On Monday, December 15, a video from a government event in Patna, Bihar, went viral on social media. At this event, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributed appointment letters to over 1,200 AYUSH doctors (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy). In a clip from the event, which is currently being circulated across the internet, while handing a certificate to a female doctor, the CM motioned at her hijab. Before she could react, Nitish Kumar reached out and pulled the hijab down from the doctor's face. Former actor Zaira Wasim, who made her Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan’s Dangal (2016), has now called out the CM on Twitter.
Zaira Wasim, who retired from acting as well as the film industry in 2019, took to her Twitter handle to demand an apology from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. She tweeted: “A woman’s dignity and modesty are not props to toy with. Least of all on a public stage. As a Muslim woman, watching another woman’s niqab being pulled at so casually, accompanied by that nonchalant smile, was so infuriating. Power does not grant permission to violate boundaries. @NitishKumar owes that woman an unconditional apology.”
Zaira’s tweet received mixed reactions from netizens. Some agreed with her. One such social media user wrote: “A Chief Minister is expected to uphold dignity, consent, and constitutional values at all times. Touching or pulling a woman's hijab while publicly honoring her is not respect-it is a violation of personal, cultural, and religious boundaries.” But others attempted to give the CM the benefit of doubt. For instance, a comment read: “CM Nitish Kumar pulling down the lady’s face covering surely looks harsh. But honestly I see a father figure trying, albeit clumsily to tell a young doctor that she doesn’t need to hide her face, she belongs there with dignity and equal standing!”
{{/usCountry}}Zaira’s tweet received mixed reactions from netizens. Some agreed with her. One such social media user wrote: “A Chief Minister is expected to uphold dignity, consent, and constitutional values at all times. Touching or pulling a woman's hijab while publicly honoring her is not respect-it is a violation of personal, cultural, and religious boundaries.” But others attempted to give the CM the benefit of doubt. For instance, a comment read: “CM Nitish Kumar pulling down the lady’s face covering surely looks harsh. But honestly I see a father figure trying, albeit clumsily to tell a young doctor that she doesn’t need to hide her face, she belongs there with dignity and equal standing!”
{{/usCountry}}What are your thoughts on the viral video?