Indian celebrities fiercely criticised for silence on Cockroach protests | India

Bollywood stars and other Indian celebrities have faced harsh criticism for remaining silent in the face of some of the biggest protests India has seen in years.

Hundreds of thousands of young Indians took to the streets this week as part of a new youth movement calling itself the Cockroach Janata party (CJP), demanding accountability for the leak of exam papers in an unprecedented challenge to the government of prime minister Narendra Modi. Many vented their anger at what they saw as the “cowardice” of India’s biggest celebrities.

“We are the ones who made them famous and rich by paying for their movies and matches,” said 24-year-old Vijay Rai, who traveled more than 2,000 km to the region from Chennai in southern India. “Now when it’s our turn for a little help, we get nothing.”

CJP organizers and protesters have been sleeping on the ground, enduring the misery of scorching sunlight, monsoon showers and oppressive humidity since they launched an indefinite sit-in in the capital on June 20.

Mass demonstrations led to the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Prasad; This was CJP’s central demand following a document leak in May that forced 2 million students to take a crucial exam and led to the suicide of more than a dozen students. In the 12 years that the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has been in power, this is the first time that one of Modi’s most loyal ministers has been forced to resign due to public pressure.

On Monday, a mass peaceful student protest was met with police brutality, including the use of batons, tear gas and, allegedly, pellet guns.

Protesters were scathing about how celebrities comment on global tragedies or injustices but ignore the complaints of people in their countries, even as their most devoted fan bases are charged with batons and tear gassed by police.

“Just a few words on social media to express their moral support to our demands would have been welcome,” said Seema, who works as a house cleaner in Delhi.

In recent years, Bollywood, once seen as outside politics, is believed to have been co-opted by the far-right politics of Narendra Modi, leading to a rise in ultra-nationalist films accused of promoting the political agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government.

Many of Bollywood’s biggest stars are Muslims, and they seem to have to tread very carefully to ensure their films do not become subject to boycotts by powerful Hindu right-wing groups. Indian actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan was mercilessly trolled in 2015 when he said his wife did not feel safe in an environment where Muslims were being lynched and wondered whether they should leave India.

The few superstars who commented this weekend mostly refrained from directly criticizing the government and were condemned for their neutral statements.

Among them was Salman Khan, one of Bollywood’s most famous actors. Salman Khan insisted Modi had the situation under control, telling students in a statement to return home and “not make their parents worry about them”.

Another Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, in a comment, said he understood the “unrest and anger” of the students, but also warned against “political opportunists” and people with “their own agenda” taking control of the movement, echoing the comments of BJP ministers.

As the CJP protests gained momentum, Aamir Khan also came under fire for claiming that his 2009 hit Three Idiots was not based on Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer and activist who has been widely acclaimed for over 15 years.

Wangchuk went on a 26-day hunger strike in support of the Cockroach movement, which many saw as Khan’s attempt to distance himself and his career from the protests.

Top cricket stars like Virat Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, were also trolled for their lack of ‘backbone’.

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar made a vague statement in a post on X, saying only that “we must create a culture where hard work is rewarded, honesty is encouraged and merit wins.”

Influencer Alexander Balakrishnan, 29, said he realized some celebrities might be reluctant to stand up to the government for fear of damaging their careers by losing contracts and endorsements. “But the elders are so famous that their fame gives them protection and they don’t even talk.”

Notable exceptions included veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah, 76, who condemned Bollywood’s silence, and Shabana Azmi, who was among those who traveled from Mumbai to Delhi to join the protest. “Why don’t they listen to them? We need to build their hope, not crush their spirit,” he told The Times of India.