The Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd have spread from America to across the world. Many public figures, including Indian celebrities took to Instagram to express their outrage over his death and supported the protest.
However, many of these celebrities were criticised for their selective outrage. Abhay Deol, who has been vocal about his support for daily wage workers during the lockdown called out people for failing to understand that this violence and racism has been exported to countries across the world, including our own.
In an Instagram post, the actor called out the industry and middle class of the country from failing to see what manifests in their own backyard.
I’m saying support them by calling out the systemic problems in your own country, because they turn out to be one and the same thing. I’m saying follow their lead but not their actions. Create your own actions, your own movement, relevant to your own country. That is what the #blacklivesmatter movement is all about!
-Abhay Deol
He asked the same actors who have been posting about Black Lives Matter to stand up for the issues in their own country as well. To use this narrative to shed light on the problems that plague our migrants and minorities every single day.