Bollywood stars' near identical tweets spark criticism from within industry
Mumbai, Feb 4: A section of Bollywood celebrities on Thursday criticised big stars such as Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn for their similarly worded tweets in response to pop star Rihanna's post drawing attention to the farmers' agitation in India.
Actor Taapsee Pannu, filmmaker Onir, actor Arjun Mathur and others criticised the show of solidarity by the big stars towards the government.
Rihanna, the fourth most followed celebrity on Twitter with over 100 million followers, on Tuesday took to the microblogging site and shared a CNN news article headlined, "India cuts internet around New Delhi as protesting farmers clash with police."
"Why aren't we talking about this? #FarmersProtest," Rihanna wrote on Tuesday.
Post her tweet, Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, Meena Harris, an American lawyer and niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, actors Amanda Cerni, singers Jay Sean, Dr Zeus and former adult star Mia Khalifa voiced their support to the protesting farmers.
India on Wednesday reacted sharply to these tweets with several Bollywood and cricket stars and top ministers rallying around the government in its pushback.
The "temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments is neither accurate nor responsible, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Facts must be ascertained before the rush to comment, the ministry added, using the hashtags #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda to make its point.
Personalities including Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Lata Mangeshkar, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar and others rallied around the government on social media using hashtags - #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda as they reacted to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs on the issue.
These tweets advised people to not fall for "false propaganda" and support "an amicable resolution", rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences.
Calling it "embarrassing" and "tragic", many in the film industry called out the celebrities for their sudden Twitter activity while they failed to notice or acknowledge the plight of farmers.
Actor Taapsee Pannu, who has been a vocal supporter of farmers issue, took a jibe at the government's campaign and said one should focus on strengthening the system.
"If one tweet rattles your unity, one joke rattles your faith or one show rattles your religious belief, then it's you who has to work on strengthening your value system not become propaganda teacher' for others," Pannu wrote.
If one tweet rattles your unity, one joke rattles your faith or one show rattles your religious belief then it’s you who has to work on strengthening your value system not become ‘propaganda teacher’ for others.
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) February 4, 2021
Actor Sonakshi Sinha, Akshay Kumar's co-star of many films, was among the celebrities to support of Rihanna's tweet.
The actor, in her Instagram stories, shared quotes from storysellers comics, which said the voices raised by the international celebrities are "about the violation of human rights, suppression of free internet and expression, state propaganda, hate speech, and abuse of power."
One of the stories on Sinha's Instagram also dismissed the argument that it was India's internal matter, saying, "these are not alien species but fellow humans who are speaking up for the rights of other humans."
Comedian-actor Vir Das said he was amazed to see how Indians got mobilized' over a tweet by Rihanna and Thunberg.
Honestly, I don't think Rihanna or Greta have anything more than superficial wisdom about Indian farmers. But gotta say it's hilarious to see literally thousands of shaky Indian men get mobilized over a tweet, all the while proclaiming how secure they are in their policymakers, he said.
Honestly, I don't think Rihanna or Greta have anything more than superficial wisdom about Indian farmers. But gotta say it's hilarious to see literally thousands of shaky Indian men get mobilized over a tweet, all the while proclaiming how secure they are in their policymakers ?
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) February 3, 2021
Filmmaker Onir too took a dig at the tweets in support of the government by noted personalities and termed the so-called support from Bollywood as a puppet show'.
It is so embarrassingly obvious that a whole bunch or celebs who do not value their voice have been sent a set message, which they are modifying a bit and postings. They Do what they have been told to. Tragic #puppetShow #worldWithFarmers #IStandWithFarmers, he tweeted.
It is so embarrassingly obvious that a whole bunch or celebs who do not value their voice have been sent a set message , which they are modifying a bit and postings . They Do what they have been told to . Tragic #puppetShow #worldWithFarmers #IStandWithFarmers
— অনির Onir اونیر ओनिर (@IamOnir) February 3, 2021
Celebrity jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali tweeted, "Disappointed with the fraternity tweeting identical tweets that make it more like a marketing gimmick. Whatever their reasons & I'm no one to judge at least u could have tried to make it more original. Now you have given yourselves away. Reel Life Heroes VS Real Life Heroes."
Disappointed with the fraternity tweeting identical tweets that make it more like a marketing gimmick. Whatever their reasons & I’m no one to judge at least u could have tried to make it more original. Now you have given yourselves away. Reel Life Heroes VS Real Life Heroes ?
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) February 4, 2021
Actor Sayani Gupta tweeted, Aiyooo! The cute Bhakts have awakened! (You know that moment in a zombie film climax, when the zombie was looking elsewhere, and a human was cautiously stepping away, and bam! It suddenly turns to him.) Just got that feeling!.
Bollywood celebrities have often been called out in the media for not speaking up on politically sensitive topics unlike their counterparts in the US.
Pointing out to this fact, actor Swara Bhasker wrote on Wednesday, "Aur Bolo 'Speak Up Bollywood, 'Speak Up celebrities'."
"Made in Heaven" star Arjun Mathur used the hashtags to mock celebrities for displaying an "utter lack of spine", a thought echoed on social media with 'Spineless Celebs' trending on Twitter.
"Let us stand together in displaying our utter and complete lack of spine, in safeguarding our hundreds of crore rupees of income and in supporting this military-style mobilisation against the very masses who have practically treated us as gods and to whom we owe everything we enjoy. Let no sane or humane voice interfere, nor influence you.
"They can spectate, not participate. Please do support us, as we intend to come for you next," Mathur wrote on Instagram.
Actor-TV host Sushant Singh said he was heartbroken with the support pouring in from the film industry for the government.
Why do you make those who are heroes or heroines in films your idols? Heartbroken now...
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and UP, have been protesting for over two months at Delhi's borders demanding rollback of the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
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Israel says rabbi who went missing in UAE was killed
Tel Aviv, Nov 24: Israel said Sunday that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found after he was killed in what it described as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.”
The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel “will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death.” There was no immediate comment from the UAE.
Zvi Kogan, 28, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who went missing on Thursday, ran a Kosher grocery store in the futuristic city of Dubai, where Israelis have flocked for commerce and tourism since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in the 2020 Abraham Accords.
The agreement has held through more than a year of soaring regional tensions unleashed by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack into southern Israel. But Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon, after months of fighting with the Hezbollah group, have stoked anger among Emiratis, Arab nationals and others living in the the UAE.
Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, has also been threatening to retaliate against Israel after a wave of airstrikes Israel carried out in October in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack.
The Emirati government did not respond to a request for comment.
Early Sunday, the UAE's state-run WAM news agency acknowledged Kogan's disappearance but pointedly did not acknowledge he held Israeli citizenship, referring to him only as being Moldovan. The Emirati Interior Ministry described Kogan as being “missing and out of contact.”
“Specialised authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” the Interior Ministry said.
Netanyahu told a regular Cabinet meeting later Sunday that he was “deeply shocked” by Kogan's disappearance and death. He said he appreciated the cooperation of the UAE in the investigation and said that ties between the two countries would continue to be strengthened.
Israel's largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the killing and thanked Emirati authorities for "their swift action." He said he trusts they “will work tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Kogan was an emissary of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism based in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood in New York City. It said he was last seen in Dubai. The UAE has a burgeoning Jewish community, with synagogues and businesses catering to kosher diners.
The Rimon Market, a Kosher grocery store that Kogan managed on Dubai's busy Al Wasl Road, was shut Sunday. As the wars have roiled the region, the store has been the target of online protests by supporters of the Palestinians. Mezuzahs on the front and the back doors of the market appeared to have been ripped off when an Associated Press journalist stopped by on Sunday.
Kogan's wife, Rivky, is a US citizen who lived with him in the UAE. She is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The UAE is an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and is also home to Abu Dhabi. Local Jewish officials in the UAE declined to comment.
While the Israeli statement did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out past kidnappings in the UAE.
Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in the UAE and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living across the country.
Iran is suspected of kidnapping and later killing British Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013, though Tehran has denied involvement. Iran also kidnapped Iranian German national Jamshid Sharmahd in 2020 from Dubai, taking him back to Tehran, where he was executed in October.
