Even as the nation geared up for the Independence Day celebrations, Bollywood continued with its vicious anti-India propaganda. This time around, Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra-starrer Namaste England poster has created a controversy by cutting off Aksai Chin region of Jammu & Kashmir from India’s map. This poster was released yesterday and therefore, Vipul Shah’s movie shamed the nation ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. Actors, Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra started sharing the poster on social media after it was released yesterday. However, it did not take long before the shameful distortion of India’s map in the poster became amply clear. Aksai Chin region which has been cunningly and maliciously excluded in Namaste England’s poster, has been the part of a dispute between India and China.
See the poster:
It is unfathomable that this could have been a rash error. This seems to be a well thought out mala fide distortion of India’s map. Bollywood is a resourceful institution and it is difficult to believe that the makers of this movie got confused about India’s map. The timing of releasing this poster also corroborates the ill will among the makers of this movie to malign India even as the nation celebrates its 72nd Independence Day. Even after the impugned poster got embroiled in this controversy, there is no official statement from the makers of this movie. It seems that they have no remorse about how this poster has shamed the nation about a sensitive issue.
This is not for the first time that Bollywood has been guilty of misrepresentations and anti-India propaganda. Films like Dilip Kumar-starrer Karma (1986) and Rajesh Khanna-led Naya Kadam (1984) also committed similar distortions with India’s map. In fact, in the recent past Bollywood and some of the “eminent” actors have been guilty of subtle and soft anti-India propaganda. Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Main Hoon na, for example, was one of earlier hideous attempt at using the propaganda of alleged hyper-nationalism in India. The plot of the movie revolves around an Indian soldier going rogue in light of Indo-Pak peace talks.
However, Namaste England is no subtle or soft anti-India propaganda but a clear attack on the territorial sovereignty and integrity of India. It is a mockery of India’s claims and that too in express terms. By excluding the Aksai Chin region from India’s map, it undermines in explicit terms India’s claim on the region which has been disputed by the Chinese. This shows that Bollywood’s vicious anti-India propaganda is becoming stark and one no longer needs to read between the lines in order to infer its hideous agenda. The modus operandi is to first spell out anti-national propaganda and then claim that Bollywood can go to any extent and that its acts should in no way be taken to undermine India’s interests. However, the argument that art is above national interest is totally ridiculous and non sensical. Bollywood makers must remember that they are entitled to no special rights or privileges and have no immunity from India’s laws and usages. They are in no way, entitled to tarnish India’s image in the name of artistic freedom and get away with it.
The government must come down heavily on the makers of Namaste England and those responsible for this unpardonable distortion of the Indian map.
Recently, the government had taken objection to the depiction of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian map in Tom Cruise-starrer Hollywood flick Mission: Impossible — Fallout. Even the external affairs ministry was asked to intervene. And now that someone from India’s soil has dared to make this distortion, the government must not allow the makers to go scot free and exemplary punishment must be imposed. In fact, this distortion in India’s map is not only a shameful and hideous act but also an illegal act. It constitutes a violation of the National Map Policy, introduced in 2005. Further, the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961, punishes the act of misrepresentation of India’s external boundaries with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or both. Thus, there is a clear ground for the government to clamp down on those who committed this criminal act.