On the occasion of Eid, Bollywood singer Shaan shared a photo of himself wearing a scull cap. However, some people started to criticize him for being a Hindu and wishing Eid, leaving negative comments on his post. This compelled him to disable comments on his Instagram posts. In response to this, Shaan shared a six-minute video calling for a change in such regressive thinking, stating that India is a progressive country.
Shaan told the story of his look seen in the photo. He began by mentioning, “Today is Eid. Today is Parshuram ji’s birth anniversary. Today is Akshaya Tritiya. We are celebrating all these festivals together. I just posted a post wishing you all Eid Mubarak. In which I shared a snapshot of a video I did three years ago. The song ‘Karam Kar De’ had been received well by the public. There was a look where I was wearing a scull cap and offering Namaz. I made a freeze frame and wished everyone Eid.”
According to Shaan, he boarded his flight after making the post and arrived in Bangalore for his show. He was taken aback when he saw the reactions to the post and admits to ignoring them for a while. However, the continuous influx of reactions questioning his actions as a Hindu eventually caught his attention.
Expanding on his argument, Shaan shared an anecdote: “A few months ago, during my visit to the Golden Temple, I took some pictures while covering my head as required. Surprisingly, there were no negative reactions despite being a Hindu and following Sikh customs. Similarly, on Hindu festivals like Ramnavami, we often dress up and take photos to capture the essence of the occasion. This is not meant to justify anything, but rather to show respect and honor different cultures. So, what harm can it bring to one’s religion by wearing someone else’s clothes or adopting a different look?”
Shaan further said that we change our mindset as a society. With progress and development taking place in every sphere of our country, we need to cultivate more respect and tolerance towards one another. He believes that he is an Indian, a Hindu and a human being. He grew up in a Muslim and Christian majority neighborhood. Despite this, he never felt any sense of difference between himself and his friends from different religions.
According to Shaan, any country that has operated solely based on religion has only faced losses and failed to make progress. India, being a vast democracy, requires a shift in mindset if we are to make the world a better place.