Mallika Sarabhai slams Modi for keeping quiet on her mother’s death

Published January 23, 2016
Dancer Mallika Sarabhai performs a classical dance in front of the body of her mother Mrinalini Sarabhai, in Ahmadabad, India, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.—AP
Dancer Mallika Sarabhai performs a classical dance in front of the body of her mother Mrinalini Sarabhai, in Ahmadabad, India, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.—AP

NEW DELHI: A day after legendary danseuse mother Mrinalini Sarabhai’s death, Mallika Sarabhai, a bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, slammed him on Friday for not expressing even a word on her mother’s death.

On her Facebook post, according to The Hindu, the daughter noted that as prime minister of the country, he should have recognised the contribution of Mrinalini, a recipient of Padma Bhushan among other numerous awards and prizes.

“My dear prime minister, you hate my politics and I hate yours. That has nothing to do with what Mrinalini Sarabhai did to promote the culture of this country to the world over sixty years,” Ms Mallika posted on her Facebook.

“She blazed a trailer for our culture to the world. That her death sees no word from you shows your mentality. However much you hate me, as our prime minister, it behoves you to recognise her contribution. You have not. Shame on you.”

It may be noted that Ms Mallika Sarabhai, herself a noted dancer, movie actor, and choreographer, was among the first people to lambast the then Modi administration in Gujarat during the 2002 communal riots.

She had even approached the Supreme Court with a PIL seeking compensation for the riot victims.

Subsequent to her PIL, the Gujarat government had filed a case against her accusing her of human trafficking, as her performing arts academy used to take artists from India to abroad for shows.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015

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