The second richest actor in the world, Shahrukh Khan, is a Muslim who chooses to stay silent on the Kashmir issue; turning a blind eye to the massacre of innocent civilians in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Why should Shahrukh speak up on the Kashmir issue? He is an actor who is simply doing his job; he's not a politician.
At the end of the day, he is a human like us. So why can't he speak up for the victims of Kashmir? He is an influential man in India, perhaps he could help to highlight awareness of what is happening in the region.
Has the King Khan of Bollywood been to Kashmir?
In 2012, Shahrukh was in Kashmir for the shooting of his film, 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan'. The Bollywood Star said wonderful things about the people and the region. He tweeted: "My father's one unfulfilled wish was to bring
me to Kashmir because his mom was from here. Now I am here, it feels as I
am in his big strong arms." However, Khan refused to comment about the dispute; choosing instead to change the subject. If India's most famous Muslim is afraid to speak up against injustice, what hope is there that Indian Muslims will be able to take a stance for the victims of Indian oppression in Occupied Kashmir?
Should only Muslims or Kashmiris or Pakistanis take a stance for Kashmir?
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| Shahrukh Khan during prayers in Kashmir |
All humans with a heart must speak up for Kashmir - it doesn't matter about race, nationality or religion. We need Indians to see the reality of what is happening because they deserve to know. Indians must take a stance because the atrocities are happening on their soil.
How is SRK helping the Indian army?
He praises the Indian armed forces, promotes them through his films and is actively involved in events which support them. Most importantly, he funds them through taxes. It comes as no surprise that a man as wealthy as Khan pays a substantial amount of tax. Some may defend him because he is doing his job; he has no choice but to pay tax. Whilst he has no choice but to pay taxes, we do have a choice when we pay to watch his films.
What may happen if he decides to condemn the slaughter of innocent men, women and children?
If he says a word about Kashmir, the authorities in India will bring him to the floor. His films will face difficulties releasing and his status and wealth will be impacted. There is no doubt that he knows what is happening in Kashmir. He knows that the blood of innocent people is flowing on a daily basis. Yet he is happily quiet on the matter because his children and his family are safe and living in luxury. If his children were in pain, he would do all he could to help them. He is the most famous man in India. He will continue to sing and dance whilst people are butchered in his country.
Should we be watching Bollywood films at the Cinema?
The biggest tragedy is that we indirectly support the Indian army by watching Bollywood films at the cinema. Perhaps we don't care enough about the children of Kashmir. Is it because we can't hear their screams? A portion of the money we give to buy our ticket is helping the Indian army to buy the pellets that leave Kashmiris blinded. Let's not forget that anyone can pretend to be a hero on screen. A real hero is someone who says and does the right thing. What kind of a 'Don' or 'Raees' is he when he can't even say a word against the oppression and torture of innocent people? He has Muslim fans across the globe, as well as in Kashmir, who have helped to make him what he is today. Despite being fans of Bollywood and Shahrukh Khan, we cannot hide from the harsh reality. We respect Indians and India as a nation but we cannot turn a blind eye to what the Indian army is doing in Kashmir. All humans deserve to live in peace; nobody deserves oppression and torture. We may love your films but not more than we hate the fact that you're massacring our brothers and sisters in humanity.
If Liam Byrne, British MP, can speak up on the Kashmir issue and criticise the Indian authorities for blocking journalists from the region, then why not Shahrukh Khan? If Ashwin Kumar can make a film on the issue, which is banned in India but available online, then why not our King of Bollywood?
As a Proud Indian, why should he condemn his own Government and Army?
We respect that Shahrukh Khan is a proud Indian. But this is a matter of human rights. A man's love for his country should encourage him to speak up against the brutality of its Government and armed forces. For example, proud Americans condemned the decision to attack Iraq because they felt that it wasn't the right thing to do. We are not attacking Indians; we simply want them to know that their army is raping, torturing and murdering innocents. Founder of India, Mahatma Gandhi, would not approve of such behaviour. It's wrong to stay silent when humans are being suffocated in such an extreme way.
Shahrukh can't do much to help. Kashmir needs politicians to speak up and do something.
Shahrukh can't do much to help. Kashmir needs politicians to speak up and do something. Yes, we need politicians to do their bit. But why not actors? Are they not human? We all need to do whatever we can to condemn this violation of human rights. We've picked on Shahrukh Khan in this article, however, he is a representative of a massive film industry which holds great influence in a country such as India. We need celebrities, as well as ordinary people, to spread awareness of the Kashmir issue. King Khan has mastered the art of romance in the world of films. As fans, we want him to play his role in spreading peace across the globe and for that to happen, he must not stay silent when innocent people are losing their loved ones in the land he refers to as 'Kkkkk....Kashmir'.
