Rifat Jawaid
Controversial Bollywood actor and perceived RSS sympathiser, Anupam Kher, on Saturday stirred a fresh controversy by likening the ideological opponents of the saffron party to that of vermin and insects.
He made this observation through a tweet in Hindi, understandably in reference to the ongoing raging controversy over Jawaharlal University and the subsequent politics attached to it.
Not unfamiliar to controversy and known for making comments that often defy sanity, Kher tweeted, “Gharon mein pest control hota hai to cockroach, keede makode ityadi bahar nikalte hain. ghar saaf hota hai. waise hi aajkal desh ka pest control chal raha hai.( When you use pest control in your house, you see cockroach, insects and vermin popping out of their hiding. This cleanses the house. Likewise, the pest control of the entire country is being carried out at the moment.)”
Kher’s comments are bound to be deemed as a chilling threat to those who oppose the ideologies of the RSS and its affiliate groups, supported by him.
These are exactly the kind of terminologies Hitler used as metaphors in Mein Kampf under The Great Chain of Being.
Hitler referred to Jews as insects, vermin and bacteria to make a point that they were lesser human beings.
Jews in particular were portrayed as lower-level beings: insects, parasites, Ungeziefer, a general term for vermin and bacteria.
Many may not know that Zyklon gas used in the gas chambers by Hitler was supplied to the camps by a firm DEGESCH, an acronym for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schädlingsbekämpfung (German Company for Pest Control).
This kind of explains the context of Kher’s tweet, which appears to be indicative of a very dangerous sign of things to come.
It’s evident that the JNU crisis and the public humiliation as a result of spectacular backfiring of the RSS’ nefarious design to spread lies has left the proponents of the right-wing politics utterly exposed.
Kher’s living idol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has often been compared with Hitler for his autocratic style of functioning, showing no remorse on the ethnic cleansing in Gujarat in 2002 and ‘tacitly’ approving the violence against religious minorities.
On Gujarat, his only public reaction till date has been his analogy of kutte ka bachcha (puppy) while referring to the deaths of Muslims in Gujarat riots.
On Dadri, even when he finally broke his silence, after several weeks of international outrage and repeated chiding, albeit indirectly, by President Pranab Mukherjee, Modi avoided making any reference to the lynching of Muhammad Akhlaq.
As expected, Kher’s comments have evoked angry criticism from social media users with many even ridiculing him. But, it seems, the controversial actor, who was recently awarded Padma Bhushan, has spelled out the plan of his political masters.
Given his proximity to Modi and constant defence of his hardcore Hindutva ideas, it’s unlikely that Kher may have made these comments innocuously.
To me this has only come as a public acknowledgement of a dangerous plan, that many across the country only suspected up until now.
This single tweet by Kher also adds perspective to almost every despicable acts committed under Modi’s regime so far.
Dadri, Rohit Vemula’s suicide, burning of Haryana’s dalit children and subsequent justification by Modi’s minister Gen VK Singh and more recently violence committed by BJP supporters outside Patiala House Court are just some examples.