Progeny of freedom fighters cleave into Kangana Ranaut for her ‘bheek’ remark; calls for legal action

Mody and her son at her Versova house on Thursday. Pics/Satej Shinde

"Silence may be golden, but in this context, it is shocking," claimed Nandini S Mody, daughter of freedom fighter Prof. M L Dantwala. A Versova resident, Mody, like so many following the Kangana Ranaut controversy closely, is simmering in anger as she, a daughter, is personally invested in the issue. Ranaut created a huge stir by declaring that India attained "real freedom in 2014" and described the country's Independence in 1947 as "bheek" or alms. The silence Mody alludes to, is that of the Prime Minister and his ministers who are yet to comment, "leave alone reprimand the actor," Mody claimed, for these comments.

In jail

Mody said, "My father, Professor M L Dantwala spent 54 months in prison during the freedom movement. He dedicated most of the best days of his life battling lathis with words, not violence (and certainly with no 'Y or Z' security). While growing up, we learnt what it meant to be enslaved, through that learning, we also realised how priceless winning independence was." That is why Mody explained, it is important Ranaut understands how grievous and heinous this insult has been. "I have also written an open letter to Ms Ranaut, now on social media, calling her comments, insensitive, hurtful, inappropriate and downright insulting," she said.

Mody, who shows a photo of her father, says it is important that Kangana understands how grievous and heinous this insult has been

Extremely sad

Mody added that Ranaut had deeply, "saddened every mother whose father, son or family laid down their life for ungrateful little children like yourself to speak freely and fearlessly." She asked Ranaut what she had done to deserve this freedom and how many lathis, she had battled "without support of your security?" In her open letter to Ranaut, Mody asked, "Aren't you ashamed of the fact that you've just spat on the same institution whose highest civilian award you've been so proudly parading?" Mody said her father was a Padma Bhushan recipient.

Speak out

Mody asked about the Prime Minister's silence as she stated, "Respected Prime Minister Sir, when you and your ministers do not as much as comment, leave alone reprimand, verbal diarrhoea of this magnitude, we - your prized voter - lose trust and faith in you and your governance." Signing off calling Ranaut a "motormouth," Mody said the PM has with his silence, "lost the vote of many ageing freedom warriors, mothers, and daughters like myself whose blood sacrifices have been so ignorantly dismissed."

Freedom fighter Vitthalrao Kalmandarga

Defamation notice

There is also Vile Parle's Kashinath Kalmandarga, son of a freedom fighter, who has sent a defamation notice to Ranaut, for her statement belittling the freedom struggle and insulting India's freedom fighters, including his father, Vitthalrao Kalmandarga. Vitthalrao Kalmandarga dedicated his life to the struggle to shake off the yoke of British oppression.

Mody claimed Ranaut's comment amounts to sedition, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) added the statement "is tantamount to treason." Kalmandarga, Jt secretary of Mumbai AAP said, "My father and millions of freedom fighters dedicated their entire lives, at a great personal cost, to the freedom struggle. We are the proud progeny of such a selfless generation of leaders and revolutionaries. It is shameful and humiliating to say the least, that people like Kangana Ranaut can make such derogatory statements."