I met Gurinder Chaddha who directed Bebnd it Like Beckham. When someone introduced me as a volunteer in a Hindu organisation in Birmingham, her first question to me was, “Oh, you are not from the RSS or one of those Hindu extremist groups, are you?”

I almost puked on her at her condescending attitude towards Hindus, and asked her, “O, you are a Sikh, rite?”

She nodded, and I asked, “O, you are not from one of those Khalistani terrorist groups are you?”

She went blue and just wandered out of my site without a word.

I looked at the report on the HFB website and it said the same thing.

Therefore, I think some of you guys are mistaken and misinformed when you try to make the HFB say (in your words) that they claim all Hindus want to be called Hindus and not Asian. You seem to be putting words in their mouth. Also Sunny seems to have some bee in his bonnet about religious organisations, and he questions there views as being non-representative, and then claims that his own views are more representative than theirs!! Silly and shortsighted!

I am an Indian Muslim myself, and I feel quite happy being called Indian – as I am very different in behaviour, outlook, and psyche from a Pakistani or Bangladeshi Muslim.

Iqbal

There you go. I couldnt get my self to even type these words.
I hope that was not too tedious.

Didn’t mean any of that by the way.
Obviously words like these are important in making a point on pickled.
‘Provoke and Divide’.

Look its very simple ‘what you don’t know about cant hurt you’.
So yes if none of the Hindus knew about this abuse then its not going to upset anyone. Once they did find out, the majority were not happy. Do you really expect them to be happy – oh look they are abusing my Mother and Father, I will just ignore it?

Infact even after knowing the abuse many Hindus still ignored it as we saw from the number of protestors who turned up at the MFH protest. Why? Because one of the main teachings of Hinduism is Tolerance. It may be a word known to other religions but putting into practice is the proof of how solid and firm one has in their faith.

However lets get real.

This is the new era we are living in and provocation like these are not going to be tolerated by some Hindus.
The anger by the majority is contained behind closed doors at the minute, but the sad fact is that this anger will not be contained behind doors for very long.
Organisations like Pickled who support evil being like MFH are not helping to contain but are provoking anger into the open.

We blame the British for divide and rule.
Looks to me like someone here is single handily doing the same.
Provoke and Divide.

From talking about British Hindus we move to India now.
Yet again you conveniently forget that provocation was the main root of this evil.
Just as you are provoking Hindus with your twisted version of Hinduism.

Lets also not forget that Hindus have feelings like everyone else and can feel anger and hurt.
To me Sitamata is my Mother (as she is to the millions of Hindus).
But to you she may be just an imaginary character in a book and that makes it alright for anyone to attack her?
When one shows pictures of my Mother and the Mother to millions of Hindus as naked and in sexual positions then it offends us all.
I don’t think your mind can grasp this very simple point.

I said this before and say it again ‘intelligence has made you all loose your commonsense’.

So now you think all Hindus are ignorant do you!!
No wonder then you find mocking Hinduism so easy.
You obviously have no understanding of the Hindu religion and are trying to lecture me on my religious beliefs.
If as you say you understood the Hindu religion then you would not be supporting the likes of MFH.

If I have an imaginary God who is REAL to ME (Ganesh, Sitama Saraswati, Hanuman etc) and who helps me on the path of righteousness and tolerance then what gives anyone the right to abuse my imaginary God!!
Why do you get pleasure in abusing my imaginary God? You only hurt my feelings and provoke my anger.
My imaginary God is real to ME just your mother is real to you, and anyone who attacks my Mother and Father is attacking me.

I know my God is real because centuries of witnesses have proved Him to be real!!
Obviously the Christians and Muslims don’t have an imaginary God. Its only us dumb Hindus.

It seems you have a complete disregard for the Hindu faith and their values otherwise you wouldn’t be preaching me that pathetic lecture.

How ignorant and biased you are. Shame on you.
Talk about tolerance.
Who is really intolerant here?!

And Sunny you didn’t comment on MFH making money from his scam!
Why do you support this real evil beings?
Why don’t you have the guts to say that these evil people are wrong?
Oh but that wouldn’t sell your website would it!

Well at least now I know why you make up so many antiHindu articles.

They are also not for some random chaff to exploit in the name of ‘art’ ! Liek i said its double standards, everyone expects Hindus to tolerate injustice because it is perceived that they always have and will continue to do so. I’m glad that his paintings arent on show here, and Sunny and other people who so badly want to see them can dig them out online !

Happy Diwali

Perhaps they didnt know about it. While i support MF Hussains right to Freedom of Speech, i have nothing but contempt for him given his inconsistent stand on the issue. Didint he delete a song from his movies coz’ it enraged somke Muslim fundys?

Its about the time Sunny do learnt to differentiate between Hindus and Hindutvadis. Nobody is pinning the crimes of Khalistanis on Sikhs.

“Years ago, when some political fundamentalists made an issue of it.”

I meant, years LATER, when some political fundamentalists made an issue of it.

I totally agree one hundred per cent with what you say here Sunny-its a point I’ve tried to convey many a time on barfi. However, while they are mythlogical interpretations-those symbols still represent God, the paramatma, to most Hindus. I don’t see what people are trying to prove by diminishing that point.

The argument really ought not to be about what is offensive and what is not offensive. Its the same issue with the Muhammed cartoons-we live in societies where we have the right to criticize, study or if we so choose mock ideologies, which includes religious belief. Ultimately its a free speech issue.

As with the Muhammad cartoons, the issues behind why these drawings exist are irrelevant. It comes down to whether or not you believe in free speech.

I would fully support the exhibition’s right to exist even though I am offended by some of his work. To give you an example, there’s one in a book that my dad owns where he depicts Hanuman watch Lord Rama and Sita having sexual intercourse and having a hard time staying comitted to his celibacy. To be fair, there is nothing “obscene” about it, there are no explicit scenes. But for a person to whom Rama and Sita represent God, and God within a paternal/maternalistic sense and Hanuman as the embodiment of perfect devotion, I could see it being disturbing to them.

In the same manner, we can all understand why the Satanic verses or Muhammad cartoons would be disturbing to Muslims, or why some historians’ views of Sikh Gurus offend believers. If we can understand why these things can be offensive to oridinary religious folk why is it that you become an extremely intolerant Bajrang Dal wallah if someone is offended by MF Hussain’s interpretation of Hindu deities, or symbols of the Hindu concept of divinity?

“Hindus know very well what intolerance means and that’s why you rarely have a Hindu raised voice in the media or on the street. Even when provoked by idiots calling their temples pornographic or bras and panties printed with pics of Hindus Gods or toilet seat with pics of Hindu Gods.

When one attacks and abuses your very Mother and Father, it would be cowardice on the part of any Hindu not to protest or feel hurt.

If you’re so cool about MF Hussain why don’t have a portrait of your Mother and Father painted in the nude in some erotic pose and have it hung in some gallery. Better still why don’t you post it on here.

Free speech does not give anyone the right to abuse ones Mother and Father.

MF wanted nothing more then to make a quick buck at the expense of abusing the Hindu Mother and Father.”

Did you know that when MF Hussain’s portrait of Saraswati first came out, it didn’t register a ripple? Guess when it did? Years ago, when some political fundamentalists made an issue of it. In other words, MILLIONS of Hindus didn’t give a rat’s ass. Why? Perhaps because their personal faith is firm and solid. Perhaps they don’t really give a shit what an artist does.

You should learn from your co-religionists.

And btw, let’s not get into this orientalization of Hindus that they are oh so complacent and tolerant, blah blah blah. A series of incidents have taken place that testify anything but.

Most people of all faiths are pretty tolerant- Hindu or not.

1) The painting was an abstract. It did not show any goddess having sex with an animal. Research it first.

2) My mother exists. These godesses did not exist. It is mythology my friend… they are stories that are meant to invoke love and understanding of the supreme parmatama. The all knowing and omni-present. It really annoys me when people start taking mythology literally and thinking that Ganesha actually existed on earth as a real live being. Or that Lakshmi or Saraswati were real live Gods. Gosh, what ignorance. Please learn a bit more Hindu history and philosophy man, you do injustice to your own tradition.

Idols and stories are meant to help you focus your mind and your devotion. They are meant to be a guide to a moksha. They are not for idiots to start a fight over.

Hindus know very well what intolerance means and that’s why you rarely have a Hindu raised voice in the media or on the street.

Oh really. the Gujarat riots were a figment of our imagination then.

you said this about Ramesh but we could say this about anyone — this could be said about Sunny for example.

ooops Ive already said that about Sunny^^