In-Depth: 'Taliban & RSS same!' Is there a need to school poet Javed Akhtar?

On 15th August 2021, the Taliban took over Kabul.

20 days later, over 1,700 kilometres away, Mumbai police beefed up security outside Javed Akhtar’s Juhu residence.

Hard to believe, the two events are inter-related.


Lyricist, activist, poet- Javed Akhtar has been vocal in his criticism of right-wing ideology in India.

In an interview to NDTV condemning Indians who are supporting the rise of Taliban, Akhtar made a comparison that has not gone well with a section of citizens.

The poet said that right-wing across the world want same things and there is an uncanny resemblance between the Taliban and those who support organisations such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.

Akhtar said, “Just like the Taliban want an theological State, there are those who want a Hindu rashtra” and there is a similarity in the goals which these groups want to attain - sideline the minorities and impose a repressive ideology across all people.

Before the RSS and VHP could reply to the harsh criticism, the Bhartiya Janta Party expressed its ire.

Another strong proponent of Hindutva ideology, Shiv Sena, also cleared its stand.

In the party mouthpiece Saamna, Sena acknowledged Akhtar’s activism against fundamentalism and praised him for standing up against unsecular sentiments in the past. But the mouthpiece helmed by Sanjay Raut promptly added that they don’t agree with his comment on RSS and he’s completely wrong in comparing Hindutva with Taliban mindset.

Defending Hindutva, Sena emphasised that they don’t accept madness in the name of Hindutva and India is a strong secular country.

Ever since Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover, the narrative around intolerance with comparisons to India has been rife in the country.

It is not just the opponents of BJP who are drawing parallels with the militant outfit’s ideology and takeover. BJP leaders are also using Afghanistan’s predicament to hit at opposition voices for their criticism of the ruling government.

There has been no dearth of public debate around minorities or the discussion on the secular framework or the apprehension of the rise of right-wing in majority and minority communities in our country. One wonders, why then, do these pivotal public discourses need a Taliban takeover analogy to wrinkle out the contentious issues confronting the republic.