Hindutva's culture wars.

WHILE attempting to throttle and isolate India's Muslims politically and economically, the Sangh Parivar is also front and centre in the culture wars, hounding Muslim film actors and ensuring their films fail to perform. The latest target of this campaign is the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan. Groups within the Hindutva stable have railed against the film, while protesters in Gujarat recently tore up posters of the production. Apparently, a minister in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh had issues with a song in the film, particularly the 'objectionable' clothing worn by the female lead. However, most modern Bollywood productions are known for their risque scenes, and the real reason behind the hate campaign against the film is likely the religious background of its star. Last year, Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha was also the subject of a similar vilification campaign, with critics making the preposterous claim that the production's star was 'anti-Hindu'.

To ensure that the otherisation of Muslims in India is complete, the Sangh Parivar has been weaponising culture. While once Muslim actors, writers and composers were amongst the Bollywood elite, today these...

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