Poet Bhupi Sherchan's description of Nepal as a 'country of rumours' has come very true in what took place recently. It all started with a report published by Chitwan Post-a Narayanghat-based daily, about a protest rally in Narayanghat denouncing the statement made by the famous Indian actor Hritik Roshan against the Nepal and Nepali in a 'satellite television channel'. A week after the report was published, all the national dailies were suddenly flooded with similar reports.

As events snowballed out of control, none of the dailies nor the rioting student's unions made any effort to verify and confirm the so-called statement made by Roshan. As a result, the country was consumed by flames. If that was not enough, the revisionist and reactionary government forces added oil to fire. The government responded with a police force that targeted innocent lives in the name of controlling the mob. This plunged the country into a serious mess.

The Nepali Congress government, which had never been sensitive about the Nepali people's sentiments, suddenly reacted and banned the screening of Hritik's films through a directive from the communications ministry.

The ban triggered more riots and violence in the country. But all this turned out to be a farce when the actor denied making any remarks against Nepal and the Nepalis. The Indian embassy also made a similar statement representing the Indian government.

To be led by rumours is typical mob psychology. But for a government body itself to be so led is not typical. The knee-jerk reaction from both the government and the so-called patriotic political parties has placed Nepal in a very embarrassing situation in the international arena.

Had the young star made such remarks and his fans here rejected his films and started hating him that would have been a different matter. But it cannot be an uprising against another country because Hritik's does not represent the Indian government nor its people nor is he an official of the Indian bureaucracy or the government. Whether someone likes or dislikes any person, place or object is of his or her personal interest, just as there are many Nepalis who don't like the Indian government and its interventions.

The ban on Hritik's films by the Nepali government has now affected the famous Nepali Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala. Indian students have begun demanding a ban on Koirala's movies. The National Student's Union of India in Madhya Pradesh recently rioted in Indore to cancel the premier of Champion, Koirala's new release, and the local magistrate complied.

-Dristi, 2 January