No Kashmiri child, neither Zaira Wasim or anybody else, should have to apologise for who they are, or for making certain choices, said former vice-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union Shehla Rashid.
The student leader, who is from Kashmir and an active voice against the human rights situation in the State, came out in support of Ms. Wasim, a 16-year-old child actor from the film Dangal who issued a public apology after she was trolled for meeting with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
‘Cut her some slack’
Ms. Rashid took to social media to say “Kashmiris should understand that Zaira Wasim has not claimed to represent Kashmiris and then back-stabbed them, unlike all our leaders. Kashmiris have been Home Ministers, Prime Ministers, actors, businessmen, journalists, etc. So, let’s cut Zaria some slack.”
The youth leader said there was a “jingoistic” habit of pitting Kashmiris against one another. “Dividing us into good Kashmiris and bad Kashmiris is perhaps what made Zaira feel apologetic. IAS topper Shah Faesal had to put out a statement rejecting his comparison to Burhan Wani. I can see why they would’ve felt uncomfortable being compared to ‘protesting’ Kashmiris — it is a ploy to divide Kashmiris, and we don’t like that,” she wrote.
She added that people who demand freedom for themselves shouldn’t deny it to members of their own community.
On Friday afternoon, Zaira replied to Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel after he posted an image depicting a hijab-clad woman and another inside a cage, saying the painting tells a story similar to Zaria’s.
The young actress rebutted that the woman in the painting cannot be compared to her, and asked him not to connect her to such a “discourteous depiction”.
“Women in hijab are beautiful and free,” Ms. Zaria tweeted.
