Consecration ceremony: Malayalam celebrities face criticism over Constitution Preamble posts
Many prominent Indian celebrities gathered in Ayodhya to attend the historic Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on Monday. Amid the celebration calls, however, several Malayalam filmmakers and actors shared a picture of the Indian Constitution's Preamble on Instagram, seemingly criticizing the state-backed festivities, calling them against India's secular principles. This sparked criticism, as some disapproved of their perspective. In a fit of fury, netizens flooded their comments section with "Jai Shri Ram."
Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, Jeo Baby among others shared Preamble
Malayalam film personalities, including actors Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, Divya Prabha, Kani Kusruti, and prominent directors and filmmakers Jeo Baby, Aashiq Abu, Kamal KM, and singer Sooraj Santhosh, shared photos on social media displaying the Constitution's Preamble. While posting, Thiruvothu captioned, "OUR INDIA." Kallingal, meanwhile, wrote, "Justice. Liberty. Equality. Fraternity," while Abu penned, "INDIA. SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC."
Take a look at one of the posts here
Critique: 'Some people are just sad and empty,' said netizens
These posts triggered an instant backlash. One user criticized, "Just a way to create an unnecessary ripple for social media reach. Never saw you posting as relevant as this preamble on Christmas or Bakri-Id." Another user defended, "So [Parvathy], let's allow them to break our temple and forever stamp on it in the name of secularism? We don't subscribe to such secularism." Other comments included, "Some people are just sad and empty...Can't even celebrate happiness."
Meanwhile, some praised celebrities' courage for speaking out
On the other side of the spectrum, several users emphasized that "religion should not be political; nor should politics be religious." Followers praised the celebrities for their courage in speaking out, with one expressing pride in seeing a celebrity with the "backbone" to address a great "atrocity." Another user commended the celebrities, stating, "This is what courageous, intelligent, and truly patriotic Indians would do. Kudos."
Legalities: Background on the Ram Mandir and Babri Masjid dispute
The contested site's history dates back to 1885, with legal disputes beginning in 1950 when plaintiff Gopal Visharad Sharma requested the Faizabad district court to allow the worship of Ram Lalla on the disputed site. In 2010, the High Court decided on a three-way division of the land. In 2019, the Supreme Court awarded an entire 2.77 acres to Ram Lalla and instructed the UP government to provide five acres of land to Muslims for constructing a mosque in Ayodhya.
