‘My politics is humanity’: Tovino Thomas backs peaceful protesters, decries repressive tactics

Dubai: Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas on Tuesday expressed solidarity with peaceful student protesters, criticising the use of force against them and asserting that the right to dissent is fundamental to democracy.

In a statement shared on social media, Tovino questioned the handling of peaceful demonstrations, saying the response was not the right way to deal with citizens exercising their democratic rights.

"Right and wrong may be relative, but this is certainly NOT the way to handle a peaceful protest," he wrote.

The actor said that when young people speak up, their voices should not be met with repression.

"When the future generation of a nation speaks up, and their voices are met with repressive force, it is the future itself that is being stamped down. It is faith in democracy that is being drained away," he said.

Questioning the treatment of the students, Tovino added: "What did these students do wrong? Did they destroy property? Did they resort to violence? What exactly did they do to deserve this treatment?"

Expressing solidarity with peaceful protesters across the country, he wrote: "To every person protesting for a just cause, peacefully, in any part of our country, I extend my wholehearted solidarity. The right to dissent is not a threat to democracy; in fact it is one of its foundations."

The actor also addressed those who might question his patriotism, saying: "And to anyone about to question my sense of nationalism, I know myself better than you do. This goes beyond politics, religion, and every other form of division. My politics is humanity. My belief is peace. Jai Hind 🇮🇳."

Tovino's statement comes amid ongoing nationwide discussions over student protests, with a number of public figures from the Indian film industry weighing in on the issue.