Watch 'Mulk' instead of calling me anti-Hindu based on trailer: Anubhav Sinha
Mumbai, July 18 : Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, who has reacted strongly to the trolls who have labelled him anti-Hindu based on the trailer of his forthcoming film "Mulk", says people should watch the full movie before making statements.
The trailer of "Mulk" released on July 9. Soon after, the director received various comments and reactions on the trailer. He says only 20 per cent of them were from trolls and the remaining were positive messages.
"In 80 per cent of the feedback, both the communities -- Hindus and Muslims -- are happy with the trailer and they are looking forward to the film. The fact is that a trailer is a glimpse... That is not the whole movie.
"That is like a half of the story shown in 2 minutes from a 2-hour films. So instead of calling me pro-Muslim or anti-Hindu, I think it is wise to find out the whole story from the film," Sinha told IANS here.
Featuring Rishi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Neena Gupta, Taapsee Pannu and Prateik Babbar, and releasing on August 3, "Mulk" is a courtroom drama about restoring the honour of a Muslim family accused of treason.
After being accused of running propaganda to garner support and sympathy for Muslims through the film, Sinha hit out at trolls through an open letter.
Sharing the pity that he feels for trolls, Sinha told IANS: "Who are they? They are the youth of this country who are out of jobs and they are channelising their energy to become a professional abusers. These kids are undereducated and highly energetic with no productivity.
"Their restless energy has been misappropriated with something that they are told as nationalism. So now they live, breath, eat nationalism. It has become important to abuse anti-nationals for them. In reality, because there are not many anti-nationals who exist, they end up abusing those who do not adhere to their diktats.
"These kids are not well-informed about our political history, current affairs and just feed some wrong information that they believed as gospel truth."
Then also arises the question if the media is maintaining objectivity while reporting facts or capturing reality with an agenda, and how it can impact what will be the history of tomorrow, he says.
"I think history is always a viewpoint, and so are the reports you are reading every day. You, as a reader, as the youth of the nation, should have the intelligence to interpret history in the right manner. Why do you read history? Because it has a relevance to our present and our future. So, while reading, one has to take away that much and rest has no relevance in our life or in the upcoming time.
"Therefore, history needs to be intelligently interpreted, and if anything, we are going wrong there I guess."
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Rain might have washed it away: Meghalaya minister after 4,000 tonnes of coal go missing
Shillong (PTI): As the Meghalaya High Court pulled up the state government over the disappearance of over 4,000 tonnes of coal, a minister on Monday claimed that heavy rain in the state might have washed it away.
The high court has directed the state government to take action against officials under whose watch the coal went missing.
Speaking to reporters, Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla said, "Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall. You never know... because of rain, the coal might have swept away. Chances are very high."
The high court had on July 25 pulled up the state government over the vanishing of coal from Rajaju and Diengngan villages and instructed it to trace those responsible for lifting the coal illegally.
The minister, however, clarified that he was not trying to justify the disappearance, and admitted there was no conclusive evidence yet to determine whether the loss was due to natural causes or any illegal activity. "I cannot blame just the rain. It could be or it could not be. I really don't have any kind of details," he said.
He asserted that any activity related to coal mining or transportation must be done in accordance with the law and that authorities must ensure illegal practices are curbed.
On allegations of ongoing illegal coal mining and transport in the state, Shylla said concrete evidence was needed to establish such claims and that multiple departments were responsible for monitoring such activities.
"But I believe that our people, if it is for survival, might do it illegally... otherwise nobody wants to do anything that can harm the state," he said.
He expressed optimism that people would abide by the law, especially after the government's announcement of scientific mining.
"We all are happy to welcome it, and we want to see the light of day with this. I believe our people will not do anything that gives the court or law a chance to point fingers at us," he added.
The ban on coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya was imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, citing rampant unregulated and unsafe mining practices, especially the controversial 'rat-hole' mining technique prevalent in the state.
The tribunal's order came in the wake of mounting concerns over environmental degradation, water contamination, and frequent fatalities in the hazardous mines, particularly in East Jaintia Hills.
On a separate note, the minister also responded to complaints over the dust and debris caused by the ongoing construction along National Highway 6 in East Jaintia Hills, saying, "I appreciate this government for the initiative. For now, it is difficult, but once everything is completed, we will enjoy the benefits."
