Saifeena face flak for their newborn’s name: Has social media become a hub of intolerance?

This morning brought in the most revered news in the world of Bollywood, the one that we all, fans, paparazzi, and stars alike, were waiting for with bated breath. The gorgeous diva Kareena Kapoor Khan and nawab Saif Ali Khan became proud parents of a baby boy. The internet was soon flooded with good wishes for the baby and parents, and all was rosy in the tinsel town.

The proud parents immediately issued a statement, and also announced the name of the newborn, every bit as royal as the family itself; Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi.

But wait, the social media warriors, who are never at peace, were ready for another futile battle. Because as soon as the media houses revealed the name of the baby, abuses and weird comments (because we are very PATRIOTIC, apparently), started pouring in. People said that Kareena had no say in the marriage for her kid got a Muslim name (as if!), and what not. But the biggest facepalm came in the form of comments which stated that the baby had been named after a plundering and looting emperor, Timur Lang.

To give you some background check, Timur, also known as Tamerlane, was one ruthless invader who entered India during 1398 A.D., and was known throughout the History books as a cruel being who spared none in his hunger for power. Yes, the man was savage and barbaric, nonetheless a powerful ruler.

Nowhere in the historical books, or even in the wide world of internet, it has been mentioned that Timur Lang or Tamarlane has been known by the name of Taimur, which is an Arabic word that means as strong as Iron.

Now, coming back to the so-called revolution that people have triggered on social media, which has become a trend nowadays, it can be seen how dangerous half knowledge is. Just a difference of one letter, and the name changes. It will be obvious to anyone who reads and researches before punching out characters on social media. Apparently, the mentality of researching before leaping does not exist in Indian social media users, and that could be clearly seen.

Here are a few comments that we came across, and would like to share with you.

The ignorance and hatred is so palpable that it hurts you even from the screens. That too for a baby who has just been born. Thank god these two are celebrities and are too high up to be affected much by this ignorance. Plus, now we get why the two are not interested being on social media.

We are no historians, we are not even veterans, but we do know one thing. Every name has a meaning, and every baby has a future. It is not that people with angelic names have brought laurels, or that people who have been named after villainous characters had similar traits.

Let the baby breathe guys. And next time, hit the search button before hitting enter.

Kadambari Srivastava

Grammar Nazi, word weaver, dreamer, bibliophile, technophile, caffeine addict, foodie, shuttling shopaholic! Mash it in a Bollywood recipe and voila! Pushpa, you’ve got her!