I also liked this cartoon sent by someone a few months back on Assamnet -- but there is a difference between amusement and a villifying comment which this poet has made. But it will be tolerated very well in Communist (atheist) ruled West Bengal where he is based.
I am not sure he would have been granted the same freedom had he been in USA and spoken about Christian images - in that light. George Bush and Christian Coalition atleast would not have been so tolerant.
Umesh
Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
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
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
