Aamir joins debate on intolerance

Says wife even suggested leaving India

New Delhi: Actor Aamir Khan on Monday joined the chorus of intelligentsia against growing 'intolerance' and said that he has been "alarmed" by a number of incidents and that his wife Kiran Rao even suggested that they should probably leave the country.

"As an individual, as part of this country as a citizen, we read in the papers what is happening, we see it on the news and certainly, I have been alarmed. I can't deny. I have been alarmed by a number of incidents," he said while speaking here at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards. The actor said he also feels that the sense of insecurity and fear has been growing since past six or eight months.

"When I chat with Kiran at home, she says, 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day.

"That does indicate that there is this sense of growing disquiet, there is growing despondency apart from alarm. You feel why this is happening, you feel low. That sense does exist in me," 50-year-old actor said, adding for any society, it is important to have a sense of security and sense of justice.

Taking potshots at politicians, he said, "People who are our elected representatives, people who we select to look after us for five years, state or centre... when people take law into their hands, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, to make a strong statement, speed up the legal process, when we see that happening there is a sense of security but when we don't see that happening there is a sense of insecurity."

Endorsing the move by scientists, writers and filmmakers to return their awards to register their protest against the atmosphere of growing intolerance, Aamir said for creative people it is important to voice what they feel, adding that the ways for creative people to express their dissatisfaction or disappointment is to return their awards.

"A number of creative people -- historians, scientists -- increasingly had a certain feeling in them, which they felt they need to express."

When asked whether he endorsed the protests by the people, Aamir said he would as long as it is non-violent as "all individuals have a right to protest and they can protest in any manner that they feel is right as long as they are not taking the law into their hands."