Water scarcity and droughts are some of the biggest problems faced by many impoverished families in our country today. Walking for kilometers barefoot just to get some water in the scorching heat is a grim reality that several rural women have to face every single day.
In order to supposedly understand the plight of these women who travel long distances to fetch some water, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar walked 21 KM on a treadmill as part of a network’s initiative towards water conservation and hygiene called ‘Mission Paani Waterthon’ held on January 26, 2021.
Akshay Kumar walked 21 kilometers on the treadmill to feel the pain of women who walk 21 kms and more everyday to get safe drinking water. Join him at #MissionPaani Waterthon, a @CNNnews18 and @harpic_india initiative towards water conservation and hygiene. pic.twitter.com/fqxiUKQ5tg
— Mission Paani (@MissionPaani) January 26, 2021
Akshay added that while athletes who are running in marathons are given water at every juncture, rural women on the other hand face innumerable difficulties.
Filmmakers Hansal Mehta and Neeraj Ghaywan criticized the move on Twitter:
I switched on the air conditioner all night at 16 degrees. To understand how our farmers braved it out in the cold.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 26, 2021
Get married off to a man with existing wives ONLY to fetch water. Because the other wives are getting older and can't carry enough water.
Yes, your dreams, your youth, your entire life is now worth a pot of water. Much like being on a treadmill.https://t.co/nJioBtlop0
— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) January 26, 2021
Other people also called Akshay out for his “stunt” which trivialized the situations the women have to face. Check it out:
We are surrounded by a bunch of jokers, who identify themselves actors/politicians/activists/heroes.
https://t.co/SoZhX4obmP— Subhakeerthana (@bhakisundar) January 26, 2021
AC mein, sports shoes pehen ke, khaali haath treadmill par chal ke @akshaykumar is trying to empathise with barefooted women who walk on broken rural terrain with pots of water on their head in 40 degrees Celsius.#KuchBhi #Canadian https://t.co/HSTvK5RPGr
— Mango Man (@__MangoMan__) January 26, 2021
Walking on a electricity powered treadmill inside an air-conditioned studio wearing sneakers and talking about the plight of women who have to walk kilometres to fetch water. 🤦🏽♂️
Hypocrisy thy name is Akshay Kumar. pic.twitter.com/TUznZmFx9R— JayJay (@JamProlio) January 26, 2021
@akshaykumar ji why this drama? You can't imagine pain of those women who walk so many kilometers in distress just to get some bucket of water, merely by walking on treadmill.🙄
Go to such places personally, help those women/families to get a solution on ground with help of govt. https://t.co/BtPOWz7sYR— Dr.Deepa Sharma (@deepadoc) January 27, 2021
Akshay Kumar walked 21km on treadmill to understand the plight of women who go to fetch water walking long distances
Koi sense hai is baat ki😂🥴 pic.twitter.com/Q9aGwb0UAs
— Anayra Sharma (@AnayraSharma2) January 26, 2021
akshay kumar walking on treadmill to understand the plight of village women carrying water long distance
🤝
chetan bhagat waxing his legs to understand women— 🥰 (@sadelokeshi) January 26, 2021
For #MissionPaani , Akshay Kumar walked on a treadmill for 21kms to understand the plight of women who travel long distances to fetch water.
I think it's the greatest stunt he has ever pulled off because I've never seen a spineless man walk that far 🤣
— Khader Pathan (@KhaderPathan1) January 26, 2021
Put aside the treadmill, come out of the ac room. Walk for hours barefoot on uneven roads & desert areas with more than one water container, only then u will understand @akshaykumar https://t.co/S9Ypr2mv0d
— мєєиαкѕнι (@Meenakshiiik) January 27, 2021
Im still pissed at this.. So let me get this straight, he's gonna walk on a treadmill, in the comfort of his home, with comfy shoes, and he thinks thats equivalent to Women fetching water barefoot from long distances, in the scorching heat?? @akshaykumar Get the fuck out of here! https://t.co/rxwhKBsupK
— Amyy80 (@Amyy_80) January 26, 2021
I can do that too on a treadmill. Just to understand what @akshaykumar went through doing that. It’s a sham to say that he did it to understand what these women go through fetching water. It’s a bloody joke on them by Akshay KUMAR.
— Sumon Kar 🇬🇧🇮🇳🇪🇺 (@5K4R) January 26, 2021
Armchair activism is never the solution, no matter how noble a person’s intentions are. Do you agree with Twitter’s opinion? Tell us!