There was controversy when Vir Das released his ‘I Come From 2 Indias’ video. There was controversy when Kangana Ranaut made a remark about the country getting freedom in 2014. As movies are censored, standup comedy shows are cancelled, and articles are being taken down, one might question themself – are we truly free?
Lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar recently spoke about freedom of expression and it does not just apply to our country but to the world as a whole. According to TOI, Akhtar said that freedom of expression of writers and authors is important in a democratic setup.
“Unfortunately, that freedom of expression for them is shrinking,” he said.
Further adding, Javed Akhtar opined that a writer cannot remain aloof from the happenings of the world and that it’s his responsibility to write about the plight of the common man.
“Unfortunately, that is not happening. The writer’s pen trembles while writing about the plight of the common people and their woes. There is some kind of fearfulness that has crept among them. At present, there is a darkness which was never felt before,” he said.
“In the past, the nawabs, jahagirdars and zamindars used to patronise poets and writers—but only if the latter talked of love, stars and flowers. Poets who wrote about tears and sweat were not wanted. The present-day political nawabs and zamindars are no better. They don’t want a writer to portray the truth—the social reality which envelops us,” TOI further quoted him saying.
Do you agree with Javed Akhtar? Tell us.