Rumours, historians say, spurred on the revolt of 1857. Rumours, it would appear, have driven sections of the Nepalese people to violence and demonstrations against the Indian matinee idol, Hrithik Roshan. The evidence shows that Roshan has not made any statements which can remotely be considered to be derogatory of the Nepalese. Yet in Kathmandu his films are being boycotted for days on end and his effigy is being burnt on the streets. The protesters have even called a general strike. This reaction is inexplicable and inexcusable because it is clear that Roshan did not make any of the statements which he is supposed to have made. He appeared in one interview which was shown on television on December 6. The tapes of this revealed nothing that was objectionable. He has given another interview which is yet to be telecast. Thus, it is difficult to understand the basis of the agitation which has now brought Kathmandu to a standstill. In one sense, Roshan may be paying a price for his popularity. He may be having unknown enemies who are fomenting trouble through lies and misinformation. The flip side of popularity in the entertainment business is envy. There are reasons to believe that there are operators in the Mumbai film world who will stop at nothing to procure their ends. Roshan may be at the receiving end of one such heinous plot. If one sets aside foul play, the extreme nature of the response and the scale of violence have to be seen from a different perspective. This is the touchiness of the Nepalese regarding India and Indians. Nepal is a completely landlocked country which has India's presence - political, economic and cultural - looming over it. This is more than the shadow of a big brother. Nepal, in many ways - and these are all related to its geo-political location - cannot do without India but it cannot be completely comfortable with this situation. It is easy to understand why the Nepalese feel that their identity is under perpetual threat from India and Indians. Hence, the sharpness and the quickness of their reactions to what they perceive as a criticism or a slight. The agitation against Roshan is a spin off from this complicated and tortuous process of Nepalese identity formation. Students and young men have reacted swiftly to a rumour that Nepal was insulted by Roshan. Their minds or their mentality was ready to believe such a rumour because it fits with their expectations. They did not bother to check the veracity of the allegations. The agitation against Roshan is an index of the suspicion that lurks in Nepalese minds about India. The violence against Roshan is the symptom and not the disease. There is a recognition of this dimension in the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. In an unusual gesture, it has issued a statement to pacify protesters and to clarify that Roshan is innocent of the charges that are being levelled against him. But attitudes cannot be changed through official briefings. Attitudes have behind them years of history and demonstrations of cultural, economic and political superiority. This is beyond the ken of any diplomacy. All this is not to condone the violence and jingoism on display in Kathmandu. But to underline that despite the fan following of the singer, the song is more important. Roshan is innocent but that should not reduce the significance of the anti-Indian feelings of which he is now the victim.