Javed Akhtar’s statement at the Faiz festival reminds us of two things. 1) The artists should refrain from indulging in politics. 2) The Quiad-i-azam was right when he said that the Muslims who are opposing Pakistan would spend the rest of their lives proving their loyalty to India.
Artists should not do politics. Javed Akhtar had a large fan following in Pakistan, before his statement. His writings and poetry were adored and acknowledged. But, he came to Pakistan and gave a disgusting statement that terrorists who attacked Mumbai roam free in Pakistan. His remarks are neither factually correct nor have any legal basis. And, he has no regret on his statement and even insists that he was talking about peace.
We get a couple of lessons from his hate-filled remarks.
The one talking about peace should be peaceful himself. Peace should be reflected in his statements instead of hate and animosity. Javed Akhtar’s claim was nothing but a statement of a person suffering from narcissism. He’s living in an illusion that peace efforts are from India only and not from Pakistan.
He was here in Pakistan to talk about literature, language, and art as an Indian ambassador of art but instead he turned out to be an official sportsperson of the BJP-led government of India which is keen to represent Pakistan as a terrorism hub and India as a victim of terrorism.
Art transcends boundaries. But in Javed Akhtar’s case, it is hate that has transcended borders. He was not sitting in a threatening environment. He was sitting in front of peaceful people who were there to listen to him. But he spread hate there. He not only inflicted damage to art but also to the use of art to promote love between the two countries. Art will now be used further to spread hate.
The statements of artist Javed Akhtar and fascist leader PM Modi, although delivered at different platforms, were meant to inflict the same damage.
PM Modi tried to prove Pakistan was the mothership of terrorism in one of the BRICS summits and tried to isolate Pakistan. Javed Akhtar also tried to do the same. The common aspect in these two statements is that both of these statements were made at platforms that were meant to be for other purposes. The Indian PM failed miserably to buy support for his envious statement against Pakistan and Javed Akhtar’s statement is also bound to die the same fate in history.
An artist needs to talk about peace and love. There needs to be a difference between an artist’s approach and a politician’s approach. A politician may be restricted to official claims only but an artist can express his heart. Art has no boundaries. It has no limit. That is the reason art brings people closer. But, by trying to be a politician and going too far in proving his loyalty towards India, Javed Akhtar crossed all limits.
Peace is an initiative taken from both sides with equal intensity and goodwill. One can not talk about peace by blaming others.
Javed Akhtar visited Lahore, blamed Pakistan, exempted India from all its war-mongering and wrongdoing, and portrayed himself as peaceful and hoped for peace between the two countries. It was nothing short of a weakly written and acted movie.
Peace between Pakistan and India has not been achieved yet and is a distant dream because of the self-proclaimed peace-loving pseudo-intellectuals and artist cum politicians like Javed Akhtar.
George Soros, an American businessman, claimed recently that the downfall of Gautam Adani is intertwined with Prime Minister Modi’s political career. His downfall will bring an end to PM Modi’s regime and there will be a democratic revival in the country. His remarks did not go well in India and he is now considered the national enemy of India. There is an outcry in India over his statement and the Hindu nationalists are not taking a step back.
Similarly, many Indian writers and their books are banned in India for their support of the Kashmiri people and their criticism of the Indian brutal rule in Kashmir.
The above examples indicate that diversity and freedom of expression find no place in Indian society. Javed Akhtar should at least be appreciative of the fact that despite giving an anti-Pakistan statement in Pakistan he only received love.
The first peaceful initiative is that all previous history is left behind to start a new chapter. No one is blamed. No one is accused of the past. So how can Javed Akhtar talk about peace by blaming Pakistan and giving a clean chit to India? Javed Akhtar accused Pakistan of terrorism but he forgot that Kulbhushan Yadav was neither from Norway nor Egypt.
Art and sports should be free from politics but India has always done politics on sports and art. Even Muslims, who form a large chunk of the Indian population, are misrepresented in Indian films. Indian films have portrayed a cringy image of Muslims. The terrorists have a Muslim name or live in a Muslim neighborhood in Indian movies. Muslims are portrayed as terrorists. Pakistan is presented as a terror-sponsoring state. The reason is that India has always used art for political goals.
Similarly, India has always politicized sports. It has refused to play cricket with Pakistan time and again and used sports to dominate other nations. The recent case of India’s refusal to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup and insistence that Pakistan should come to India to play in the World Cup is one such example.
Javed Akhtar’s statement is nothing new. It is a part of the process of the politicization of arts and sports. He never raised his voice on the above-mentioned issues in India but he came here to teach a lesson to Pakistan and talk about peace. A sheer contradiction.
As the next general elections in India are coming, Javed Akhtar tried to follow the footprints of his PM by giving an anti-Pakistan statement. We might see Javed Akhtar contesting an election shortly.
Javed Akhtar returned home safe and secure even after his statement hurt the sentiments of Pakistanis. It shows that the country he was claiming to be a terror sponsor, was peaceful enough to love him and respect him as an artist.
Art transcends boundaries. But in Javed Akhtar’s case, it is hate that has transcended borders. He was not sitting in a threatening environment. He was sitting in front of peaceful people who were there to listen to him. But he spread hate there. He not only inflicted damage to art but also to the use of art to promote love between the two countries. Art will now be used further to spread hate.
Given the animosity between the two countries, people like Javed Akhtar should work as an ambassador of love and peace not hate. They should talk about peace and spread goodwill and love.
His statement might have been a brain fade but his insistence on his remarks indicates that it is an illusion that is showing a distorted image to him and has taken over his rationality.
