On Monday, actor Dia Mirza broke down into tears during a panel discussion on climate change, held at the Jaipur Literature Festival.  

NDTV

With a lump in her throat, Dia emphasised the need for us to feel what we’re doing to the environment. She further added: 

Don’t hold back from being an empath. Don’t be afraid of shedding your tears. Feel it, feel the full extent of everything. It’s good. It gives us strength. This is not a performance. 
Zee News

Not only that, when one of the organisers offered her tissues, she gracefully thanked them and said, ” Thank you, I don’t need paper.” 

Netzines, however, were convinced that Dia Mirza’s emotional outburst was an ‘act’. 

Honestly, the reactions are a bit harsh and assumes crying to be ‘unnatural’ and expects people to be stone-cold about things they feel passionately about.

Just to put it out there, this is not the first time Dia Mirza has voiced her concerns about climate change. She has been an active advocate for this cause for a very long time.

Not only that, Dia Mirza is also the UN Goodwill Ambassador who was invited as a speaker to the 2019 Climate Summit. As an environmentalist, she has been consistent with her efforts to spread awareness about the ongoing climate emergency.  

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#Repost @unitednations with @get_repost ・・・ “We need to stop looking at this enormously challenging reality that we have created for ourselves, as a species, and running away from it, in the name of convenience or in the name of lethargy,” urges @UNEnvironment Goodwill Ambassador and SDG Advocate @diamirzaofficial. “Yes, it is going to call for a huge and significant shift in the way we consume and the way we think, and the way we live. But it has to be done, and we can do it.” Dia was among the visitors in our #UNGA VIP Social Media Studio during Monday’s #ClimateAction Summit. Stay tuned for more portraits and live interviews this week. 📷: Christophe Wu #GlobalGoals

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I am proud to represent my country and planet towards ensuring no one is left behind. 🇮🇳🌏 #Repost @unsdgadvocates with @get_repost ・・・ Yesterday, Secretary-General @antonioguterres met with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocates Ahead of the General Assembly. The group agreed that while the SDGs are being adopted by governments, business and civil society, we are still dramatically behind where we need to be to achieve the Goals by 2030. The world needs to make a significant leap to succeed on the SDGs to reduce the suffering of people everywhere, including through the fight against climate change. The Secretary-General asked the Advocates to put urgency, scale, speed, emotion, and the dignity of people behind their efforts to drive action on the SDGs and to identify opportunities to achieve tipping points to change the trajectory on each of the Goals. The SDG Advocates committed to driving action on the SDGs, and to playing a key role in the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs. #GlobalGoals #DecadeOfAction #ClimateAction #ActOnClimateNow

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It’s high time that trolls realise that there’s nothing wrong with feeling so strongly about something that it makes you cry. Expressing your emotions is not a sign of weakness. 

I hope we all can rise above the trolling and actually focus on the real issues Dia Mirza has addressed related to climate change. It’s time to see the bigger picture before it’s too late.