WHY ITS NOT OKAY TO HUMILIATE THOSE WHO CRITICISED THE AIB ROAST

“I may not agree with what you say but ill defend to death your right to say it.”

                                                                                                                                        -Voltaire.

We all know the tumultuous story of the infamous AIB roast that came into public space and divided the country into two parties-the ones who liked it and the ones who didn't.

While I agree that there needs to be an absolute freedom of expression and that it was wrong to get the video pulled down, here’s why, by virtue of this same fact, it’s not okay to hate or publicly disgrace those who criticized the video.

Freedom of expression. For everyone. And anyone.

So while the supporters of AIB cry bloody murder over the banning of the video and the curbing of the right to expression, they in the same second swamp down like eagles on those who voiced an opinion against the video. Thus, effectively doing the same thing they were so sacredly fighting against.

Case in my point, the angry letter a fan wrote to Aamir Khan when he publicly declared that he was against the video. Aamir khan was called a hypocrite, a liar and a sham and people were told how consequently they should boycott his films.

So it’s okay to snatch someone’s career or threaten so simply because he has a conflicting opinion to yours? He is entitled to having an opinion, just as much as you are.

And this has historically been a problem in our country. Our identities, our values, our beliefs are not in absolution but in fact in opposition to other identities and values and beliefs.

I’m Hindu, not in absolution but also because I’m NOT Muslim or Christian or Jewish. And this is precisely why we have this need to go ahead and express hostility towards anyone who has a conflicting view and hence there arises a need to establish supremacy of one particular idea and this is precisely where most problems of the world begin.

Understand that a narrative and a counter narrative can exist peacefully in society and that’s how societies evolve. When it’s out in the world for every individual to decide for himself the virtues and vices of a particular idea and to subsequently accept it or reject it. When an opinion is not being forced down your throat and people are not running behind you with a sword in hand, if you do have a differing opinion.

 The freedom of expression should be absolute. For all.