This level of intolerance is disturbing,says Amol Palekar
Just because I dont agree with your thoughts,are you going to shoot me?asked the deeply-moved actor
3 min read
His murder has certainly agitated people from all walks of life but it was Narendra Dabholkars close friend,actor Amol Palekar,who was more vocal about his deep anguish. I had met him two days ago. It is irrelevant how close I was to him,but it is more important to ask how much more tolerant we are going to be [towards such attacks, Palekar told Newsline. The actor and his wife Sandhya Gokhale were present at the morgue at Sassoon General Hospital.
Palekar said what is even more shocking is that such an incident happened in a city like Pune. Recent attacks like the one at Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute makes me wonder how progressive we really are. Just because I dont agree with your thoughts,are you going to shoot me? This increasing level of intolerance is extremely disturbing, Palekar said.
The actor said Maharashtra is a state known for its progressive movements. In such a state if a person who represents a progressive movement should have such an end,then it is extremely painful. He was as it were the last of one of the Trojans, Palekar said. The actor also extolled the simple life that Dabholkar led. He came to Pune by a state transport bus and since Dabholkar has no personal gain in anything that he does,power lobbies find him even more difficult to deal with, he said.
A staunch fighter of social dogmas and superstitions,Dabholkar was in the forefront of the campaign to persuade the state government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill. It was opposed by certain sections of the Warkari sect. Hindu extremist organisations have opposing such a bill but Dabholkar believed that he was not against anyones faith but against superstition. It is extremely disturbing when two successive governments dont show the initiative to table the bill. Really,where are we heading? Palekar asked.
The actor recalled that he and Dabholkar had shared a platform. He is a selfless man without any personal gain. If a person can create awareness about eradicating superstition even in rural areas,one can imagine his ability to impact the common man, Palekar said.
Anuradha Mascarenhas
You May Like
