“We have seen how hate builds, who foments it and how it festers. We have also seen the impunity and self-righteousness with which vigilantes operate,” says Setalvad referring to the alarming instances of mob lynching. “We must unite to Fight The Mob, because mob justice is actually the worst kind of injustice. It shows complete disrespect for the Constitution and the law of the land,” she explains.

Vishal Dadlani who has also been a strong civil society voice against discrimination and injustice, explained his reasons for joining the campaign saying, “It is a musician’s responsibility to make other people aware of what is happening in society and where things are going wrong. We are the bards and minstrels of our time. Art has the ability to civilize all of us.”

The most crucial part of the discussion was highlighting citizen’s initiatives like Mohalla Committees (that build bridges between the citizenry and police ensuring better communication when targeted violence is perpetrated), the regular documentation and prosecution of hate speech and in all, breaking the complicity of silence and fear that has gripped a majority of the population. A Video of the event can be seen here.

Both Setalvad and Dadlani also spoke at length about the rampant abuse of power and criminalisation of dissent in the country, especially with the tacit participation of many news channels and publications in a campaign to vilify dissenters. In fact, it is because of these concerted vilification campaigns that Teesta Setalvad gets branded as “anti-national”, odd given how she has been awarded the Padma Shree for services to the nation, a fact these networks and publications deliberately suppress in their willful campaign of misinformation. They condemned the assassination attempt on Umar Khalid, the abduction of student leader Pooja Shukla by UP police, the vitriol against Jignesh Mevani and Kanhaiya Kumar among others.

Dadlani narrated an incident where veteran actor Jackie Shroff, when questioned about his concept of freedom, had said, “Jo karna hai karne ka, ek doosre pe nahi chadhne ka…” Dadlani too believes in this live and let live approach and respect for diversity.

The discussion had a power packed audience including actors, activists, entrepreneurs, and several prominent members of Mumbai’s civil society. Setalvad also appealed people to generously donate for flood relief in Kerala.
 

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The CPI(M) has taken a serious objection to the decision of the Haryana government to invite Jain muni, Tarun Sagar, to address the state Assembly. Party politburo member Brinda Karat, has also questioned Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal for defending the Haryana government’ action.

From CPI (M) Facebook Post and Twitter:

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In a related development, the Delhi police has lodged a complaint against popular singer and composer, Vishal Dadlani for his “offensive” tweet against the Jain muni addressing the Assembly. Dadlani deleted his tweet and apologised, saying he “made a mistake by offending the peaceful Jain community.”

Image: Twitter

Though he still maintains that governance must not be mixed with religion, Dadlani, a staunch supporter of  AAP has announced his decision to quit “all active political work”.   
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During his ‘kadva vachan’ (bitter truths) address, the Jain muni spoke on issues including female foeticide, corruption, crime and terrorism. Here is some of what he reportedly said:

• “Rajniti par dharam ka ankush zaroori hai. Dharam pati hai, rajneeti patni. Har pati ki yeh duty hoti hai apni patni ko samrakshan de. Har patni ka dharam hota hai ki woh pati ke anushasan ko sweekar kare. Agar rajneeti par dharam ka ankush na ho toh woh magan-mast haathi ki tarah… ho jaati hai (The control of dharma over politics is essential. Dharma is the husband, politics is the wife. It is the duty of every husband to protect his wife. It is the duty of every wife to accept the discipline of her husband. If there is no control of dharma over politics, it will be like an elephant out of control).
• When religion enters politics, it brings purity; it becomes a disaster when politics enters religion.
• Chief Minister Manohar Lal might be blamed for saffronising politics. But, it is the purification of politics in real terms rather than saffronisation.
•  “Humara padosi desh, sab ko maloom hai, atankvaad ko aasan de raha hai….Bhasmasur paida kar raha hai… Bharat ko pareshan karne ke liye. Mujhe lagta hai aaj nahi toh kal Bhasmasur tayyar kar raha hai apne liye. Ek baar galti kare woh agyan hai, do baar galti kare woh nadaan hai, teen baar galti kare woh shaitan hai aur jo baar baar galti kare woh Pakistan hai. Jo har baar shama kar de, woh Hindustan hai (Everyone knows that the neighbouring country is harbouring terrorism… creating Bhasmasurs to trouble India. If someone makes a mistake once he is ignorant, if someone makes a mistake twice he is innocent, if someone makes a mistake thrice he is the devil, and if someone makes a mistake repeatedly, that is Pakistan. And the one who forgives repeatedly is India).

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