Lyricist Swanand Kirkire on Nationwide CAA Protests: ‘If People Have the Right to Speak They Also Have an Equal Right to Remain Quiet’

As the debate on amended Citizenship Act continues, a few from the film industry have spoken up against the contentious law while some have kept mum, something which lyricist Swanand Kirkire says needs to be equally respected. The 48-year-old multihyphenate artiste has actively voiced his support for the anti- CAA protests and also joined rallies against the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Shah Rukh Khan’s #AskSRK Twitter Session: From Being Asked if He Is Scared in India to His Silence on CAA Protests, 5 Questions King Khan Wistfully Chose to Ignore.

"It depends on each individual whether they want to speak up or remain quiet. While I cannot take responsibility for anyone, I do believe as much as a person has the right to speak they have an equal right to remain quiet," Kirkire told PTI in an interview. "We should also respect their right to not speak up." Speaking on the sidelines of the recently concluded "Namaste Orchha" festival, Kirkire, said someone taking or not taking a moral stand on social media should not be the measurement of how things are in real life. Anti-CAA and NRC Protestors Sing Shah Rukh Khan Songs While Questioning his Silence on the Grave Issue (Watch Video)

"The actual life is not reflected on Twitter. Life is on the streets, inside the homes, at the crossroads, the aim is to find out if the situation is ok, and the situation is not really ok right now. "There are people who believe everything is fine, actually the majority of people think so. But I personally cannot tell them to take a different stand. I do what I believe is right," the National Award-winner said. "My personal stand is that India is a country of syncretic culture and we all should live in harmony."

If someone has a belief system against the people then an environment needs to be created to contradict it, he added. "I don't think people don't have a medium to speak against the hate, it's about how the medium is used. There are all types of individuals in the film industry too, they are making all kinds of movies based on their belief system. "And if you want to contradict someone's belief system that is against the people, you will have to create a specific environment in the society," he said.