R Krishna Das
Call it an irony, a person smoking weed and sharing it to the World; being banned from Instagram for Nudity can “damage” India’s rich culture and customs globally.
The apprehension has been raised by none other than a person who has more lining towards Western culture than Indian. The Congress Member of Parliament reacted to several patriotic Bollywood and cricketing stars rallying around the government in its pushback to the global celebrities expressing support for farmers” movement.
India hit out at global celebrities including controversial popstar Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg for their support of the farmers’ protests. Several Bollywood and cricket stars as well as top ministers also rallied around the government in its pushback.
The Indian’s reaction to persons dubbed globally for “nudity” and immature statements” did not go well with the Congress MP. He reacted that the damage done to India’s global image by the government’s “obduracy and undemocratic behaviour” can’t be remedied by a cricketer’s tweets.
The Congress MP or anyone else backing the global celebrities for supporting farmers’ stir must realise that the rich culture and tradition of India cannot be tarnished globally by those who themselves are in thick of controversy. Just having a few million followers on social media does not matter.
Rihanna has been in the limelight for over a decade, literally, for all bad reasons including a share of heartbreaks, crazy moments and shocking scenes that have been rolled out on social media for the world to see. From stripping off on Instagram to being thrown out of a Mosque!
If there’s one true fact about Rihanna, it’s that she’s no stranger to marijuana, and she makes that loud and clear on social media, too. She is notoriously famous for her nudity and comfort in her own skin and even got banned from Instagram for posting a naked picture of herself sitting in front of a fireplace. In true savage style, the popstar didn’t drop it and took to Twitter to have a jab at Instagram officials by making her avatar a topless snap.
When Rihanna found the perfect backdrop for some snaps for the Gram, she thought she’d seize the moment. But many locals got offended with her choice of location, her outfit (a black jumpsuit, a Hijab) and her poses – so much so that she ended up being kicked out of the mosque!
The 18-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg had also hogged the headlines for controversies. While Donald Trump was castigated for mocking her, the activist nominated for nobel prize has been under the lens of activists for her alleged “childish” and “immature” statements.
Those debating for the two controversial activists, especially a section of Indian media, must take a note out of this: Following the release of her Unapologetic album, Rihanna invited a load of journalists around on a press tour. But sadly, it didn’t receive the coverage that she’d imagined. Instead, the singer was slated for her lack of appearance and the poor organization of the entire trip.
