Bengaluru: Actor-turned-politician Ramya has been widely supported by the general public and both print and TV media across the borders in Pakistan for her statement praising the country.
A report in Pakistani media house The Dawn, with a headline ‘Sedition case against Indian actress for praising Pakistan‘ has garnered hundreds of positive comments from the readers. One of the readers commented, “Ramya, neither is India Hell as well. Politicians spread hatred just for job security”, another commented: “Pakistanis should not start defending and praising her at this time. We will do more harm than good to her goodwill gestures.”
While another media portal, The Daily Pakistan published a report with a headline “Indian actress says won’t apologize for pro-Pakistan comment“, and The Daily Times carried a story as “Dear you: Pakistan is not hell. Respectfully yours, Ramya”.
TV channel Geo News too telecast a story on the Ramya issue with the comments saying, “How an Indian actress and politician Divya Spandana, more popularly known through her stage name Ramya, refused to apologize for her pro-Pakistan remarks after a sedition case had been filed against her. “Indian actor-politician facing sedition charges for pro-Pakistan comments.”
Most of the readers praised the actress and reacted in a positive manner saying that they love both the countries.
One reader said, “I’m a British Pakistani and had visited India couple of years ago and found that when I took a plane from Lahore to India, I had taken off and landed at the same place.The country is beautiful and people are just as beautiful and like us and no border can divide us just these so called politicians play with human feelings-Love you India, Love you Pakistan”.
While another reader said, “Indo-Pak should not drag ordinary people into conflict.”
The outrage against Ramya’s statement on Pakistan has hit the media in Spain too with local newspapers publishing stories saying how an Indian actress has been denounced for saying “Pakistan is not hell.”
Ramya, after attending a SAARC Young Parliamentarians Conference in Pakistan, made comments in support of Pakistan. That led to a huge controversy. People in Karnataka, miffed with her comments staged protests.
She had spoken about her experience during her visit to Pakistan to attend SAARC conference. “It is true that until I landed in Islamabad, I was also apprehensive about the state of affairs in Pakistan after having listened to, and read about what was happening across that country. But from the very moment I landed in Pakistan, I felt that my preconceived notions were completely wrong. Their cities are just like any of our cities in India, so are the people. In fact, I landed without my bags and did not even have a spare set of clothes. I went to shop at a local market without any security, accompanied by fellow women parliamentarians from that country,” she said.
She further said, “The moment traders got to know that I have come from the other side of the border, they had many questions for me on the hardships of getting a travel visa, and travelling across the border. They were mostly kind and treated me with sweets and juice. Not one, not two, but most shopkeepers were kind. Be it on this side of the border, or that, commoners have been making genuine efforts to maintain peace between our neighbouring nations.”
