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Chandigarh, Punjab: Bir Devinder Singh former deputy speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday warned against over playing the incident of detention of film actor Shah Rukh Khan by US airport authorities. The text of his press statement is reproduced below.
“The Statement of Ambika Soni Union I&B Minister on the frisking of Shah Rukh Khan at Newark Air Port in New Jersey (US) is highly irresponsible. It is not for a senior Minister to speak in such a casual manner while commenting upon an incident which smack of racism and occurred on a foreign land. I do concede her legitimate right as I&B Minister to give her reaction on the treatment meted out to a Bollywood super star but calling for a tit for tat reaction sounds unwise. Indian people are already suffering racial discrimination in Australia, if Union Ministers would incite people for Tit for Tat reaction in India.
The statement of the Minister and the out of proportion hype created by the Indian media have the potentials to generate heat, which could eventually lead to a racial conflict between Indians and Americans. Thus the issue blown out of proportion may have serious and far reaching repercussion for Indians settled in US. They may face racial conflict in US if we make a mountain out of the mole. Our super stars are ostensibly pampered lot of people and they unnecessary create fuss out of nothing just to invite the over attention of the Media.
We all must understand that in US, there is no special class of citizens exists as VIPs or Celebrities. They treat all the people with equal respect and concern when you are in the queue. As we all know that such strong and complex set of security parameters never existed in US on the Air Ports, before the horrendous 9/11 incident, that shook the entire World and took lives of so many innocent men, women and children irrespective of their identity or religion. We must appreciate that frisking on the air ports emanates out of the security constraints and is part of their strict micro- security drill. After suffering so much, no Nation, worth the salt, can afford to be complacent with regard to the security of her people, whether its at the Air Port or otherwise.
We may recall that when Punjab was passing through the terrific era of militancy how Sikh families coming from various part of the World to their homeland were subjected to frisking and humiliations at the Delhi Air Port. So many of them were even repatriated back to the destination from where they started their journey. At that point of time no one raised the voice that innocent Sikhs and their families are being harassed and humiliated beyond logic. Why so much of hue and cry if Shah Rukh Khan has been frisked at Newark Air Port by US security agencies. Who would be responsible if any untoward incident of the magnitude of 9/11 happens again? So we should not grumble over the security measures put in place on the international Air Ports for the safety and security of the passengers and for the internal security of their country as well. We should give up the habit of making a mountain out of the mole”.
Source: Punjab Newsline
This is normal , i had been many countries. When first time i was stopped at Singapore immigration, even have supporting documents and currency they stopped and questioned me a lot , i grumbled and disgruntled at Immigration officer. But later i understand its a normal things, every country has security procedures. And many times i been stopped and questioned my whereabouts, but SRK like ppl needs to understand this happening. He just want publicity as he is told itself “He is hunger of publicity/fame”. And do you know in Malaysia, SRK got DATO’ ship honor by their government for nothing. DATO ship only for Malaysian citizen and very higher status in society.
SRK tryng to discredit mighty USA by his movie style rebillion .
He needs to grow up to understand what USA and its constitution stand stands for .
Many like him try to discredit USA but all of them eventually want to become USA citizens .
I read comments by renowned people Salman, Amar Singh, Edward Kennedy and I do not agree with them. If you have the capacity you should be a catalyst to bring in change. Shahrukh Khan has shown that by showing his dissent at the way his interrogation was done. At any cost do not compromise security, but for gods sake you do not need 66 minutes to interrogate and establish someones identity, what was the security officer doing for 66 minutes, exchanging courtesies, well in fact one would not need more than 10/15 minutes to establish the identity of a well known person like Shahrukh Khan. Well, in the eyes of the security officer, every visitor is a potential immigrant or a terrorist till it is established otherwise. But, this job can be done less offensively and with lot more respect to the individual. Shahrukh had the guts to express his dissent, whereas others of the likes of Shahrukh, Amarsingh are of the compacent .. chaltahai type.
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I agree with you sir. This was just a publicity stunt by Mr.SRK. you should not trigger such sensitive religious matters just for publicity. Frisking is a part of US Security. Everyone are treated equally there. If SEK is a icon it may be in his house. He is not god afterall
Yes, to some extent s, Birdavinder singh is right and this issue is very much sensetive. When the AMERICANS WILL GO TO TAKE JOBS AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT ACTUALLY THEN WE WILL BE IN POSITIONS TO SAY TIT FOR TAT.
very very well said sir. SRK you need to grow up a lil bit. stop bein a cry baby.