Counter hate messages through art, Sisodia exhorts creative group

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 16

Condemning “hate crimes”, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia exhorted creative community to stop “watching silently” and effectively counter “hate messages” circulated through social media by the medium of art.

Sisodia, who also holds the arts, culture and languages portfolio in the Aam Aadmi Party government, was addressing a gathering last evening at the inauguration of the Urdu Heritage Festival here.

Referring to recent instances of purported hate clips and murders over “love jihad”, Sisodia said, “The recent incidents of killing in the name of identity are chilling. We must introspect on how we are failing as a society.”

“How are we allowing ourselves to do this? I have a child, when he grows up he might fall in love, as he should, if the girl he loves comes from a different background, can I allow myself to harm her in this way? It is impossible to think of this,” he said.

Sisodia noted that art, literature and culture can help in addressing these (hate crimes) issues.

“...we can address these issues. My request to the creative community is to no longer remain passive spectators, we need to actively counter hate. We must object to the whatsapp and social media messages that propagate hate. We must remove the misunderstanding through art,” underscored Sisodia while stating that the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, Delhi Government, will work on this as priority.