More than 700 theatre artists appeal people to vote out BJP

Guwahati, April 7, 2019:

In a joint statement, more than 700 theatre artists from every corner of the country have joined hands to make an appeal to the people to vote against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies.

The joint statement in 12 languages (English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Assamese, Telugu, Panjabi, Konkani, Urdu and Gujarati). They made an appeal to vote for a secular, democratic and inclusive India. “Vote to empower the weakest, protect liberty, protect the environment, and foster scientific thinking,” stated the statement.

As many as 616 signatories of the statement include luminaries like Amol Palekar, Anurag Kashyap, Lillete Dubey, Dolly Thakore, Naseeruddin Shah, Anamika Haksar, Navtej Johar, Abhishek Majumdar, MK Raina, Mahesh Dattani, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Sanjna Kapoor.

“Today, the idea of equity and union in India is under threat. Today, song, dance, laughter is under threat. Today, our beloved Constitution is under threat. The institutions that have to nurture argument, debate, and dissent have been suffocated. To question, to call out lies, to speak the truth, is branded ‘anti-national’. The seeds of hatred have entered our food, prayers, and festivals. The ways in which this hatred has seeped into our daily fabric are alarming and it has to STOP,” added the release.

It further added, “The coming elections are without a doubt the most critical in the history of independent India. A democracy must empower its weakest, it's most marginalized. A democracy cannot function without questioning, debate, and vibrant opposition. All this is being concertedly eroded by the current government. The BJP, which came to power five years ago with the promise of development, has given free rein to Hindutva goons to indulge in the politics of hate and violence. The man who was portrayed as the savior of the nation five years ago has destroyed the livelihoods of millions through his policies. He promised to bring back black money; instead, rogues have looted the country and run away. The wealth of the rich has grown astronomically, while the poor have become even poorer.”