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South Asian American Comedians Stand Up for Jailed Indian Comedian Munawar Faruqui
Indian comedian Munawar Faruqui was arrested for jokes he didn’t even tell.
On January 1, Indian comedian Munawar Faruqui was arrested for jokes he didn’t even tell. One month later, he is still in jail.
According to BBC India correspondent Soutik Biswas, “On the evening of 1 January, he was kicking off a 14-city tour with a ticketed show in a café in the central Indian city of Indore. A leader of a local Hindu fringe group had arrived and stopped the show, complaining that the comic was ‘insulting’ Hindu religious sentiments.”
Updated Feb 02, 2021 · 06:17 pm A file photo of comedian Munawar Faruqui. | Screenshot via Munawar Faruqui on YouTube
A joint initiative of the global Indian diaspora on Tuesday said that a group of South Asian American stand-up comedians will perform a virtual comedy show on February 6 to show their solidarity with jailed Indian comedian Munawar Faruqui.
Faruqui was arrested for allegedly insulting Hindu deities during a show, despite the police admitting they have no evidence. The comedian remains in jail since January 1, having been denied bail thrice by the courts.
The virtual comedy show, titled “The Right to Laugh”, is being organised by Reclaiming India on Saturday at 10.30 pm. The performers will include Myesha Chowdury, Sai D, Abby Govindan, Pallavi Gunalan, Apoorva Gundeti, Masood Haque, Rishi Mahesh, Yamini Nambimadom, and Amar Risbud, according to a statement.