Sikhs wear Kada, or a steel wristlet as a sign of faith as mentioned in their religions’ tenets.
The debate, which is creating a social media furore, was triggered on Tuesday after Manjinder Singh Sirsa, top leader of Sikhs Gurudwara management body in Delhi and a local lawmaker, accused Sacred Games’ director Anurag Kashyap and media service provider Netflix of hurting Sikh sentiments.
The web series has a sequence where the Sikh protagonist played by actor Saif Ali Khan takes off his Kada (steel wristlet) in anger and throws it away into the sea.
Netizens seemed divided over whether this act could be seen as an insult to the Sikh community or not.
Singh has also urged the country’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar to look into the matter.
I wonder why Bollywood continues to disrespect our religious symbols! Anurag Kashyap deliberatly puts this scene in #SacredGamesS2 where Saif Ali Khan throws his Kada in sea! A KADA is not an ordinary ornament. It’s the pride of Sikhs & a blessing of Guru Sahib @NetflixIndia @ANI pic.twitter.com/c2KMbJVrwA
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 19, 2019
I urge @PrakashJavdekar Ji to take stern action agnst @NetflixIndia & #SacredGames which disrespects not only Sikh Kakaars but Hindu religion symbology also
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 20, 2019
These people are minting money hurting our religious sentiments which cant be allowed in the name of Freedom of Expression https://t.co/lvjnz1hDmx
Sirsa’s Tweets soon drew the attention of netizens, and a large segment of Twitterati backed his statements. Some netizens were furious at makers of the web series for insulting the Sikh religion as they argued that Kadas are sacred to Sikhs and they would never take them off in any situation.
Kashyap is a Leftist who loves showing Hindus and Sikhs in bad light. All his work have scripts that have scenes created just to project Hindus in a negative sense. This guy needs to be stopped from taking such liberties and running a dangerous narrative.
— RD SINGH (@RD_BANA) August 19, 2019
It’s very shameful take action against the Anurag and Safali I’m with you
— RKS FILMS (@films_rks) August 20, 2019
This scene was put purposefully to demean the Sikh religion, earlier it was Hindus, they think that we won't react, dare if they show to some Muslim or Christian religion..
— Sreekanth. S. Pillai (@Sreekanthspill1) August 19, 2019
Agree my father taught me the Kada is pious and body part, till death wear it and I recalled wore in Bangla sahib , matha tekan de baad. Have seen my father never removing untill death that too we collected his kada as part of अस्थि विसर्जन।
— Sandeep (@sandeeplugani) August 20, 2019
@NetflixIndia take note. No matter how angry Sartaj Singh is shown, a kada for a Sikh is sacrosanct. They can lose their life but would never get rid of the kada. Let's not have scenes just for creating controversy and then get eyeballs. #netflixindia
— Jaspreet Singh (@jaspreet20) August 20, 2019
However, others didn’t agree that Sikhs were insulted by the web series. A section of users believed the sequence of Saif chucking out his Kada was part of the storyline and hoped Sirsa should watch the whole web series to understand its context.
Sir pls watch the series before commenting on it. Saif actually throws Kada gifted by his father who was part of Nuclear bomb conspiracy headed by Swamiji
— Pravin (@Pravinexa) August 19, 2019
Act is not important, intention is. His intention is not to disrespect but show his level of frustration
— Ravish Bharti (@ravishbharti) August 19, 2019
That he is questioning the God. Same thing Amitabh did in 80's, but everyone understood what he actually meant.
Always go for the intention. I don't think its insult to the Sikhs. Please avoid this.
— Seeking Truth (@ArjunDares) August 20, 2019
Have you even watched this series or even this episode ? Ya kisi ne kaha aur bauji ne uthke mudda bana diya DHARAM par ?? He was in a battle of memories with his father plus he was on drugs. Try to understand his situation and connect with the Drama. For once open your mind sir!
— Abhishek Kaushik🇮🇳 (@abkaushik91adv) August 20, 2019
Worn by every Sikh, Kadas were instituted in the religion by the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. They are part of the five external objects of faith which define a Sikh.
Sacred Games had recently launched its second season on Netflix. Directed by Bollywood filmmaker Kashyap, the first season of the web series was immensely popular in the country and hailed by the critics and masses alike.
