That truly was hilarious. Didn't quite realize Bengalis had that humourous streak in them.
On 9/12/05, Dilip/Dil Deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I couldn't resist the temptation to post the following website. Like Mr. > Gangopadhyay says Bengalees do not mind making fun of the gods/goddesses > they adore. > www.anandautsav.com/abp2004/images/kids_games/movie/animation.html > > Dilip Deka > > > > Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This case brings us back into the question of freedom of expression. > Has the poet > (Sunil Gangopadhyay), overused his liberties? > > It will be interesting to hear what netters have to say regarding this > case, and in the the larger context if India's democracy is headed in > the right direction? > > __________________________________________________________________ > Trial of poet for 'defiling idol' > By Subir Bhaumik > BBC News, Calcutta > > An Indian court has ordered a leading Bengali poet to stand trial on > charges of defiling a Hindu goddess. > The court in India's West Bengal state was ruling on a lawsuit filed > against Sunil Gangopadhyay by an ex-policeman. > > In an article in Bengal's biggest newspaper this year, Mr Gangopadhyay > was quoted as saying he was "sexually aroused" by an idol of > Saraswati. > > Retired policeman Bhibhuti Bhusan Nandy filed a lawsuit saying the > comments had hurt his religious sentiments. > > Additional chief judicial magistrate in Calcutta's Alipore court, > Manjit Singh, ordered Mr Gangopadhyay to appear in court on 3 > December. > > The court also ordered legal proceedings against three others - Aveek > Kumar Sarkar, editor of the Anandabazar Patrika newspaper, its > publisher Bijit Kumar Basu, and chief executive Subir Mitra. > > 'Zealots' > > Mr Gangopadhyay, 71, was quoted in Anandabazar as saying he had kissed > an idol of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, to satisfy his > desire. > > > Mr Nandy, who has retired as the chief of the paramilitary > Indo-Tibetan Border Police, filed a formal complaint with the police > against the author. > > "I am delighted the court has started appropriate legal proceedings," > Mr Nandy said. > > Mr Gangopadhyay told the BBC on Monday that he was not taking the case > seriously. > > "Some religious zealots are playing this up - mine was a light-hearted > remark on Goddess Saraswati. Her idol did not evoke devotion in me > when I was young. I found her very attractive and that is what I > said," said Mr Gangopadhyay. > > "In Bengal, Hindus are known to crack jokes at the expense of their > gods and goddesses and that's what I did," he said. > > "I have done no wrong but the zealots are trying to attack me because > I am so critical of them. I am not afraid of them - as a writer I have > the freedom to say such things and I and my publisher will fight it > out in court." > > Controversy Mr Gangopadhyay is West Bengal's best known living poet > and novelist with more than 250 books to his name. > > But he is no stranger to controversy. > > Two years ago, there were protests outside a newspaper office in > Calcutta after he wrote about the sex life of Indian spiritual leader, > Ramakrishna Paramhansa. > > He also described Kali, the Hindu goddess of power, as a "tribal > whore", triggering protests by Santhal tribes people and Hindus. > > Last year, the Bangladesh government banned an issue of an Indian > magazine which carried a story by Mr Gangopadhyay in which he wrote > about the sex life of the Prophet Mohammad. > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
