Over 600 theatre artistes and practitioners have issued an appeal to people to vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
A joint statement on this was released today by Artists Unite, and the signatories include theatre veterans like Girish Karnad, Naseeruddin Shah, Amol Palekar, Mahesh Dattani, Mahesh Elkunchwar, Astad Deboo, Usha Ganguli, Shanta Gokhale, MK Raina, Arundhati Nag, Atmajit Singh, among others.
After filmmakers, writers and scientists, this is the fourth such statement issued, appealing to people to ensure the people in the country “vote out” divisive politics.
According to the statement, “The BJP, which came to power five years ago with the promise of development, has given free rein to Hindutva goons to indulge in the politics of hate and violence.”
The artistes observed in their statement that “The man who was portrayed as the saviour of the nation five years ago has destroyed the livelihoods of millions through his policies. He promised to bring back black money; instead, rogues have looted the country and run away. The wealth of the rich has grown astronomically, while the poor have become even poorer.”
They also stated that institutions have been “suffocated”. “To question, to call out lies, to speak the truth, is branded ‘anti-national’. The seeds of hatred have entered our food, prayers and festivals,” they said. The theatre practitioners of India have thus appealed to the people of the country to help safeguard the Constitution and the country’s secular ethos. “Our appeal – vote bigotry, hatred, and apathy out of power. Vote against the BJP and its allies,” reads the statement.
They appealed to the people to “vote wisely” in order to “empower the weakest, protect liberty, protect the environment, and foster scientific thinking” and to vote “for secular democratic, inclusive India”.
The statement issued also add that “Theatre makers in India have a long and proud tradition of standing against forces of religious sectarianism, chauvinism, narrowness and irrationality,” adding that “with song and dance, with humour and pathos, with compelling human stories, we have, for over a hundred and fifty years, imagined a secular, democratic, inclusive and just India,” and added “that very idea of India is under threat”.
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