Comedian Kunal Kamra.
Credit: X/@kunalkamra88
The country is demonstrating much too frequently that it is unable to take a joke for what it is, and politicians are at the forefront of this campaign against laughter. Standup comedian Kunal Kamra has been a favourite punching bag of the easily offended – the latest controversy is over his remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a show in Mumbai. His barb against Shinde has provoked Shiv Sena (Shinde) members, who vandalised the Habitat Studio where the show was filmed and the hotel which housed the studio. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demolished the studio for alleged building law violations. The police have booked Kamra on the charge of making defamatory remarks against Shinde, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sought his apology. A Shiv Sena leader has even issued a warning to the comedian that he would be chased across India and forced to flee the country.
Fadnavis’ words show the misconceptions of the political class about freedom of expression – “Freedom should not be unrestrained behaviour... No one has the right to do such low-level comedy and disrespect the former chief minister, deputy chief minister, and senior leaders of the state, who are respected by the people of the state.” Politicians only invite disrespect by demanding praise and respect. It is not for the chief minister to judge whether a comic act is high or low in content. Even “low level” comedy has its place and can have its rightful platform for expression. It is surprising to note that a chief minister who should protect free speech should want a citizen to apologise for exercising his right. Shinde, meanwhile, has acknowledged the freedom of speech but only with “a limit”. This limit cannot be set by the person who is criticised or lampooned. The calls for restricting free speech appear applicable only when the others are involved.
It is an alarming situation where the State acts arbitrarily and sends bulldozers to level a location where a joke was made, and the man who delivered the lines is chased, harassed, and persecuted. The Shiv Sena has had a particularly intolerant and even violent engagement with criticism and comedy. It has resorted to open threats, physical attacks, and vandalism in response to criticism and satire though, ironically, it was founded by a cartoonist. An atmosphere of intolerance is growing stronger in the country and politicians are becoming increasingly self-important and self-righteous. It is an authoritarian and unhealthy society that does not brook laughter, which is a mirror society holds to itself. Kamra has done well to declare that he will not apologise. Society needs people who speak the truth of laughter to power.