On January 1, when lakhs of Dalits had gathered in Pune to attend an event to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon, which eventually led to clashes that have paralysed Mumbai and Pune.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, in light of the recent clashes, tweeted his own experience of the ‘pyramid is inverted’, hinting at how now the upper caste people like him get to fly economy class while the lower caste have the luxury in business class.
Sometime ago, on a flight I saw a great Dalit leader’s grandson sitting on 1A, business class and I wrote this in notes. Just found. pic.twitter.com/NaEW2bGnkC
— Vivek Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 3, 2018
Unsurprisingly, for his bigoted tweet, Agnihotri was both called out as well as supported by many.
you must feel so lucky that you can still afford that iPhone despite that inverted pyramid…
— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@PranavDixit) January 3, 2018
I’m no expert but the moment you identify someone minding their own business by their primordial identity, something is wrong with you. Your ideal note should have said, “I saw a guy sitting on 1A, business class.” That’s it.
— Anand (@Philosanand) January 3, 2018
Strawman argument. Obama becoming President doesn’t mean race equality was achieved in America. https://t.co/XIZbmd1BY3
— Ram (@ramprasad_c) January 3, 2018
Masaan‘s filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan responded to Agnihotri’s take on caste that had many supporting his argument.
I am a Dalit. I won the Cannes film award for our country. Also the Cannes advertising award. I won the National award & the Filmfare award. All without using my Dalit identity. And yes, I fly business class now and I will offer you my seat next time you’re on the same plane. pic.twitter.com/i2kfuqpwCi
— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) January 3, 2018
Many trolls resorted to accusing him of playing the “Dalit card” including Agnihotri himself.
It’s the same brigade of Urban Naxals who want to leave India at the drop of the hat but love to be proud Indians when their ilk burn buses and raises slogans of breaking India. https://t.co/1VcDT3IGZz
— Vivek Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 4, 2018
But he says he never plays Dalit Card. Also, Cannes Awards’s don’t lie. https://t.co/8En864W6PC
— Vivek Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 4, 2018
Ghaywan, however, found support from many.
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) January 3, 2018
You are being too kind to a resentful, casteist creep. If you offer him your seat I will sit on dharna outside your house in protest 🙂
— Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) January 3, 2018
so sorry you have to deal with this trash crossing your TL. you made a lovely movie and if you ever fly economy again i hope you get both the armrests.
— Supriya Nair (@supriyan) January 3, 2018
Please don’t offer that piece of trash anything. Not a seat, and certainly not a job.
— Samit Basu (@samitbasu) January 3, 2018
And created a legacy for millions to look up to Sirji @ghaywan
— Vikas Khanna (@TheVikasKhanna) January 4, 2018
Feature Image: Twitter
