Along with being an award-winning actor, Akshay Kumar is also one of the most humble and selfless individuals Bollywood has had the fortune to have. In an effort to do his part for the Assam floods victims, the actor has donated Rs 2 crores towards the relief funds. This is in stark contrast to the other celebrities who are merely tweeting “so sad” and urging other people to donate.
Akshay Kumar has come forward to donate 1 crore each to the Assam Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and for rescue operations in Kaziranga National Park.
During the trailer launch of his upcoming film ‘Mission Mangal’, a reporter wanted to know his thoughts behind the donation. He jokingly replied, “Ma’am, mere paas bohot paise hai.” Thereafter on a serious note, he said, “Maine parso-tarso ek photo dekhi thi, jis mein ek aurat apne bachche ko leke pani ke through nikal rahi thi. I consider it lucky that humare saath aisa nahi hua. When I saw that photograph, I thought yeh mere saath bhi ho sakta hai. Meri biwi aur beti ke saath bhi ho sakta hai.”
“Uss photo mein itna pani tha (indicates chest level) aur bachche ko yahaan leke jaa rahi thi (gestures over his shoulder),” he added.
“Mujhe sirf react nahi karna hai aur ‘so sad’ Twitter pe nahi daalna hai. Main aap sab se darkhwaast karunga, yeh mat daalo, kuch karo. Chahe woh ek chawanni kyun na ho aur Rs 25 lakh kyun na ho aur Rs 25 crore kyun na ho. Jitna aap de sako, do. Stop tweeting about it and saying ‘it is so sad’, ‘God bless everyone’ and all that. Do something about it,” he further added.
Absolutely heartbreaking to know about the devastation by floods in Assam.All affected, humans or animals,deserve support in this hour of crisis.I’d like to donate 1cr each to the CM Relief Fund & for Kaziranga Park rescue.Appealing to all to contribute @CMOfficeAssam @kaziranga_
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) July 17, 2019
Akshay Kumar has subtly sent a message to all the other celebrities who have resorted to their social media to convey ‘how sad’ they are. Priyanka Chopra, the tourism brand ambassador for the state decided to express her devastation through a tweet and provided a donation link along with it. She tweeted, “Extremely devasted by all the news coming in from #Assam and other parts of India. It’s heartbreaking to read about the displacement and loss of life. My prayers with those affected.”
Extremely devasted by all the news coming in from #Assam and other parts of India.
It’s heartbreaking to read about the displacement and loss of life. My prayers with those affected.Please donate at https://t.co/d5dow5OuLG and https://t.co/GNytaEqF0r
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) July 17, 2019
One of the highest-grossing actresses, known for her international roles, the actress hasn’t bothered to do anything substantial for the victims.
Along with Priyanka Chopra, there are several others, including, actresses Shraddha Kapoor and Dia Mirza. They put up Instagram stories on the floods and gave a donation link, no mention of their own donations.
As of now, 15 people have been killed in the Assam floods and landslides and over 46 lakh have been affected in Assam. Along with them, 24 deaths have also been reported from north Bihar, which is also facing a serious flood situation. 4,175 villages have been affected and close to 90,000 hectare of agricultural land has been engulfed.
Not only this, but the condition of the animals is also worrisome. Almost 90 percent of the Kaziranga National Park has been submerged which has affected over 10 lakh animals.
In these troublesome times, where the need of the hour is monetary aid, the celebrities are just publicizing the issue. This is earning them brownie points from the fans who perceive this act as that of kindness, but as far as the flood victims go, the gesture isn’t doing anything much. Urging others to donate, when the celebrities themselves are in a well of position is just plain hypocrisy. They should follow the example set by Akshay Kumar and do something meaningful for the people affected by the Assam floods.
