In a shockingly insensitive incident, the granddaughter of General Dyer, the infamous leader behind the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, referred to the victims as ‘looters’ in a recently surfaced video. This remark stirred immediate backlash, including a vehement reaction from Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar. Addressing the media during a press conference for the film “Kesari Chapter 2,” Johar did not hold back his anger, expressing that anyone with an ounce of empathy would be appalled by such a statement.
Karan Johar’s remarks came as Akshay Kumar‘s film, “Kesari Chapter 2,” brought to light the legal battles led by C Sankaran Nair against the British crown for failing to hold General Dyer accountable for the 1919 massacre. Johar strongly criticized the insensitive comment, questioning the empathy and humanity of anyone who would make such a claim. He stated, “Not just as an Indian or as a humanitarian, but anyone who has an iota of empathy or humanity within themselves, it will anger you.”
Highlighting the ridiculous nature of the remark, Johar added, “I don’t want to mince my words, be diplomatic in my answer, or certainly beat around the bush when I say, how ridiculous she is to say that and how dare she? She was calling those thousands of people looters? They were innocent people who congregated right there for what was meant to be the auspicious day of Baisakhi, thinking something else was going to be the eventuality of the day and look what happened.”
He further elaborated on the historical action of Dyer, where the massacre only ceased due to the ammunition running out. Karan Johar questioned the compassion allegedly expressed by Dyer’s granddaughter, exclaiming, “What love can you have in your heart when your actions only spoke of hate? The fact that she is in a la la land of her own and in some delusion, I don’t know her or met her, and I don’t wish to meet her.”
Johar did not stop at just expressing anger; he demanded an apology for the insensitive remarks, highlighting the emotional turmoil caused by blatantly disrespecting one of the largest genocides in history. In a fit of frustration, he declared, “The fact that she has even said those things, makes me so angry on a humanitarian level. Khoon khaulta hai jab maine wo video dekha with the fact that she has such disdain for one of the biggest genocides in the history of our nation and the world.”
This incident has reignited discussions about historical accountability and the importance of preserving the dignity of victims and their families. The strong reactions from individuals like Karan Johar underscore the continued impact of past atrocities on today’s society, reminding us that words carry weight and should be wielded with the utmost awareness and responsibility.
