt about acting is from those students, from those students whom I have tried to teach. My full sympathy is with them”.
The actor’s video comes amidst the fast spiralling political atmosphere in the country. The situation is tense and volatile in the national capital with ripples being felt across cities like Mumbai and Kolkata.
He further mentioned, “I give them thousands and thousands of blessings with every breath, and I salute them on every Teacher’s Day. Right now, my heart is full, and I am opening it with anger, seeing how these children are being treated with cruelty, by those goons, who remind me of the American ICE agents, with masks on their faces, and sticks in their hands. Sometimes, think about your children, and also think that one day, you will also face the same fate. I want to tell all these children not to lose hope. Many people sympathize with you. Many people are with you. Keep fighting. I have always had hope from the youth of our country, and now that hope has become even stronger. Keep fighting. We are all with you. And I just want to say this to the government of this country, I want you to remember everything”.
The protests intensified after Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed by Delhi Police from the protest site at Jantar Mantar in the early hours of July 18 after completing 21 days of an indefinite hunger strike. Authorities shifted him to a hospital, citing his deteriorating health, medical advice and compliance with a Delhi High Court order. Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in competitive exams.
The raging issue of paper leaks across academia reached a fever pitch with the NEET paper leak. On July 20, protestors were lathi-charged at Jantar Mantar leading to violent clashes between the former and the law enforcement.
Sonam Wangchuk has entered day 24 of his hunger strike in light of exam paper leaks, and irregularities in the education system, and has vowed to continue the strike after protestors were subjected to brutal crackdown by Delhi police.
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