Hindus in Australia, America and India have been outraged by an Australian play that depicts the Hindu god Ganesh taking on Adolf Hitler in a swashbuckling fight over the use of the swastika symbol.
Ganesh Versus the Third Reich is yet to open at the Melbourne Festival, but news of its storyline has caused consternation among the Indian community.
In the play, which has been described by its producers as rambunctious fable brimming with humour, the elephant-headed Hindu god rampages through Germany on a quest to reclaim the ancient Hindu symbol of goodwill from the Nazis.
Producers said the play was the result of painstaking research and that every effort had been made to ensure that it was respectful of Ganesh and the Hindu culture.
But Yadu Singh, president of the Council of Indian Australians, said that using Ganesh, the revered god of wisdom, learning and good luck, as a cheap form of entertainment was unacceptable.
"Lord Ganesh is one of the most important gods or deities for the Hindu religion and they are making fun of him, making money out of him," Mr Singh said.
"It is not right to use religious symbols, from any religion, in comedy or as a joke, it's offensive, insulting and inappropriate."
His views have been echoed by Rajan Zed, the US-based president of Universal Society of Hinduism, who said that Lord Ganesh was meant to be worshipped in temples and shrines and not made a laughing stock of on theatre stages.
Mr Singh said the play was likely to further inflame tensions between India and Australia, which have been tested in recent years by a spate of attacks on Indian students and several controversies.
In May, an Australian swimwear designer sparked protests in India by placing an image of the goddess Lakshmi onto a range of skimpy bikinis.
"This play will create more controversy in India, which we don't need," Mr Singh said.
"Australia already has a damaged brand in India, this will only make it worse."
No comments:
Post a Comment