Zaira Wasim, a young actress from Kashmir valley, who essayed the role of young “Geeta Phogat” in the recent blockbuster “Dangal” has apologized. Yes! “Apologized”. Why? You read and decide for yourself.
(Her original FB posts and tweets are no longer available. She deleted those and published a yet another apology)
What the hell? Dangal star @ZairaWasim puts out statement on twitter apologizing for what she’s done & who she has met, seeks forgiveness: pic.twitter.com/mdKYYcZXLx
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) January 16, 2017
This is not a clarification or an apology. Her appeal “to not be deemed role model” says a lot more.
This is an appeal for sparing her life! This is just a mermaid’s white flag for survival– A mermaid who can not survive in a pool full of sharks, the place that is now Kashmir.
Zaira has broken the ranks. She dared to choose. She chose acting over stone pelting, dialogue delivery over sloganeering, a future full of promise over intifada. And that is dangerous. A dangerous precedent that can incite many more dreams. An example that can have many more want to act and dance, choose a career, dare to live life at their own terms. And here she was already getting more success.
That’s a threat to the movement. An act of defiance, a challenge to the Jihadis. And its not taken kindly in the valley- by the Hurriyat, the Jihadis, the masters that run the show.
And they sent a subtle but stern message reaffirming it in the evening.
#Kashmir reveres & honors the sacrifices of our young martyrs whom we see as selfless crusaders in the way of freedom of their motherland
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) January 16, 2017
Watch Mirwaiz Umer Farooq here send a clear message against “characterless-ness of Kashmiri society” being the reason for failure of Jihad. “Characterless-ness” here apparently was a shopkeeper displaying a doll in his shop and getting into a scuffle with Auqaf members over it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkzk-2WIPSQ]
Earlier in 2013, an all-girl band from Kashmir, Pragaash was forced to quit for the same for the same kind of transgression.
Even IAS topper Shah Faesal had to tactically step back to avoid the risk of getting too much of limelight, clearly mentioning the “personal vulnerability” involved. “Personal vulnerability” is the key term here.
In Kashmir it means– a bullet through the head by a trigger happy Jihadi. Not some pointless blabber on Facebook or twitter by keyboard happy trolls. Sadly, even mainstream media won’t dare say it so. No ones calls a spade a spade anymore.
Saying “Islamist Jihadis” is a taboo. So “Trolls” it shall be. That we shall blame!
It’s your fight—Expose the trolls. #Dangal actress Zaira Wasim ‘terrorized’ online. Engage with #NewsX. Call us on 0120-4369674/tweet @NewsX
— NewsX (@NewsX) January 16, 2017
#Dangal actress #ZairaWasim issues apology after being trolled for meeting J&K CM @MehboobaMufti https://t.co/wgcicoKn5O pic.twitter.com/jxrhOHJ1s9
— Firstpost (@firstpost) January 16, 2017