Indian actor, Shah Rukh Khan, in a bizarre statement said that his children are neither Muslim or Hindu, but ‘India’. He reiterated that he and his family value their Indian identity over their religions. He said since he is a Muslim and his wife Hindu his children are ‘Hindustan’ (India).
The actor said he has taught his children to call themselves ‘Indians’ when they are asked about their religion which is also mentioned in their school admission forms.
https://twitter.com/neeljoshiii/status/1221113992229244928?s=20
SRK said, his daughter once asked him about their religion, he said that we are Indians only we don’t follow any religion and that should not happen either.
He was heard saying this in a viral video from a show Dance+ which he appeared as a guest on Saturday on an Indian TV channel. He attended the show to celebrate India’s 71st Republic Day.
https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1221706960447340546?s=20
Criticism on SRK’s statement
Mixed reactions spurt up on Twitter on his comments made on a reality TV show. His fans praised him for giving out a strong message of love and warmth for his country, India.
They said Khan’s message supported secularism in India that is swiftly heading towards ‘Hindu Rashtra’ under Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s rule.
Bollywood’s King, Shah Rukh Khan, was the most criticised actor on Indian Twitter for his uncomfortable silence on Delhi Police’s assault on the students despite him being an Alma Mater of Jamia Milia University
Others said SRK has disreputed and damaged a movement of Indian Muslims to protect their Muslim identity in the face of rising persecutions by Hindutva and the latest attempt of CAA-an abhorrent attempt by BJP to alter the demography of India and undermine the second-largest minority of Indian-Muslims.
Critics used his statements to make a point that the only way to survive in BJP’s India is to disown the distinct Muslim identity and assimilate into Hinduism like SRK who is too scared to give his Muslim identity to his children and praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi to escape the ire of extremists.
WTF does SRK’s first statement “My kids are Hindustan” even mean? It’s utterly meaningless.
SRK to daughter: “We are Indian. We don’t have a religion, nor should we have one.”
This is a slap in the face to all Indian Muslims suffering under Hindutva. https://t.co/ezdQNFirmE
— Samirah (@SameeraKhan) January 26, 2020
Bollywood’s King, Shah Rukh Khan, was the most criticised actor on Indian Twitter for his uncomfortable silence on Delhi Police’s assault on the students despite him being an Alma Mater of Jamia Milia University.
People equated his silence on the issue to his fear of being slandered by the extremist BJP and RSS as anti-national and Pakistan’s empathizer, if he vocally condemned the government.
Read more: Old timers like Sharukh Khan lose face as Deepika sets new trend for mixing politics and Bollywood
Indian Twitter users goaded Shah Rukh Khan to speak up on the issue since he is an influential voice in Bollywood. Khan seems to have resorted to silence to escape the expected wicked dissension from the ruling dispensation.
Resisting strong urges from people to speak, SRK remained tight-lipped against the segregationist CAB and National Register of Citizen that attempts to overrun the Muslim population in India. But his statements have clarified his stance that he does not vouch for religious identity and prefer to call himself an ‘Indian’.