Extremism in all forms and manifestations should be condemned. On April 9, Shiv Sena activists congregated outside writer Shobhaa De’s house protesting against her statement in which she had criticised the government’s decision to make the screening of one Marathi film in Mumbai’s cinema halls mandatory.

The protestors dubbed her views ‘anti-Marathi’ and demanded that she should apologise for her comments. Of course, Shobhaa being Shobhaa, it did not make the writer cringe or cower. She stood by her views. The heartening thing that happened subsequently was that a lot of writers came out in her support, commending Shiv Sena’s action.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 19th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play