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In 2024, the Guardianreportedthat stand-up comics are nervous about performing in some parts of the country out of fear of being charged with a crime. The anxiety stems from the time when comic Munawar Faruqui spent over a month in jail because he mentioned a Hindu god in one of his jokes. After his release, he had to cancel all his shows as Hindu nationalists threatened to disrupt them.
Similar things happened to other comics as well, one of them being Kunal Kamra, whosaid, “There is a growing culture of intolerance in this country, where taking offense is seen as a fundamental right and has been elevated to the status of a much-loved national indoor sport.”
“India has always had humour, but in recent years a kind of literalism has spread, a very literal interpretation of the world, and humour has been a casualty. It’s dangerous to be funny. Humour is a powerful form of dissent,” social commentator Santosh Desai says.
Political cartoonists have also lost their jobs after the Indian authorities complained about their work. While some try to balance creativity with personal risk, many have decided to stay away from politics altogether.
In one of his sets, comedian Kenny Sebastian explained why he makes fun of tea and biscuits. “Why I don’t do jokes on politics is because I’m scared,” he said. “It’s not like I can’t get punchlines on political jokes. It’s because I don’t want to get punched on my face.” Most stand-up comedians in India are going apolitical, holding back their opinions.
However, some people choose not to hold back, like comedian Sanjay Rajoura. “[The word] stand-up has ‘stand up’ [in it]. Stand up to what? Stand up to something!” he says. It’s unfortunate that such a diverse culture can’t yet embrace tolerance and laugh at themselves. But the young generation of people is set on changing it, one joke at a time, if that’s what needs to be done.
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