Police action over actor Chetan Kumar’s remarks sparks row in Karnataka

Writers, thinkers protest attempts to criminalise use of the term brahmanism

Kannada actor and activist Chetan Kumar has been questioned thrice this month after an .” Some members of the Brahmin community have objected to his comments, arguing that the very use of the word was “defamatory and abusive” and had hurt their sentiments. Attempts to criminalise use of the term “brahmanism” — widely used to denote caste-based hierarchy, discrimination and notions of superiority that stem from birth by several anti-caste thinkers including Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Periyar E. V. Ramasamy — have sparked a controversy in Karnataka. While several writers and intellectuals have rallied behind the actor, his detractors have been vociferous, especially on social media. State Labour Minister A. Shivaram Hebbar, also a Brahmin, termed the use of the term “defamatory” and called for Mr Kumar’s arrest. He also alleged the actor was making these statements for “monetary gains”, prompting the latter to sue the Minister for defamation seeking damages of ₹1 and a public apology.