Nalin Yadav, who was one of the co-accused in the Munawar Faruqui case and was recently released on interim bail, has quit his stand-up comedy gig and taken to working as a daily labourer at an industry.
Yadav was arrested along with Faruqui and 3 others after a complaint was filed against them by Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh Gaud. Yadav, along with others, has been accused of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus and of insulting Hindu deities at a stand-up comedy show in Indore on January 1
After remaining in jail for over 57 days, Yadav managed to secure bail and was out on February 26. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, he said that the arrest has radically upended his life. From being a stand-up artist in Indore, Yadav now works as a day labourer, earning Rs 200 a day in an industrial area in Pithampur of Dhar district.
“In my childhood, friends and neighbours used to say that I have a very good sense of humour and I have the talent to make people laugh. I took these words very seriously and decided to become a comedian. I didn’t feel bad when I used to receive appreciation of one or two people on my jokes but now after doing hard work, today I am left with nothing but to do petty jobs to make ends meet,” he lamented in an interview to HT.
Yadav had hoped to get back to the stand-up comedy gig upon his release. However, his expectations we shattered when, to his shock and despair, people in his neighbourhood snapped all ties with him and his brother. Yadav bewailed that since his release, nobody had called him to check after his condition. Neighbours saw him as if he is a dreaded criminal or some vulgar person, he said. The stand-up comedian also claimed that his few friends who helped his brother in collecting bail amount don’t want to support him anymore.
Yadav also said that owners of the cafes where he used to perform his gig have started avoiding him. “After I came out of jail, I contacted some cafe owners where I used to perform as a comedian and earn money but nobody is even ready to talk to me. They requested me not to call them because they don’t want anyone to know that they are associated with me in any manner. Now, I am in total despair. Three days a week, I spend convincing people that I did no wrong, and for the remaining four days, I work as a labourer at an industry. My younger brother is also doing a private job to restart life,” Yadav said.
Munawar Faruqui and 4 others arrested for passing indecent remarks on Hindu deities
Munawar Faruqui, the controversial ‘stand-up comedian’, was arrested on 2 January 2021 by the Indore police along with four others for passing indecent remarks about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a show in the city, has been sent to judicial custody.
Eklavya Singh Gaur, an activist and the chief of Hindu Rakshak Sangathan, filed the complaint about the show after they had gone to watch the show. When they heard the “indecent” comments, they forced the organisers to stop the program.
The Hindu activist Gaur also submitted video footage of the show. Gaur had said he and his friends went to watch the show where Faruqui was performing as the main comedian.
“The show mocked Hindu deities by passing indecent comments. The Godhra incident and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were also mentioned inappropriately. We shot a video and stopped the show by taking the audience out of the cafe. Then we caught the comedians and organizers of the show and took them to Tukoganj police station,” the Hindu activist said.
