Scapegoating Aamir, RSS style

Anyone wishing to ascertain the quality of our public discourse must read the August 30 issues of the Organiser and the Panchjanya the English and Hindi publications of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS These two editions together could well be treated as a treatise on the art of fanning paranoia finding a scapegoat for the Union governments failures and floating conspiracy theories based on dubious interpretation of dataThe August 30 issues of both the Panchjanya and the Organiser focus on filmstar Aamir Khans recent visit to Emine Erdogan wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who resembles Prime Minister Narendra Modi in style and ambition Hindutvavadis among the Twitterati lampooned Khan as his visit to them seemed to gloss over the Turkish strongmans criticism of Indias Kashmir policy and the Delhi riots and his pronounced tilt towards PakistanThe Organiser and the Panchjanya analyse the bristling reaction to Khan in the global frame of Muslim politics and Erdogans purported quest to rekindle Turkeys glory by reestablishing the Caliphate which was abolished nearly a century ago Khan is portrayed as Erdogans paw in South Asia his visit to Emine matching in every way the alleged perfidy inherent in his public confession in 2015 that his wife Kiran Rao was scared of living in IndiaPanchjanya however goes even a step farther than the Organiser venturing where even the most paranoid will not go In Panchjanyas story Dragon Ka Pyara Khan readers are asked to mull Why is Khan so popular in China Why do his films regularly outstrip other Indian productions in earnings Why does he have over a million followers on Sina Weibo four times more than what Modi has on that social media platformPanchjanya cites statistics that it thinks are astonishing even inexplicable The only Indian film to figure on Chinas list of 50 top moneygrossers is Khans Dangal which takes the 45th spot How come The top 10 Indian films together earned 35 billion Chinese yuan of which Dangal alone accounts for a little more than half Strange isnt it While Dangal raked in Rs 1400 crore Salman Khans Sultan both with stories on wrestling netted just R40 crore Why Winkwink hinthintEnvy is discernible in Panchjanyas story In contrast to Khans films doing roaring business in China Hindutvavadis favourite filmstar Akshay Kumars Pad Man earned Rs 9734 crore and his Toilet Ek Prem Katha only Rs 661 crore Panchjanya asks Isnt it astonishing that Khans Secret Superstar made for Rs 15 crore did a business of Rs 62 crore in India but over Rs 810 crore in China Winkwink hinthintPanchjanya is hinting to a diabolic plot as it omits to mention the fairly obvious reasons behind Khans success mdash that his films have a better cultural connect in China or have a greater production value or that he is a better directoractor Panchjanya is perplexed that Baahubali The Beginning and Baahubali The Conclusion were superhits in India but failed to set the cash registers ringing in China About this apparent puzzle Chinese critic Fei Se said to the Global Times Many Chinese audienceshellipmight have had a difficult time understanding Baahubali as the film contains a lot of traditional Indian cultural elementsSuch an analysis is too prosaic for Panchjanya which believes Khans popularity is a consequence of his proximity to the Dragon Could it be that an authoritarian China drives millions to watch a Khan production Has Khan become the brand ambassador for Vivo the Chinese mobile company to return the favour shown to him by the ChinesePanchjanya forgets that until late June the Indian Cricket Board was unwilling to discontinue Vivos sponsorship of the Indian Premier League Its treasurer Arun Dhumal had then said We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause and taking help from a Chinese company to support Indias cause Dhumals brother is Union Minister Anurag Thakur the Boards secretary is Jay Shah son of Home Minister Amit ShahBy contrast Khans VivoChinese connection is evidence of his disloyalty to India This is because Panchjanya construes Khans visit to Emine as proof of his jihadi thought that had him place his religion over the nation mocking all those who did not think of his religious identity to spend money on his films Might we ask Was the Indian Ambassador to Turkey Sanjay Panda also guilty of the jihadi mentality when he glowingly tweeted about the EmineKhan meeting Why doesnt the RSS get Modi to snap Indias ties with TurkeyThe RSS publications have scapegoated Khan to distract or silence all those who want to know how China slipped into Ladakh or who watch in fear COVID19 rampage across India the economy sputter their salaries slashed or jobs lost They must realise that their fears pale before the threats Khans jihadi mentality and proximity to China and Turkey pose to the nation or so the RSS publications will have us believe through their innuendoes We could have dismissed these as the working of a febrile mind We cannot because that mind has also become the mind of the Indian stateThe writer is a senior journalistSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news