An earlier land matter of mine within the same region of Barabanki a couple of years ago, was finally settled in my favor by the honorable Supreme Court of India. The issue is not that legal recourse had to be undertaken to get justice, the issue is that till justice prevailed the media had already crucified and hung me. The language used, the headlines declared and the dramatics performed by the anchors of the electronic, made such a conclusive and damning impression, that whether clearance finally comes through to me or not, all that remains in the eyes and minds of the reader, viewer, public is the negative and humiliatingly damaging impression created against the victim.

It had happened again in the Bofors matter. For 5-6 years there was nothing but hatred and malice laden accusations of every hue and color. We fought these false and unsubstantiated allegations single handedly in almost four different countries, in an equal number of courts, resulting in finally being exonerated by the Royal London Courts of Law. We had challenged all those that were making accusations. We invited them to come to court, to prove to justice and law their claims. No one came. Dagens Nyheter, the Swedish paper, that had made the first allegations came, but did not enter the court and asked to settle outside and apologized. VP Singh, may God rest his soul, had shouted from roof tops before and after he became the Prime Minister that he would send me to jail for life. I drew an open letter to him when he became PM - prove me guilty or resign. Not a word came out from him, and neither did he resign.

Today the Bofors matter has finally been resolved and the whole world knows who the real culprit is and even he has not been brought to book. So what does one say of these 5 years of wrongful harassment and the irreparable damage that it caused. I was made a traitor of the country. People abused me on the streets. Film makers shied away and threw me out of ‘work under progress’ films, asking for their money back and getting it. Certain sections of the Industry desperately tried to stop me from attending my shootings, to label me a pariah. For what reason ? On an allegation that was not true and false.

Who will bear the loss of face and character that I was subjected to. Who will bear the consequences of my damaged reputation. Today those very souls that abused and rejected me wish that I work for them. They send proposals and wish for bygones to be bygones. Ha ! Its bygones for you Mr, its a lifetime for me. A lifetime of bearing illegal, illegitimate and completely false tirades against me.

I will be civil with all. I will not hold it up against anyone. I will not destroy my insides to retaliate. But I shall not forget. And I shall not wish for any member of my family to ever forget.

Year upon year month after month, some accusation or the other is directed towards me or my family. Ridicule and callous statements follow and what remains in the minds of the people is these negative untruthful impressions. Every now and then unmoderated abuse shall be flung across to me via social networks. Have they any idea of the facts ? Are they aware of the realities ? No. An emphatic no !

And yet the media keeps on watering the naive and vulnerable minds of our people with incessant negative feed back. Presumed criminality on front page. Legal clarification and  exoneration , some where in the dark corners of the paper hardly noticeable !

Today I feel exonerated in the immediate matter of the land. The justice system has prevailed. The courts have dismissed the petition filed. The language on the petition against me used the terms ‘fraud’, ‘cheat’ and ‘threat’. It claimed that I had threatened the petitioner, Kumari, the Pradhan of the village. Kumari does not know how to read and write it has been discovered. And I have never met the lady, ever. So where do all these cooked up charges lead to. Who designs them ? With what motive ? At who’s behest ? Who funds such operations ? Legal matters are  cost incurring. And what is the final outcome ! Time, energy, Government workings, costs, media interviews to justify wrong claims, expenses … all gone to nought ! And to what avail !!

It is avery poor reflection on the state of affairs. Catch a vulnerable face and load him or her with the worst sounding allegations. The law in the country takes an awful long time to justify even a hearing. So before the matter is legally resolved hang this scoundrel, this affluent ill gotten wealth laden vermin, this reason for all the ailments of society … butcher his reputation, his name, his prestige and his dignity. Rub his make up ridden face into the slush and mud. Blacken it with the worst indelible ink and let him rot and boil in his own stew !!

What is my fault then ? That it was a crime to have devoted 41 years of my hard work in building my creativity in the field of arts. That it was a crime to have had millions of well wishers, which incidentally came of their own accord. That it was uncalled for to have been ambassadors of our country and culture in every world forum that we addressed !! That whichever country you go to you are given the respect and admiration of that government, yet in your own country all you get is abuse and false legal cooked up cases !!

Today I volunteer to work in promoting tourism in a state that belongs to this great country, absolutely free of charge, and you attack me for getting personal with its head. Get your hands and feet together, you saviors of the house and try raising your voice against Mr Ratan Tata, as he initiates another enterprise, or the Amabni’s who further strengthen their invested wealth in the state. Would you label every individual that meets the head of State as an undesirable element. I am not even doing any business in the region. I am merely asking others to come to this beautiful state to enjoy its history, its culture, its song its music, its people, and in doing so bring glory and benefit not just to the state but the nation at large. You pile allegations against the head for atrocities and desist association with him, yet shake hands with those that have initiated the killing of hundreds of innocents.

What kind of a world are we living in !!

I want to say more … but am too livid to go any further

Amitabh Bachchan