On 9th November (Thursday), Former Rajya Sabha MP and Bollywood lyrist Javed Akhtar attended the Deepotsav program organised by MNS-Chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai. During the event, Akhtar emphasised that Lord Rama and Sita are not only Hindu gods and goddesses but the cultural heritage of India.
Praising the Hindu community for being tolerant, he stressed that “democracy exists in India because of Hindu culture and tradition”.
He said, “There are some people who have always been intolerant. Hindus are not like that. They have this great quality – generous and large-hearted. Don’t lose that, else you will become like others.” He further added, “We have learnt from Hindus’ way of living. Will you leave that?”
Akhtar added that he was proud to have been born in the land of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.
“Although I am an atheist, I respect Maryada Purushottam Ram a lot. Lord Ram is a part of our culture and civilisation. Ramayana is also our cultural heritage. That is why I have come to participate in the programme. Whenever we talk about Maryada Purushottam, only Lord Shri Ram and Sita come to mind,” he said at the programme while sitting beside his lyricist partner Salim Khan and Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh.
Akhtar continued further stating that even if one doesn’t believe in anyone, they are a Hindu, that is Hindu culture, and this is civilisation. It has given us the attitude of democracy. On the contrary, thinking that we are right and everyone else is wrong is not the work of Hindus. Whoever taught you this is wrong, he added.
At the event, he also asked attendees to chant ‘Jai Siya Ram’ slogans. Recalling his childhood in Lucknow, he said that while the rich used to say “good morning,” common people on the street greeted each other with “Jai Siya Ram.”
He said, “Therefore, it is a sin to think of Sita and Rama separately. The word Siya Ram is a symbol of love and unity. Siya and Ram were done by only one. His name was Ravana. So the one who does differently will be Ravana. So you chant Jai Siya Ram three times with me. Say Jai Siya Ram from today.”
Many pictures of the program have surfaced on social media however video of Javed Akhtar raising slogans of Jai Shri Ram in particular is going viral. While some people have observed that his recent act is laudable after whatever controversial he has said in the past some have expressed apprehensions about whether it could be another sugar-coated attempt to box and guilt trip Hindus as tolerant of anything that they encounter.