Rising intolerance row: Anupam Kher begins #MarchforIndia, says India a very tolerant country

Veteran actor Anupam Kher's 'March for India' is underway, reports ANI. People have thronged to the National Museum in Delhi to begin the march.

The march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which Anupam Kher claims is to reinforce the idea that India is a tolerant country, is being attended by at least 47 filmmakers, writers, artists and other eminent personalities, apart from significant public response.

Speaking to ANI, Kher said, "We are secular people, (but) we don't believe in pseudo-secularism or selective outrage. Every country goes through problems but nobody has the right to call our country intolerant".

"Our message to the honourable President Mr Pranab Mukherjee is that India is a very tolerant country", Kher added.

The actor claims that the intolerance debate is an attempt to malign the image of the country and is intended to target the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

Kher was also active on Twitter during the morning.

We have our issues but We live in a Great country. India is our journey & our destination. Let's tell the world today that #IndiaIsTolerant.

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 7, 2015

Patriotism gives us a feeling of self worth. Join us on this historical day at National Museum, Janpath at 10am.:) #MarchForIndia

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 7, 2015

Kher has accused those protesting against 'rising intolerance' of spreading a negative impression of India to the world. On Friday, he accused writer and social activist Arundhati Roy of being 'anti-Indian'.
 

"Arundhati Roy has always insulted India whenever she has gone abroad. Whenever I listen to her speeches, I wonder if she even is an Indian in the first place. There is a video of her giving a speech in Australia and when you listen to it, the way she has described a state of horror in India is ridiculous. Mudslinging your own country when you want to obtain a grant or an honour from another nation is despicable," Kher told ANI in an  interview.

Talking about his 'counter-march' against the 'intolerance' protest, the Bollywood icon said that the so called 'atmosphere of fear' that was being portrayed by protesters was not something that was recent, but something that the nation had been facing and dealing with since ages.

"No Indian can tolerate when the nation is being insulted on a global level and there are those who are doing that right now. They feel that ever since the new government has come into power, the nation has plunged into a state of intolerance. This is not a fresh atmosphere. What about the Emergency, the Kashmiri pandits' exodus and the riots? What is today's level of intolerance being compared to?" Kher asked.

Related Read: Anupam Kher asks PM Modi to meet him during 'tolerance march', slams Arundhati Roy

"What can be a bigger example of freedom when on a daily basis you are saying things against the nation? There are those who have come out and openly expressed their dislike for the Prime Minister. The press has been given unmatched freedom to say whatever they want. I respect everyone's views, but when someone slams my nation and insults it on an international level, it angers and saddens me," Kher said.

He expressed his confidence that if the agitating literary icons and artists made an attempt to convey their message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi then their pleas would not go unheard.

"I have written to the Prime Minister and also tweeted to him so that he gives me the time to speak to him. I also want to convey to him the message from the other side," he added.

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has said that he will second Anupam Kher in the march.

Its a symbolic march. Me and Anupam Kher will be leading the march :Madhur Bhandarkar,Filmmaker on 'March for India' pic.twitter.com/znezDEUp3N

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2015

We will meet the President, will also give a memorandum: Madhur Bhandarkar,Filmmaker pic.twitter.com/RYV7FFYHv6

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2015

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit and actress Raveena Tandon have also supported the march.

We all are with him (Anupam Kher), never thought it would turn so big: Ashoke Pandit, Filmmaker on "March for India" pic.twitter.com/aUBGhek20P

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 7, 2015

Since when did deshbhakt become a bad word?.... Hmm checking ....??????????

— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 6, 2015

Support @AnupamPkher on his March on the 7 th ... Please b there all those who believe that our nation is 1 of the greatest will be greater.

— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 5, 2015

This follows the decision of a host of filmmakers, including the likes of Dibakar Banerjee and Anand Patwardhan, as well as writers and historians to raise voice against the rising intolerance under the BJP-led government, and to return various government awards and honours. Former minister in the Vajpayee cabinet Arun Shourie has also hit out at the Modi government in this regard.