By YKA Staff:
Divya Spandana aka Ramya is a Kannada actor-turned-politician who recently attended the 1st SAARC Young Parliamentarians Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan.
@divyaspandana "fear doesn't make us safer. it cuts off ties between countries, strengthing our isolation" #SYPC2016 pic.twitter.com/lAbuu9KksR
— YPF Pakistan (@ypfpakistan) August 17, 2016
After her experience at the conference, she reportedly said, “Pakistan is not hell. People there are just like us. They treated us very well.”
What Ramya said came just a few days after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “Going to Pakistan is like going to hell.”
Going to Pakistan is like going to hell, says Manohar Parrikar https://t.co/LAcXJXUSc0 pic.twitter.com/0vxsVZQDUy
— HuffPost India (@HuffPostIndia) August 16, 2016
Following this, it was reported that a complaint was filed against Ramya by a lawyer under several sections of the IPC, including 124-A (sedition).
She has since been trolled incessantly for a comment aimed at fostering peace between India and Pakistan.
https://twitter.com/GREATIYERS/status/768035594337419265
https://twitter.com/JudgeWen/status/768035645029744641
https://twitter.com/Nibble4/status/768042035408351232
https://twitter.com/kingGulshanSahu/status/768041448411394048
If this wasn’t enough, people are also asking Ramya to go to Pakistan.
Jaggesh, a Kannada actor and politician, has also chimed in and said, “People who have not studied and don’t have any experience are praising Pakistan. They should be given a peace prize, maybe a Nobel.” He also added that those supporting anti-national sentiments are “mosquitoes and bedbugs” and should be destroyed with poison.
Ramya meanwhile has been a winner throughout. She has refused to apologise and said, “I have done nothing wrong. I am entitled to my views and that is what democracy is about.”
She even used a verse from the Gita to send a message to haters who (believe it or not) staged protests against her.
"Delusion arises from anger.Mind is bewildered by delusion.Reasoning is destroyed when mind is bewildered"- the Gita pic.twitter.com/Gcedc7XtQg
— Ramya/Divya Spandana (@divyaspandana) August 21, 2016
Thankfully, many people are also seeing how ridiculous the reaction has been to this, and are standing up for Ramya.
https://twitter.com/BIftikhar85/status/767990745030680576
@divyaspandana this has to be the silliest use of an outdated sedition law that has no place in a democracy. It's nonsense.
— JayEnAar (@GorwayGlobal) August 23, 2016
The the court should impose cost for such frivolous petition and set precedent. More power to you @divyaspandana https://t.co/ymn2V0AFYZ
— Aman Wadud (@AmanWadud) August 23, 2016
Just last week, actor Richa Chadha was also subjected to trolling for a comment involving Pakistan. When fellow actor Fawad Khan was asked about the cultural differences between India and Pakistan she intervened to say, “I will have far more in common with Fawad because I am from the North of India than I will have with somebody who is a Tam Brahm or maybe Malayali or from the North East. I think we should avoid stereotyping in questioning or creating some kind of contradiction here because the whole intent and especially art does not really have any borders.”
And for trying to talk about inclusion, Richa was subjected to hate.
True! A Bimbo like @RichaChadha_ will have more in common with Dumb Pakis than Intellectually gifted TamBrahms :)) https://t.co/Wr7z8gTyMV
— मुरली Swaminathan (@mswami) August 22, 2016
I can't blame you for saying that..Us Tam Brahms have to put up with dimwits like you all the time 😀 get well soon!
— Kailash R (@ramanathan85) August 23, 2016
And after ALL of this, we say we aren’t intolerant?