Be more inclusive, don't have such polarised thoughts: Shaan

Singer Shaan has called for "respect and tolerance" after being trolled over a selfie he posted on Instagram to wish everyone on Eid.

The selfie, a screen grab from one of his songs 'Karam Kar De', shows the singer in a skullcap offering namaaz.

The singer took a stand against the right wing attacks and said that he posted the picture to wish everyone Eid but the amount of negative comments the photo received forced him to address the issue.

Shaan, 50, said as someone who grew up in Bandra, Mumbai, where the population is predominantly Catholic and Muslim, he was never made to feel different by his friends.

"If we dress up in a particular way for some festival or occasion, then how does that affect your religion? I want people to change that thought. We are a progressive country, we are getting ahead, Indians today are respected across the globe. How will we progress if we don't have respect and tolerance. We are regressing to old thoughts," the musician said on Saturday.

Shaan said he had come to Mangalore for an event but when he read comments asking him why he had dressed up as a Muslim despite being a Hindu, he decided to talk to his fans in an Instagram Live. He also pointed out that the photos from his visit to the Golden Temple did not attract such comments.

"Love each other, respect each other, be with each other. Don't keep such polarised thoughts because it will only hurt. Any country that has followed a particular religion, that country has not progressed. We are a democracy, the biggest democracy, biggest population today, more than China. We should change our thinking, we should be more inclusive and we should look towards creating a beautiful world, not just a beautiful country," the singer said in a mix of Hindi and English. 

Journalist and activist Rana Ayyub praised Shaan's move and said: "An innocuous Eid wish can turn into a battleground for hate. Glad you stood your ground Shaan and Eid mubarak."

UNESCO chairperson and writer Ashok Swain shared Shaan's video and said: "Wishing Muslims on Eid gets you a lot of hate these days in India!"

Netizens have also flooded Twitter with praise and respect for Shaan.