We are not as liberal as the US where girls sport flag bikinis and swimsuits but we are definitely not a regressive society where individual’s liberty would be checked by extremism
Image for representational purpose/ Body Canvas by Vikas Malani
The cow dung is still under fire while we have got a new substance to worry about. The latest object that has irked religious sentiment is tattoo. An Australian couple has reportedly been harassed in Bengaluru for sporting Hindu goddess Yellamma’s tattoo on shin. As reported in The Hindu, the couple was taken to the nearest police station, where they were sermonised on Hindu values for three hours before they succumbed to an apology letter. Wow! Our own people fell short of victimhood that we have begun to torture atithis (guests) in this incredible India.
By the way, is there any law in India that prohibits tattoos on your body? Is there any way to measure that a tattoo on leg hurts one’s religious sentiments while it is not a unique way to celebrate one’s freedom, or say, religious beliefs? We are okay to sport Shivas and Hanumans on chests and shoulders, but we are not okay if they appear on legs. As I was discussing the matter with tattoo artist Vikas Malani, he told me that a guy approached him for inking ‘Bharat’ on his legs. Malani warned him for not doing so because that could hurt ‘bhartiyas’ sentiments. But the guy had his own argument. He told the artist that he travelled most part of India on his feet so he wanted to immortalise Bharat on that part of body. Now for you, it could be objectionable, but for the other guy, it was his way of celebrating his Indian journey.
The young man from Melbourne could be excused for being ignorant, though reportedly he said he knew what he had got on his body and he had full respect for Hindu gods, but what about the Indians who have followed similar fashion? Now, is this stupid act of humiliating a couple in public suggest that we now owe an explanation to a few maniacs for what we do on our bodies? Yes, we are not as liberal as the US where girls sport flag bikinis and swimsuits but we were definitely not known to be this regressive where individual’s liberty would be checked by extremism.
I am sure we have got some incredible people in this incredible India who respect our young India’s freedom and would slam these fanatics, who have become the self-proclaimed thekedars of the society.
WHAT’S THE MATTER: An Australian couple has reportedly been harassed in Indian city Bengaluru for sporting Hindu goddess Yellamma’s tattoo on shin. The young guy from Melbourne, Matthew Gordon (21), as reported by The Hindu, was gheraoed by a group of people who spotted the tattoo as the couple walked out of a restaurant. The newspaper has also published a short video where a foreign national, allegedly Gordon’s girlfriend, Emily Kassianou (20), is heard in an argument.
The group called the police which took the couple to the nearest police station, where they were sermonised on Hindu values for three hours before they succumbed to an apology letter. “The policemen advised me on Hindu religion and insisted I give a written apology for not covering my goddess tattoo, even as the group just watched. I tried taking law points, but had to finally give in as my girlfriend was in tears as the cops wouldn’t let us go,” Gordon was quoted.
BJP leader RV Ramesh Yadav, who objected to the tattoo, alleged that he only asked the couple to cover their legs as there was festive time around and their tattoo could lead them to trouble. “We asked him to remove the tattoo or we would protest. But he started abusing us with foul language. The tattoo is insulting the Hindu goddess and also provocative. When we came to know that it was a permanent tattoo, we only asked him to wear a pair of trousers and cover it, for his own safety,” he was quoted variably.
