UK Protest: X-mas Stamp Depicts Hindus Worshopping Baby Jesus

[Guest guest]

LONDON (November 02, 2005): British Hindus are taking the politics

of Gandhian non-violent resistance to a new level by sending

thousands of unstamped letters to the country's postal department

to "clog up the system".

 

It is part of an ingenious protest against Royal Mail's refusal to

withdraw one of this year's controversial new mother and child

Christmas stamps -- depicting a Hindu couple worshipping the Baby

Jesus.

 

The stamp, which carries a nearly 400-year-old painting currently

hanging in a Mumbai museum, goes on sale across the UK (on

Wednesday) and is priced so that it would mainly be used on post

destined for non-European Union destinations such as India.

 

Ramesh Kallidai, secretary-general of the umbrella Hindu Forum of

Britain, which is spearheading the protest, told TOI on Wednesday

that UK Hindus were upset at Royal Mail's refusal to withdraw the

stamp from 40,000 post office counters and 17,000 outlets up and

down the land.

 

SOURCE: The Times of India

URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1283161.cms

 

*****

 

HFB DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF INSENSITIVE ROYAL MAIL STAMP

 

Hindu leaders in Britain led by the Hindu Forum of Britain have

asked Royal Mail to withdraw a Christmas stamp which features the

picture of a man and a woman with Hindu markings worshipping baby

Christ. The man has a 'tilak' marking on his forehead clearly

identifying him as a Vaishnava Hindu and the woman has the

traditional 'kumkum' mark on her forehead identifying her as a

married Hindu lady. This is not the first time that Hindu images

and icons have been used inappropriately in a manner that has hurt

the sentiments of Hindus.

 

"The stamp in question is priced at 0.68 p, which is usually the

price of stamps on letters sent to India," said Ramesh Kallidai,

secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain. "Royal Mail sources

claim that the original painting printed on the face of the stamp is

dated 1620. While many people doubt the authenticity of the age of

the painting, we believe that even if this were true, it would be

insensitive to use it at a time when the issue of conversions in

India has been a subject of heated debate."

 

"Even if we accept that an artist in 1620 AD took the artistic

license to portray practising Hindus worshipping the Baby Christ, we

should be asking if this is politically and sensitively correct in

the 21st century," added Ramesh Kallidai. "We therefore urge the

Post Office to withdraw the 68 p stamp immediately or issue a

redesigned version that does not have the Hindu markings on the

foreheads of the two characters in the stamp."

 

Hindu leaders had started a campaign last year for Royal Mail to

issue special stamps for Diwali but Royal Mail have not confirmed

whether they are prepared to accept such a proposal.

 

"It is striking to see that Royal Mail thinks it prudent to issue

Christmas stamps that can cause resentment in the worldwide Hindu

community but remain silent on the issue of stamps for Diwali, the

festival of lights celebrated by the third largest faith community

in the UK," commented Ishwer Tailor, President of the Hindu Forum of

Britain. "Would the worldwide Christian community feel comfortable

if the Government of India issued a Diwali stamp with a Christian

priest offering worship to Baby Krishna?"

 

The Hindu Forum of Britain recognises that Hinduism allows creative

expression and art to the greatest degree. Hindu culture has been

the source of some of the greatest sculptures, paintings, costumes,

dance, music and drama ever created in the history of human history.

 

"Use of Hindu images in an appropriate manner has never been an

issue," continued Ramesh Kallidai. "It is only when images are used

in a disrespectful or inappropriate way resulting in offence and

hurt that we become concerned. This list is endless and Hindu images

have been used on toilet seats, tissue paper, bikins, shoes and

other goods."

 

The Hindu Forum of Britain has even appealed to advertisers,

manufacturers and others to consult the organisation before they

release products and advertisements to avoid causing unnecessary

offence to the community.

 

SOURCE: Hindu Forum

URL: http://www.hinduforum.org/

[Guest guest]

--- seain <dcseain@g...> wrote to a Neo-Pagan List:

>

> Are these protesters in denial over the fact that

> the Mar Thoma Church is

> indiginous to India? Admittedly, Mar Thomans make up

> a small minority, but

> no smaller than Jains. I mean, really.

 

 

--- Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote:

> LONDON (November 02, 2005): British Hindus are

> taking the politics

> of Gandhian non-violent resistance to a new level by

> sending

> thousands of unstamped letters to the country's

> postal department

> to "clog up the system".

>

> It is part of an ingenious protest against Royal

> Mail's refusal to

> withdraw one of this year's controversial new mother

> and child

> Christmas stamps -- depicting a Hindu couple

> worshipping the Baby

> Jesus.

>

> The stamp, which carries a nearly 400-year-old

> painting currently

> hanging in a Mumbai museum, goes on sale across the

> UK (on

> Wednesday) and is priced so that it would mainly be

> used on post

> destined for non-European Union destinations such as

> India.

>

> Ramesh Kallidai, secretary-general of the umbrella

> Hindu Forum of

> Britain, which is spearheading the protest, told TOI

> on Wednesday

> that UK Hindus were upset at Royal Mail's refusal to

> withdraw the

> stamp from 40,000 post office counters and 17,000

> outlets up and

> down the land.

>

> SOURCE: The Times of India

> URL:

>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1283161.cms

>

> *****

>

> HFB DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF INSENSITIVE ROYAL MAIL

> STAMP

>

> Hindu leaders in Britain led by the Hindu Forum of

> Britain have

> asked Royal Mail to withdraw a Christmas stamp which

> features the

> picture of a man and a woman with Hindu markings

> worshipping baby

> Christ. The man has a 'tilak' marking on his

> forehead clearly

> identifying him as a Vaishnava Hindu and the woman

> has the

> traditional 'kumkum' mark on her forehead

> identifying her as a

> married Hindu lady. This is not the first time that

> Hindu images

> and icons have been used inappropriately in a manner

> that has hurt

> the sentiments of Hindus.

>

> "The stamp in question is priced at 0.68 p, which is

> usually the

> price of stamps on letters sent to India," said

> Ramesh Kallidai,

> secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain.

> "Royal Mail sources

> claim that the original painting printed on the face

> of the stamp is

> dated 1620. While many people doubt the authenticity

> of the age of

> the painting, we believe that even if this were

> true, it would be

> insensitive to use it at a time when the issue of

> conversions in

> India has been a subject of heated debate."

>

> "Even if we accept that an artist in 1620 AD took

> the artistic

> license to portray practising Hindus worshipping the

> Baby Christ, we

> should be asking if this is politically and

> sensitively correct in

> the 21st century," added Ramesh Kallidai. "We

> therefore urge the

> Post Office to withdraw the 68 p stamp immediately

> or issue a

> redesigned version that does not have the Hindu

> markings on the

> foreheads of the two characters in the stamp."

>

> Hindu leaders had started a campaign last year for

> Royal Mail to

> issue special stamps for Diwali but Royal Mail have

> not confirmed

> whether they are prepared to accept such a proposal.

>

>

> "It is striking to see that Royal Mail thinks it

> prudent to issue

> Christmas stamps that can cause resentment in the

> worldwide Hindu

> community but remain silent on the issue of stamps

> for Diwali, the

> festival of lights celebrated by the third largest

> faith community

> in the UK," commented Ishwer Tailor, President of

> the Hindu Forum of

> Britain. "Would the worldwide Christian community

> feel comfortable

> if the Government of India issued a Diwali stamp

> with a Christian

> priest offering worship to Baby Krishna?"

>

> The Hindu Forum of Britain recognises that Hinduism

> allows creative

> expression and art to the greatest degree. Hindu

> culture has been

> the source of some of the greatest sculptures,

> paintings, costumes,

> dance, music and drama ever created in the history

> of human history.

>

> "Use of Hindu images in an appropriate manner has

> never been an

> issue," continued Ramesh Kallidai. "It is only when

> images are used

> in a disrespectful or inappropriate way resulting in

> offence and

> hurt that we become concerned. This list is endless

> and Hindu images

> have been used on toilet seats, tissue paper,

> bikins, shoes and

> other goods."

>

> The Hindu Forum of Britain has even appealed to

> advertisers,

> manufacturers and others to consult the organisation

> before they

> release products and advertisements to avoid causing

> unnecessary

> offence to the community.

>

> SOURCE: Hindu Forum

> URL: http://www.hinduforum.org/

>

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I fail to understand what Marthomaites have to do with all this!!

 

 

 

MarThomites had nothing to do with this alleged painting; the date of which is

very very suspect.

 

Mar Thommites’ history is also hugely suepect as they claim to be descended from

“Brahmins” at a time when Brahmanism was not present in Kerala. Further what we

find among marthomites are reen eyes and red hair NOT indigenous to the local

indigenous population. I think they are descendants of the catholic friars who

interbred with the locals to create a “fair” race to claim brahmanical descend.

*smile*.

 

 

 

The west that normally never ever publish anything withot due research to

establish authenticity in this case, because of the evangelical angle did not do

so or is it that they did found it NOT to be a Mogul painting but suppressed for

ditto reason???

 

 

 

I am speaking not as a fundie but as a person who has studied the indigenous

population from an anthropological perspective.

 

 

 

Len!! Will you post this comment on the neo pagan list? :)P

 

Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108 wrote:

 

 

--- seain <dcseain@g... wrote to a Neo-Pagan List:

 

 

Are these protesters in denial over the fact that the Mar Thoma Church is

indiginous to India? Admittedly, Mar Thomans make up a small minority, but no

smaller than Jains. I mean, really.

 

 

--- Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote:

 

LONDON (November 02, 2005): British Hindus are taking the politics of Gandhian

non-violent resistance to a new level by sending thousands of unstamped letters

to the country's postal department to "clog up the system".

 

It is part of an ingenious protest against Royal Mail's refusal to withdraw one

of this year's controversial new mother and child Christmas stamps -- depicting

a Hindu couple worshipping the Baby Jesus.

 

The stamp, which carries a nearly 400-year-old painting currently hanging in a

Mumbai museum, goes on sale across the UK (on Wednesday) and is priced so that

it would mainly be used on post destined for non-European Union destinations

such as India.

 

Ramesh Kallidai, secretary-general of the umbrella Hindu Forum of Britain, which

is spearheading the protest, told TOI on Wednesday that UK Hindus were upset at

Royal Mail's refusal to withdraw the stamp from 40,000 post office counters and

17,000 outlets up and down the land.

 

SOURCE: The Times of India

URL:

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1283161.cms

 

*****

 

HFB DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF INSENSITIVE ROYAL MAIL

STAMP

 

Hindu leaders in Britain led by the Hindu Forum of Britain have asked Royal Mail

to withdraw a Christmas stamp which features the picture of a man and a woman

with Hindu markings worshipping baby Christ. The man has a 'tilak' marking on

his forehead clearly identifying him as a Vaishnava Hindu and the woman has the

traditional 'kumkum' mark on her forehead identifying her as a married Hindu

lady. This is not the first time that Hindu images and icons have been used

inappropriately in a manner that has hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

 

"The stamp in question is priced at 0.68 p, which is usually the price of stamps

on letters sent to India," said Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu

Forum of Britain.

"Royal Mail sources claim that the original painting printed on the face of the

stamp is dated 1620. While many people doubt the authenticity of the age of the

painting, we believe that even if this were true, it would be insensitive to use

it at a time when the issue of conversions in India has been a subject of heated

debate."

 

"Even if we accept that an artist in 1620 AD took the artistic license to

portray practising Hindus worshipping the Baby Christ, we should be asking if

this is politically and sensitively correct in the 21st century," added Ramesh

Kallidai. "We therefore urge the Post Office to withdraw the 68 p stamp

immediately or issue a redesigned version that does not have the Hindu markings

on the foreheads of the two characters in the stamp."

 

Hindu leaders had started a campaign last year for Royal Mail to issue special

stamps for Diwali but Royal Mail have not confirmed whether they are prepared to

accept such a proposal.

 

 

"It is striking to see that Royal Mail thinks it prudent to issue Christmas

stamps that can cause resentment in the worldwide Hindu community but remain

silent on the issue of stamps for Diwali, the

festival of lights celebrated by the third largest faith community in the UK,"

commented Ishwer Tailor, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain. "Would the

worldwide Christian community feel comfortable

if the Government of India issued a Diwali stamp with a Christian priest

offering worship to Baby Krishna?"

 

The Hindu Forum of Britain recognises that Hinduism allows creative

expression and art to the greatest degree. Hindu culture has been

the source of some of the greatest sculptures, paintings, costumes,

dance, music and drama ever created in the history of human history.

 

"Use of Hindu images in an appropriate manner has never been an issue,"

continued Ramesh Kallidai. "It is only when images are used in a disrespectful

or inappropriate way resulting in offence and hurt that we become concerned.

This list is endless and Hindu images have been used on toilet seats, tissue

paper, bikins, shoes and other goods."

 

The Hindu Forum of Britain has even appealed to advertisers, manufacturers and

others to consult the organisation before they release products and

advertisements to avoid causing unnecessary offence to the community.

 

SOURCE: Hindu Forum

URL: http://www.hinduforum.org/

 

 

 

 

 

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