After the police crackdown on protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party protests in New Delhi many celebrities from the Hindi film industry are now coming forward to show solidarity with the students. Actor Naseeruddin Shah late on Tuesday shared an impassioned statement. In an angry message in chaste Urdu, Shah called the ruling disposition as “jaahil” (uneducated) and also compared the police personnel who lathicharged students to American ICE agents.
The video was shared on the CJP’s social media accounts late on Tuesday night. Speaking in Urdu, the National Award winner said, “Agar ek jaahil iss mulk ki rehnumaayi kare to uska dil yahi chahega ki poora mulk ussi ki tarah jaahil, nasamajh, naakabil aur berehem bane (If an uneducated person runs this country, his heart will want that the entire country becomes uneducated, foolish, incompetent, and merciless like him).”
Expressing his anger over the issue, Shah added, “Iss waqt mera dil bhi bhara hua hai aur main gusse se khaul bhi raha hoon yeh dekhkar ke humare bachchon ke saath kis tarah zulm ka bartaav kiya ja raha hai unn gundon ke haathon joh mujhe America ke ICE agents ki yaad dilate hai, muh pe naqab lagaye hue, haath mein danda liye hue. Kabhi apne bachchon ke baare mein bhi socha karo aur yeh bhi socho tumhara anjaam tumhe bhi ek din milega zaroor. (Right now, my heart is aching and I am also boiling with anger watching how our kids have been treated by these goons who remind me of American ICE agents, wearing masks and carrying sticks. Think about your own children sometimes and think that you will get your due one day for sure).”
The veteran actor ended his video message with support to the protesters and a warning to the ruling party. “Inn sab bachchon se main kehna chahta hoon ki himmat na harein. Bahut se logon ki hamdardi aapke saath hai. Bahut se log aapke saath hai. Aap ladte rahe, mujhe humare mulq ki yuva peedhi se humesha ummeed rahi hai aur ab voh ummeed aur ujagar ho gayi hai. Aap log apni ladayi ladte rahein, hum aapke saath hain. (To the kids, I want to say, don’t lose hope. Many people’s sympathies are with you, so you keep on fighting. I always had hope from this country’s youth, and now that hope has intensified.)”
"Aur iss mulk ki hukumat ko main kehna chahta hoon, sab yaad rakha jaayega, (And to this country's ruling disposition I want to say, 'everything will be remembered.')
On Monday (July 20) during the Sansad march in New Delhi, Delhi police resorted to lathicharge on protesting students. Tear gas was also deployed on the protesters. The police claimed that the students expressed unruly and violent behaviour hence they had to resort to this action, however, innumerable videos on social media state that the police action was unprecedented and unwarranted.
