Selective Outrage: Kangana, 61 others counter 49 intellectuals' open letter to Modi over mob lynching

In a letter, the personalities have said, "An open letter which has been published on July 23, 2019, and addressed to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has astonished us. Forty nine self-styled 'guardians' and 'conscience keepers' of the nation and of democratic values have once again expressed selective concern and demonstrated a clear political bias and motive."

"To us, the undersigned, this document of selective outrage comes across as an attempt to foist a FALSE NARRATIVE with the intention of denigrating the democratic ethos and norms of our collective functioning as a nation and people. It is aimed at tarnishing India's international standing and to negatively portray Prime Minister Modi's untiring efforts to effectuate governance on the foundations of positive nationalism and humanism which is the core of INDIANNESS."

Apart from Kangana, lyricist and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi, filmmakers Vivek Agnihotri and Madhur Bhandarkar were also among the 62 people.

What did intellectuals write?

Forty nine Intellectuals including filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishan, Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen, Goutam Ghose, Kaushik Sen, actor Soumitra Chatterjee, historian Ram Chandra Guha on Wednesday wrote a letter to Modi saying the slogan in the name of God has become a "war-cry".

The letter reads, "...'Jai Shree Ram' has become a provocative "war-cry" today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynching take place in its name. It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion!"

Citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports, which states no less than 840 incidents of atrocities took place only in 2016, the intellectuals said, "The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and minorities must be stopped immediately."

The letter also highlighted the report claiming 254 religious identity-based hate crimes were reported between January 1, 2009 and October 29, 2018.

"About 90% of these attacks were reported after May 2014, when your government assumed power nationally," the letter reads.

Though the Prime Minister Narendra few days ago had condemned the incidents of mob-lynching in the parliament, the intellectuals felt that was not "enough".

"You have criticised such lynching in Parliament Mr. Prime Minister, but that is not enough! What action has actually been taken against the perpetrators? We strongly feel that such offences should be declared non-bailable, and the exemplary punishment should be meted out swiftly and surely. If life imprisonment without parole can be the sentence in cases of murder, why not for lynchings, which are even more heinous?" the letter reads. 

The intellectuals have also expressed concern over the naming of people as "anti-nationals".

In the letter, they said, "There is no democracy without dissent. People should not be branded 'anti-national' or 'urban Naxal' and incarcerated because of dissent against the government......Criticising the ruling party does not imply criticising the nation. No ruling party is synonymous with the country where it is in power........An open environment where dissent is not crushed, only makes for a stronger nation."