Bad Boy Salman Khan not ‘Being Human’ !
Bollywood Bad Boy Salman Khan is not “Being Human” in apologising for the ‘Rape” comment he made
Yet another breaking news that has been highlighted yesterday and whole day today, is the ‘Rape” comment made by Bollywood hunk Salman Khan. Once again, actor Salman Khan has made headlines for the wrong reasons. During a press interaction, he compared the excruciating pain and exhaustion due to the hectic shooting and exercise sessions for his next film Sultan to that felt by “a raped woman”. The comment obviously did not go down well with anyone who knows what rape means.
Even if the actor had used the term as a metaphor to emphasise how difficult it was for him to walk after the gruelling wrestling shoots, the comment was unwarranted and unacceptable. Though the film fraternity has — by and large — has been keeping mum on the issue, people on social media have voiced their opinion decisively, vehemently opposing his statement. Pressure from all corners have been put on him to apologise for the comments he had made, but Salman who is trying to be the “Sultan” of controversies has remained numb and stubborn by not accepting to say sorry.
In the meantime, “Terribly Tiny Tales”, a writers’ collective that collects and shares short stories across platforms, shared a poem addressed directly to Salman Khan that has gone viral for the right reasons. Written by Sharanya Rajgopal, the poem informs him of the meaning of rape. “Dear Bhaijaan, Rape as a noun means unlawful sexual intercourse,” she writes.
“Dear Bhaijaan,
This Eid, you gift me, Sultan.
You gift the producers and distributors 500 crores.
You gift cinema yet another monument of your masculinity.
This Eid, I want to gift you a dictionary.
Rape as a noun means unlawful sexual intercourse.
Or an act of abuse.
Or the act of seizing by force.
Rape as a verb means to commit the crime of rape.
Or to plunder.
Or to take by force.
Rape to a woman who has been a victim means death.
An irreparable loss to life as she had ever known it. Rape not just physically, but emotionally and verbally too.
Rape to a woman who hasn’t been a victim means the fear of becoming one.
Bhaijaan,
As I read your comment, I realised that you believed you abused your body to give me a 500 crore Blockbuster on Eid.
Perhaps next time, you will learn to value Allah’s gift to you – your body and your humanity. His gift to you is to Be Human.
And in doing that, you might just learn the value of other bodies and humans that are influenced or corrupted by your callous use of language.
Or the way you abuse it.
May Allah be with you.
Eid Mubarak. In advance.”
In the meantime “Sultan” actor’s father Salim Khan has apologised for Salman’s uninformed statement, but the National Commission for Women on June 21 asked the actor to apologise in seven days, if not face the consequences. Let’s wait and see how our Mr Bhaijaan will cooperate with the women group!