An Open Letter to RJ Naved @ Radio Mirchi

Dear Naved,

I’m not writing this letter to tell you that your last prank call was severely unempathetic and insensitive. I’m sure you already know that by now. I doubt if you understand where you went wrong, though. Let me help.

I’ve been following your recent Mirchi Murga prank call, which I feel was in extremely poor taste and judgment, and its aftermath. An old Facebook post from 2012 also resurfaced, in which you suggest donating the money for the welfare of a poor child instead of spending it on a pet. Consequently, there were umpteen stories of how critical reviews and comments were removed, users were banned and reported, and now even the Reviews Tab seems to be missing from your official Facebook page.

As an RJ Naved fan, this is disheartening and disappointing for me. I hope it is for you too, at some level. You, dear brother, have been an advocate of good karma and humanity for as long as I remember. And yet for me, humanity means to be fair, respectful and empathetic towards every living being; human and non-human alike.

People treat pets as their family, if not more. They invest a lot more than a few thousand rupees a month in them; they invest love and emotions for life. And this is not a new development; the friendship between man and his best friend goes centuries before you, I or any of our social definitions. It’s a known fact [Source 1, 2, 3] that kids who grow up around pets develop into more emotionally responsible and empathetic adults. And losing a pet is often as tough as losing a family member or friend, probably more.

The only reason I could fathom why you cannot relate with this feeling is that you’ve never been around a pet. Anatole France observed that until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. That explains why you could not sensitize with the family who had just lost their pet.

To resolve this, I have a plan. I invite you to adopt a pet of your choice (dog, cat, guinea pig, or another animal that you prefer) and take care of him for life. I will cover the costs of upbringing the pet, and you can donate an equivalent amount for the welfare of a poor child, or any other charity you feel connected with. I bet that by next year around this time, we will have a more empathetic and compassionate RJ Naved. That will be a win-win, wouldn’t it?

You inspire many from your platform, Naved. Many people look up to you for being ‘a better citizen’ of this country. I strongly feel your platform must be used to propagate peace, harmony and co-existence among all species; not abuse, hatred, and fear towards voiceless animals. It’s not just our planet, and it’s time we understood it well.

Best regards,

A saddened human and a fan who hasn’t lost hope yet.

How do you feel about RJ Naved’s recent prank call? Tell us in the comments below.