A person named Kunal Kamra is often claimed to be a stand-up comedian. Kamra himself also calls himself a stand-up comedian. Political satire is very positive for democracy. When comedians make people laugh while also pricking them with political points, the message reaches the people quickly. Many have used their art for this purpose—from R.K. Laxman to P.L. Deshpande, whether through cartoons or stand-up comedy. Even Balasaheb Thackeray himself was a cartoonist.
In a democracy, comedians must criticize the government. That’s why I genuinely wanted to support Kamra’s freedom of expression in the name of his art. But what would be the result?
All creators, journalists, and artists should support each other to keep democracy strong. But when Arnab Goswami was arrested, when a bulldozer was sent to Kangana Ranaut’s house, when a cartoonist was jailed for 11 months for criticizing Mamata Banerjee, when a journalist was jailed for exposing the Samajwadi Party’s corruption, when Ketaki Chitale received rape threats and was jailed just for making an indirect tweet against Sharad Pawar, and when Ajit Bharti, a Hindi journalist, was targeted by Tamil Nadu police just for quoting a Congress leader—where were the comedians, YouTubers, and activists then?
In all these cases, the courts reprimanded the government, but at that time, neither Kamra nor his supposedly neutral but subtly left-leaning friends spoke up.
The result is that whenever Hindus or political parties that represent Hindu interests are criticized, an entire lobby holds up the Constitution and shouts about freedom. But when they come to power, the first thing they do is destroy that same freedom. This is dangerous for democracy.
If the so-called defenders of freedom now support Kamra, the message will be clear: If you criticize parties like DMK, TMC, or SP, no one will stand with you. But if you target leaders with Hindu nationalist ideologies, the left, right, and secular groups will all rally behind you. That’s why, knowingly, one has to turn a blind eye now.
Democracy for Kamra and dictatorship for others—this must stop.
When Kamra’s political supporters allow opposing views to exist, and when they stop misusing power to harass journalists like Ajit Bharti, then with full commitment and democratic spirit, we, too, should come out in support of Kamra’s freedom.
Until then, remember the lines of the great but communist-leaning poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar:
"Vṛthā hai pūchhnā thā doṣ kis kā,
Khulā pehle garal kā koṣ kis kā.
Zahar ab to sabhī kā ghul rahā hai,
Halahal se halahal dhul rahā hai."
✍️ Pratham Uvaach
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