Lata Mangeshkar, beloved Indian icon, has died at the age of ninety-two. She brought us such classics as Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha and Barsaat Mein Humse Mile Tum Sajan. She has shaped many of our nation's fondest memories. But as Splainer points out, the singer is not unproblematic. "While she’s had a close relationship with all Indian leaders, the singer has long been viewed as soft on the BJP and the RSS. Back in 2013, a Congress leader demanded she be stripped of her Bharat Ratna for openly supporting then candidate Modi. At an event in Pune, Mangeshkar declared: “Narendrabhai is like my brother. All of us want to see him become the Prime Minister. On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, I hope our wishes [will] come true.”

Mangeshkar has also tweeted to wish RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on his birthday—and in support of Hindutva ideologue Veer Sarvarkar:

“Today is the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar ji. I bow to his personality, and his patriotism. Nowadays, a few people have been criticising Savarkar ji. However, those people do not know the stature of Savarkar's patriotism and self-respect.”"

This same debate gets brought up everytime someone dies, and in some cases long after they die! Is it disrespectful to acknowledge someone's full legacy? After all, they are human, and complex, and as such imperfect. In a long life, if Lata Mangeshkar did something that offended, or that hurt people, I think it's fair game to be brought up. Nobody is an angel, and I don't think it's sensible to pretend so upon their death. It only hurts us in the long run.

https://splainer.in/posts/2022/The-Voice