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Celebs lose their voices when there are police excesses at home: Nidhi Razdan

Celebs lose their voices when there are police excesses at home: Nidhi Razdan

Nidhi Razdan

Nidhi Razdan

By Hasan Akram

India’s veteran journalist Nidhi Razdan has criticised Indian celebrities for choosing to speak against police atrocities taking place in a foreign land but remaining silent on same incidents in India.

“Interesting to see “woke” celebrities in India speak out against police atrocities and George Floyd’s death all the way across in America, but the same celebs lose their voices when there are police excesses at home; when people are lynched, communities targeted,” Razdan, who is a prime time anchor with NDTV, said in a tweet.

A widespread protest was triggered by the death of a black person who faced grave police atrocity before his demise. The incident has been condemned by several Indian activists, academicians and celebrities as well.

India has also been witnessing incidents of hate crimes, especially against its religious minorities, most often against Muslims.

Activist Mohd Asif Khan pointed out that the case of Faizan was no different from George Floyd. He and his friends were brutally beaten up by Police in February in the northeastern suburbs of New Delhi. Cops forced them to sing National Anthem on Camera. Faizan died in Hospital. Commenting on unfolding of the two incidents, Khan said, “There was no outrage in India but there are protests in US”.

In India, several celebs have either sided with India’s right-wing Hindu nationalist governments or they have been silent on such incidents. However, there are other celebs who have been vocal against these incidents.

One an important note, the Indian state has been tough on people speaking against its decisions affecting persecuted communities or its silence on hate-crimes. Several activists, who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act, whom the critiques hail as a divisive law, have been put behind bars. Those arrested include a pregnant woman named Safoora Zargar.