One nation, one sentiment

To say that the dastardly Pulwama attack shook the nation is just understating things; it infuriated the nation, above all the nationalists. Who said what comes much later. And whether what’s said was right is not even the point. What’s reassuring is that it had an impact; a ripple effect engulfed one and all, the rich, the political, the powerful, social media, Bollywood. As Ali Fazal while withdrawing out of Jashna-E-Rekhta in Dubai, an event meant for the promotion of Urdu language, summed up, “The whole country is in mourning.”

Line of fire: Navjot Singh Sidhu

Anyone’s who doesn’t toe the expected line will fall in the line of fire. And, currently, who knows this better than Navjot Singh Sidhu? Joining in are Kapil Sharma and Mallika Dua, either of them no strangers to trolls anyway! So when Punjab minister for local bodies and tourism, Navjot Singh Sidhu, decided to make the otherwise rightful but contextually wrong statement, “For a handful of people, can you blame the entire nation and can you blame an individual,” adding, “that it’s a cowardly act and I condemn it firmly. Violence is always condemnable and those who did it must be punished.” He should’ve seen the uproar coming. But even could he have foreseen the hashtags #BoycottSidhu, Kapil Sharma Show and Sony TV?

In soup: Mallika Dua

The comedienne was unsparingly trolled after she shared a video calling out certain section of the people on Pulwama attack. “Now my point is that every day there are people who die of hunger, bhukmari, berozgaari, depression... there are so many reasons why people die; not just in India, but all over the world. You keep going about your life like you do, right? Are those lives any less important? Or are we being insensitive? Do we not care because we are posting things on social media? What is this logic? Yeh kya nonsense chal rahi hai ki poora desh ro raha hai aur tum has rahi ho?” Hateful comments on Mallika calling everyone keyboard nationalists soon followed. And when we tried contacting Mallika, she did not respond!

Not right: Kapil Sharma

Kapil Sharma, during an anti-drug drive in Chandigarh, shared his views on Navjot Singh Sidhu being sacked from his show and how the propaganda of removing Sidhu is not right, “The focus of the nation should be on the genuine problem and not on misleading hashtags like #BoycottSidhu or #BoycottKapilSharmaShow. — Manpriya Singh

Blame Game

T-series has already taken off Atif Aslam’s Baarishein. Sorry Atif, nothing personal against you, but against Pakistan government, the composer Arko has already stated to supportive social media. Meanwhile, we have our controversy’s favourite child Kangana Ranaut  reacting to Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cancelling Pakistan visit.  “Why did they agree to visit Pakistan in the first place when Pakistani artistes have already been banned in India after Uri attacks?” 

Shabana speak

Shouldn’t we as a nation adopt Shabana’s policy? “You really think at a time like this a personal attack on me can be of any significance when the entire country stands as one in our grief and in condemning this dastardly Pulwama attack?”