Mahesh Bhat - A victim of Saffron politics

BY ZAFAR AGHA

Lo and behold, even the Mahesh Bhat and his family are now clubbed with “terrorists”. Rahul Bhat ki Hadley se mulaqqat, Hadley Mahesh Bhat ke ghar bhi gaya, Hadley Rahul Bhat sey jim mein mila… Any one who would not personally know Mahesh Bhat would fall for these sensational headlines and could think, if not Mahesh, his son Rahul could surely be in touch with deadly terrorist like Hadley.

Bullshit. I personally know Mahesh Bhat too well. He is one of the finest human beings one can ever come across in this maddening and selfish world. He is one of those patriots who could lie down his life for the country. But the problem with Mahesh is that he is an old school patriot of Jawaharlal Nehru kind who is a rare breed now a day. His problem is that he is steeped into Ganga-Jumni thahzeeb. Mahesh’s another problem is that he is passionate about secularism. Still more serious problem with Mahesh Bhat is that he cannot put up with injustice even if it is against a Muslim.

Isn’t it old fashioned in these saffron times to stand up for the Muslims who have been condemned globally as confirmed terrorists since at least 9/11. Don’t you remember that sms after 26/11, which said: All Muslims may not be terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims. Yet Mahesh Bhat dares to speak for Muslims. His voice could at times be a lone voice. But he does protest whenever he is convinced that a hapless community is being targeted.

But standing up for Muslims is not done any longer. Yet Mahesh being an old school ‘secularist’ is unable to keep mum whenever there is injustice against any body. He could not be a mute spectator to the puling down of Babri mosque in 1992. Mahesh Bhat could not sit quietly in 1993 when Shiv Sainiks killed Muslims on Mumbai streets. He visited Gujarat many times after Muslims were massacred there in 2002. Mahesh even dared to oppose war mongering against Pakistan after the terror attack on Mumbai last year. Mahesh could not be a silent spectator even against the state terror unleashed against tribal who are these days labeled as Maoists.

Isn’t it old fashioned to speak against injustice all the time! Doesn’t it ruffle many feathers in the system that perpetrates injustice? The system being the system knows too well how to silence some one who gets too loud against the system. Touch his raw nerve and convey: keep quite; else... Any father would go mad if his innocent son is clubbed with terrorism. Mahesh Bhat is no ordinary human being. He is a film world celebrity, an offbeat film director and producer who have carved his niche in the film industry for himself. He is quite a public figure who cannot bear the fact that his son is being labeled a terrorist accomplice.

But the system is ruthless. It has its own ways to silence someone who gets too loud against the system. Another film personality like Mahesh Bhut, late Sunil Dutt, too had a bleeding heart. He also used to stand up for Muslims in their tough times. Sunil dutt along with his son Sanjay Dutt used to distribute food relief in Mumbai Muslim bastis during 1993 anti-Muslim riots. Both the Duts were then bit too loud in their Muslims support. The system got its way to convey to them better is quite. You know the story too well to be repeated how Sanjay Dut was labeled terrorist then. Like the Bhats now, the media then hounded Dutts. The courts cleared Sanjay Dutt in terror case against him. Yet no one in the media cared to apologize to Duts. But the system then conveyed to the Dutts better be quite or get ready to face the music. The time-tested tactics is now being repeated on the Bhats.

I can very well understand the pain and the agony of Mahesh Bhat and his family. But I can assure Bhat saheb that he is not alone in these terrible times for him and his entire family. Millions for whom Mahesh Bhat speaks in their moments of trial and tribulation are praying for him in his troubled times. Millions who were heartened with Mahesh Bhat’s cry for justice in their troubled times are now dast ba dua (praying) for him.

Mahesh Bhat is an honorable man. Media innuendos cannot soil his honor. Millions now understand the game media plays at the system’s bidding. Hadley or no Hadley, the Bhats were the patriots and they would always remain patriots. They need no certificate from the media that no longer functions for the wronged ones but works for the system.

Don’t worry Mahesh sahib; all peace loving people are still old fashioned like you. They don’t care for the sound bites. They care for good deeds that people like you do in spite of the system and the media harassment. Your good deeds speak for yourself and your family. You don’t have to care for those who bark to create sound bites however loud they might be. After all, truth can never be drowned in sound bites.

(ZAFAR AGHA is a well known senior journalist, political analyst and social worker. He could be contacted on zafar_agha@rediffmail.com)