Why hound eminence?

In an era marked by potential economic meltdown, rampant corruption, assault on freedom of expression, the most newsworthy item recently seems to be Shah Rukh Khan assaulting MCA security guards. If one believes the national news channels, that is!  In a celebrity-obsessed country, we seem to have lost our sense of balance.

Being a celebrity and a role model, should Shah Rukh not avoid a fracas in public places? Should he not eschew his penchant for displaying anger? And, should he not treat fellow beings with respect? The answer to all those questions is an unqualified ‘Yes’. But have the channels so completely run out of news that’s important, that they are playing only this story, as if nothing else matters in this country? Everyone tends to form opinions, and in this case, they are exclusively of the opinion that he should be punished.

My view is that a person as eminent as Shah Rukh is already suffering from the ignominy of being part of this unsavoury episode.

I still wonder, “Was he agitated because a 13-year old was being manhandled?  Was he provoking or being provoked?  Was this a sheer argument or a physical fight?”

The truth is unknown to all as we have formed our opinion purely on what is being aired on television.  But, could he have handled it better?  Probably Yes.

However, the vilification perpetrated by news channels is, to my mind, punishment enough for him. So, do we need a virtually obsessive harangue against him by entities that may or may not even be completely or precisely informed of the actual incident? That unfortunately seems to be the order of the day, with virtually everyone in the media forming an ill-informed opinion that his actions beget more severe punishment. It seems that this opinion is more directed against his eminence, and less against the episode in question.

When a ‘better known’ personality is up against a ‘lesser known’, the lesser known inevitably becomes the better known, and not vice versa.

But, for God’s sake, we must not lose sight of our sense of balance, and focus our energies on issues that are truly important and affect our lives.

(The write is Social Activist & Fashion Designer can be contacted at [email protected])