I'm trying to be responsible in what I say: Varun Dhawan on anti-CAA protests
Mumbai: Actor Varun Dhawan on Wednesday said he did not take a stand on the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act because as a public figure, he wants to be "responsible" with his statement.
The actor said many versions about the protests are being reported and it would be wrong to express an opinion on the subject when one is in doubt.
Many from the film fraternity including actors Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, Farhan Akhtar, Parineeti Chopra, Richa Chadha, veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar, filmmakers Reema Kagti, Vishal Bhardwaj and Anurag Kashyap, and Hollywood actor John Cusack expressed solidarity with the Jamia Millia Islamia University students against the police action amid protests against the contentious Act.
Varun also reacted on the protests on Tuesday by sharing a photo of men belonging to different religions holding hands with 'India' written in the middle. He captioned the photo as: "Jai Hind".
Asked if he will be taking to the streets to protest with the students, the actor said, "What's happening in the country is being reported. The reason why I don't want to comment exactly on what's happening is because there are four-five versions floating.
"We are sitting here in Mumbai, right now something else is happening in other parts of the country. It's wrong of us to comment about what's happening over there until we don't see that, until we are 100 per cent aware what's happening."
However, Varun condemned the use of force against peaceful agitation but said there were also reports of law and order issue from different parts of the country.
Jamia turned into a war zone on Sunday as police entered the campus and used force to quell student protests against the Act.
Thousands of students across India took to the streets demanding a probe into the use of teargas inside the Jamia library as well as police entering the campus without permission from university authorities on Sunday. On the same Sunday evening, police entered the campus of Aligarh Muslim University and used force.
On Tuesday, protests in Delhi's Seelampur area turned violent after demonstrators clashed with police following protests against the Act.
"Any kind of force used against peaceful protestors is wrong. We are 100 per cent agreeing with that. Now, other law and order situations which are occurring, the people you named, even they commented about that and said that's also wrong.
"There are two sides to it. Right now, it's such a sensitive matter that it's easy to speak and say something or to slam someone. When you're a public personality, people follow you, kids follow you. Once the situation has been studied, I will definitely give my viewpoint concerning something," the actor added.
He was speaking at the trailer launch of "Street Dancer 3D" here. Varun said he is "not pro or against" anyone.
"I'm not fearful of anyone. I'm just trying to be responsible in what I say because I don't want to instigate someone wrongly," he added.
Asked if there is fear among artistes about speaking up against the government, the actor called it a matter of personal choice.
"I am not scared of anyone because I love my country. Speaking out today has become about social media. If you didn't tweet, you're wrong. But what will happen by tweeting? Is the entire country on Twitter? No.
"Personally, I feel I can have those conversations in my living room with my parents and friends. The best way for all of us to make a difference is by how you live your life, how you are when you work, who your friends are. I never discriminate with people. So that's me setting an example," Varun said.
?? Jai hind pic.twitter.com/mvDKpj7Z4z
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) December 17, 2019
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Telangana survey flags 89,000 child labourers, highlights caste disparities in employment
Hyderabad: A caste-based survey conducted by the Telangana government for 2024–25 has identified around 89,000 children engaged in labour across the state, with a large share belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
The findings are part of the Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey, which covered about 3.5 crore people across 242 caste groups. According to the report, nearly one per cent of individuals below 18 years are involved in daily wage work. While the percentage appears small, officials noted that the absolute number reflects a serious concern.
The survey found that 11 per cent of identified child labourers belong to the ST Lambadi community, while 14 per cent are from the SC Madiga community. The highest incidence was reported among the ST Kolam group, where 7.2 per cent of minors are engaged in daily wage labour.
The data also revealed wider socio-economic disparities. Nearly half of the Scheduled Caste population is dependent on daily wage work, while only around 5 per cent are employed in the private sector, compared to about 30 per cent among General Castes.
State Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the findings show that SC and ST communities remain three times more backward than General Castes, while Backward Classes are about 2.7 times more disadvantaged.
The report further noted that, on average, 31.3 per cent of people in the 25–65 age group depend on daily wage work. Among communities, the BC-A Odde group recorded the highest share at 55 per cent. In contrast, only 2.6 per cent of OC Brahmins rely on such work.
Several SC and ST communities, including Kolam, Beda, Madiga, Koya, Gond, Yerukulas and Mala Sale, were found to have among the highest proportions of daily wage earners. On the other hand, most General Caste communities and some Backward Class groups such as Goldsmiths and BC-C Christians showed lower dependence on daily wage employment.
The survey also pointed to inequalities in access to formal employment. Communities such as OC Rajus, OC Brahmins and Kapus were found to have a higher presence in private sector jobs, with up to 27 per cent of their population employed in such roles.
