Priyanka Chopra apologises for Sikkim 'insurgency' comment

Agencies
September 15, 2017

Toronto, Sept 15:  Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who has produced a Sikkimese film, came under attack after calling the hill state insurgency-troubled. She has apologised to the Sikkim government, which sought another apology in more "clear-cut terms".

Netizens on Thursday slammed Priyanka for being "politically illiterate" after she spoke about Sikkim in an interview on the sidelines of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). She was discussing ‘Pahuna: The Little Visitors’, her Sikkimese production which premiered at the gala.

Sikkim Tourism Minister Ugen T. Gyatso termed Priyanka's statements as "unfortunate".

"I have received an apology letter. We have to be satisfied with it," said Gyatso, adding: "She must have thought Sikkim is like other northeastern states. It's a very peaceful state."

The state government has sought another letter of apology from the actress.

Sikkim Tourism Secretary C. Zangpo Bhutia said: "We have received an apology note from Priyanka Chopra for her comments, where she has written 'I tender an apology'. But we are not satisfied. We have asked her to send us another letter in more clear-cut terms."

Asked what the Sikkim government felt about Priyanka's comments, he said: "Whatever she said is totally unacceptable. This has tarnished the image of our state. So we asked her to take back her statement and apologise to us. But as we are not satisfied with her first letter. We are waiting for a fresh note from her."

Priyanka, who now divides her time between the US and India, is yet to issue an official statement.

Sikkim MP Prem Das Rai said her comment was a mistake and there was no need to sensationalise the issue.

"She definitely doesn't have her facts correct. Sikkim has been an insurgency-free state for three decades but she didn't know that," he said. "She is a star in her own right and Sikkim is a star in its own right. We should bury this issue."

Priyanka's film ‘Pahuna...’ is about three Nepalese children who get separated from their parents, escape the Maoists in Nepal and flee to Sikkim.

Talking about the movie to ET Canada, Priyanka said: "This is a Sikkimese film. Sikkim is a small state in the northeast of India which never had a film industry or anyone who made films from there. And this is the first film ever that's come out of that region because it's very troubled with insurgency and troubling situations."

This remark was widely slammed.

"Sikkim is one of the most peaceful states, dear Priyanka. We don't have any insurgency here. Please comment responsibly," tweeted Santosh Subban from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

Tawqeer Hussain added: "Celebs like her are 'politically illiterate'. Earlier, many celebs (didn't) know the name of the President of India. So don't expect them to be politically correct."

Biswatosh Sinha, a scriptwriter from Assam, wrote: "Dear Priyanka Chopra, Sikkim is a peaceful place and Pahuna is not the first film from the region. Plz get the facts right."

Incidentally, Priyanka is the tourism ambassador of BJP-ruled Assam.

Directed by first-timer Paakhi A. Tyrewala, ‘Pahuna...’ was launched as an association between Priyanka and her mother Madhu Chopra's banner Purple Pebble Pictures and Sikkim's Ministry of Tourism.

The National Award-winning actress, a former Miss World, is a known face globally courtesy American television show ‘Quantico’.

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News Network
January 14,2020

Indore, Jan 14: Yoga guru Ramdev has said that Deepika Padukone should hire persons like him for offering correct advice, days after the actress had visited Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi following the violence at the campus earlier this month.

"Deepika Padukone needs to study about political, social and cultural issues. She should understand more about our country. Only after gaining knowledge, she should take decisions. I feel she should have persons like Swami Ramdev for correct advice," Ramdev said at an event here on Monday.

On January 7, Padukone joined the protest at JNU after a masked mob entered the varsity campus and attacked the students and teachers with sticks and rods on January 5.

Several BJP leaders questioned the support extended by Padukone. On the other hand, the Congress threw their weight behind the actress for her stand.

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Agencies
January 4,2020

Mumbai, Jan 4: After the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur constituted a panel to decide whether legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poem 'Hum Dekhenge' is offensive to Hindu sentiments, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar had a cryptic take on the burning controversy.

"Best time for the rich & small businesses to make money as most of the population are engaged with a revolutionary poet named Faiz," Sircar said in a tweet.

The poem, penned down by the iconic poet in 1979, came into limelight again recently during the protests against CAA and NRC in IIT Kanpur.

Earlier on Thursday, senior lyricist Javed Akhtar rejected the claims about the poem being 'anti-Hindu'.

IIT Kanpur on Thursday had set up a committee to look into the issue.

The move came after a complaint that the students who took out a peaceful march in the campus on December 17 against the Citizenship Amendment Act and in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia students, sung it as a mark of protest, which hurt the sentiments of other communities.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Actor Anushka Sharma on Tuesday exhorted people to maintain hygiene and advised to stop open defecation in a bid to avoid coronavirus spread.

As the country is grappling with the coronavirus crisis, the 'PK' actor has joined the initiative with the Swachh Bharat Mission, which aims to tell the people that the contagion can be curbed through strict sanitation process.

"When women all over the country had decided that they would educate everyone on the lesson of close the door, shun the disease, no one had thought that their initiative would turn into such a huge wave!," the actor was seen saying in a video posted in the official Twitter handle of Swachh Bharat I #IndiaFightsCorona.

"Today, in the time of coronavirus pandemic, we all have to again remember and remind others about the lesson of cleanliness," she added.

"If we take care of cleanliness around us, by not defecating in the open, we will keep ourselves healthy and India clean. We will become strong to fight against any kind of disease," the 32-year-old star said.

The 'Sultan' actor noted that by stopping defecating in open and closing the toilet door at all times can be a solid measure to drive the disease out of the country.

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