In a powerful opinion piece, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has voiced his frustration and disappointment over being disinvited from a university event, highlighting concerns about freedom of expression and institutional integrity in India.
A Dream of Mentorship Dashed
Shah reflects on his four-decade-long journey in acting, emphasizing the joy and educational value he has derived from interacting with students. He describes his efforts to guide young dreamers and reluctant learners, acknowledging his mistakes but cherishing the mutual growth from these experiences. For Shah, working with students has been more enriching than any formal acting training, making the recent incident all the more painful.
The Jashn-e-Urdu Controversy
The actor was eagerly anticipating the Jashn-e-Urdu event organized by the Urdu department of Mumbai University on February 1, seeing it as an opportunity to engage with students. However, on the night of January 31, he received a last-minute notification that his presence was no longer required, with no reason or apology provided. To add insult to injury, the university reportedly announced to the audience that Shah had refused to attend, a claim he vehemently denies.
Allegations of Censorship and Political Pressure
Shah points out that a senior university official allegedly stated he was disinvited because he "openly makes statements against the country." He challenges this official to produce any evidence of such statements, asserting that while he has criticized the ruling dispensation and its leaders, he has never disparaged India itself. The actor expresses his disdain for what he perceives as narcissistic leadership and policies that, in his view, undermine democratic values.
Broader Societal Concerns
In his critique, Shah laments the current state of affairs in India, citing issues such as the lack of civic sense, the prolonged detention of student activists without trial, bail for convicted criminals, vigilantism, historical revisionism, and interference in educational content. He questions how long such hatred can be sustained, reminiscing about the country he grew up in and was taught to love.
Orwellian Parallels
Drawing a stark comparison, Shah equates the situation to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, where failure to praise the "great leader" is deemed seditious. He notes the pervasive use of "thought police," "doublespeak," and surveillance in today's context, describing a shift from "two minutes of hate" to a continuous cycle of animosity.
Through this opinion piece, Naseeruddin Shah not only recounts a personal slight but also raises critical questions about academic freedom, political censorship, and the erosion of democratic principles in contemporary India.
