'It's not Kavi Pradeep': Kin slam offensive video of the national poet

Nearly 25 years after his passing, a video purportedly depicting India's National Poet Ramchandra N. Dwivedi -- renowned as Kavi Pradeep -- making certain distasteful remarks on India's Freedom, has left his descendants speechless.

The undated video's introduction says: "Dadasaheb Phalke Award laureate Kavi Pradeep-ji - Piercing Questions - What did we gain on Aug. 15?"

"It starts with the interviewer asking a query to a senior citizen, seemingly my late father... The unidentified interviewee makes leading, venomous statements, and even issues a call to not celebrate Independence Day (August 15), but observe it as a 'Mourning Day'...", Mitul Pradeep, the daughter of the legendary poet, told IANS.

She rued how such a shocking video has gone viral on all social media networks when the country is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of our hard-earned Independence.

"Its hurting me so much... We categorically declare - that the person in the video is not 'Kavi Pradeep'. My entire family in Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh is outraged how such things are allowed to be perpetrated on the public domain without any checks from the concerned authorities," Mitul said.

Kavi Pradeep (1915-1998) is renowned for his penning the timeless ode to the Indian soldier -- "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon" -- besides scores of other patriotic or nationalistic poems/songs in his five-decade long poetic career.

In the video, the unknown person questions the 'gains' of Freedom, alleging that it benefited the Muslims who got two nations (Pakistan and East Pakistan, later Bangladesh), cutting out one-third of India.

He argued that the British wanted to grant Independence only in June 1948, but it was allegedly 'advanced' by 10 months to favour "one man" (Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru) and keep out the likes of Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and even Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel -- asking if "there was a big conspiracy".

The interviewee said that during the tragedies of Partition when rivers of blood were flowing, Nehru was 'cavorting' with joy, accepting felicitations from all over at the division of the country, and hence I-Day deserved to be a day of 'Tragedy'.

"I am writing to the Mumbai Police, Home Departments in Maharashtra and Centre to get to the bottom of this... Find out who are the mischief-mongers who have made this video, who's the person resembling my illustrious father making such outrageous comments, either on his own or prodded by some vested interests," said a grim Mitul.

She said it was saddening and disturbing that in these days of unbridled social media, such appalling stuff is being peddled in the name of a national icon and celebrity poet like Kavi Pradeeep.

"My father's views on nationalism and secularism are too well-known to be repeated... But why can't the giants like YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter not initiate suo moto steps to curb such 'toxic slander' and withdraw that video right away," Mitul demanded.

She said that her family plans "appropriate legal action" against others found posting it without due verification on various social media to serve as a deterrent and end such insults to India in the year of its 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.