C'da, My humble views:
I think it speaks volumes of Indian democracy, where differences/insults to religious sentiments are taken to court to be settled there, as opposed to a fawa being declared on the poet. Gangopadhyay has his rights of expression intact and so does the policeman who filed the lawsuit. > While you are at it, what do you also think of them grievously HURT > Mahapuruxia > feelings produced by the treading of sacred grounds by a goru-kohwa > "goria"(:-)--no disrespect meant here to my Muslim friends from this > 'goru-khowa goxain') of a Muslim Congress Minister who entered a > Barpeta Namghar recently? There was a huge outcry when the Last temptations of Christ was filmed, and then again during when the other film Mel Gibson's Christ's last days (forget the name now) was released. Of course there was no fatwa like the Satanic Verses. I think outcries are OK, as long as there are no fatwas or violence. As far as Hindu Gods being mythical, I think you missed the point completely. It is NOT a matter whether others believe in YOUR Gods, and what they think. Its a question of faith and sentiments. In that sense, Gangopadhyay did not do any justice to his fellow, God-fearing Bengalis. As far as Gods (and demons) are concerned, I can come up enough arguments that all the Gods were either 'human' just like you and me, or they were mythical. >From a philosophical view point, it probably makes more sense for humans to pray to the mythical than to pray to another human. C'da, even your fierce opposition to RL is based more on sentiments (for the good of Assam) than on pure logic and reasoning. :) And, I agree with you, SENTIMENTS do carry a lot of value, with or without logic. On 9/12/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > What do you think Ram? > > And what do you think about the VHP cutting -up/ smearing/burning MF > Hussain paintings in a museum with images of Hindu goddesses? > > While you are at it, what do you also think of them grievously HURT > Mahapuruxia > feelings produced by the treading of sacred grounds by a goru-kohwa > "goria"(:-)--no disrespect meant here to my Muslim friends from this > 'goru-khowa goxain') of a Muslim Congress Minister who entered a > Barpeta Namghar recently? If I remember correctly, there was a huge > outcry of the faithful ( heh-heh!--Xonkordeu Goxain must have taken > turn or two in his heavenly abode on this) for an apology. But I > tell you, these bidness-challenged Kharkhowas are an useless lot . > They have no clue. I would have settled for nothing less than a huge > monetary settlement. > > c-da :-). > > > > > > > > > > > At 9:53 AM -0500 9/12/05, Ram Sarangapani 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
