Why did you need BJP to ban triple talaq?: Javed Akhtar to 'secular' Muslim leaders
Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar has delivered a scathing critique of "secular intellectuals" speaking for minority issues and Muslim community leaders, questioning why it required the BJP-led government to abolish instant triple talaq rather than the reform being initiated from within the Muslim community.
Speaking in an interview with Indian Express Hindi, Akhtar highlighted the historical inaction surrounding legal reforms.
He said, "Muslim Personal Law came into being in 1937. We got independence in 1947. So why didn't you change anything? Why did you need the BJP to ban triple talaq? It is a shame. What kind of secularism is this?"Notably, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) unconstitutional and "manifestly arbitrary" by a 3:2 majority in the landmark Shayara Bano v. Union of India judgment on August 22, 2017. Following the verdict, the NDA government pursued the legislative route, passing The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act in July 2019 to criminalise the practice.
Addressing critics who accuse him of pleasing the majoritarian narrative despite his atheist stance, the veteran writer stressed that internal reform must precede external criticism.
"It is sad that there is a very small section of Muslims which opposes the social problems and shortcomings within the community. First repair your own home, then we get the right to criticise others," he said, adding, "I am an atheist. But the fact is that I was born into a Muslim family. So, my foremost right and responsibility is to rectify the problems in my community first before pointing fingers at any other."
Contrasting wider political activism with internal reform, Akhtar said that while many Hindus in India actively fight against fascism and communalism, very few Muslims raise their voices against dogmatism within their own ranks. Stressing that one "cannot just always play the victim," the lyricist mentioned that his foremost duty is to highlight the flaws in his own community, adding that he will speak up about others whenever necessary, as he has done in the past.
Urging progressive voices to break their silence, he added, "Those born into free-thinking, secular, and forward-looking Muslim families must speak up. There are many such people who simply do not dare to raise their voices."
To illustrate how progress requires confronting deep-seated resistance, Akhtar highlighted the long battle over Hindu personal law reforms. He pointed out that when the Hindu Code Bill was introduced in 1956, conservative groups "created havoc" and strongly opposed giving daughters a share in ancestral property, claiming it would cause friction between siblings.
Mocking the irony of groups that now advocate for "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao," the writer said that despite decades of resistance, daughters were eventually made coparceners in 2005, securing equal claims over inherited property.
Akhtar has often been vocal on political and social issues, both in India and abroad. In August 2026, Akhtar had criticised Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari over his remarks on the Hindu minority in Pakistan.
Throughout his career, the veteran lyricist has frequently engaged with themes of secularism, social harmony, and human resilience through his work. He also wrote the lyrics for Rajkumar Santoshi's Partition drama Batwara 1947 (2026) — collaborating with composer AR Rahman to capture the tragic human cost and emotional turmoil of Partition through tracks like Tabassum and Kahaan Chale Gaye Ho Ram.- EndsRead more | 'Proud' husband Javed Akhtar reacts to Shabana joining CJP protest amid health scare
