The opposition Orissa Congress Party is pissed off and they ain’t going to take it no more. Surely I am referring to some local matter (perhaps involving bauxite), right? Nope. They are pissed off at the online (mostly T-shirt) store CafePress and want to lodge a formal complaint with the United States government so as to put a stop to the highly offensive insanity I am about to describe. We’ve heard this all before from American Hindus, but this one just escalates the absurdity to a whole new level:
 |
|
Is that a Nehru in your pocket or are you just glad to see me? |
Insensitivity towards foreign cultures and sentiments has plumbed new depths. A US-based online shop has kicked up a storm by printing images of the Tricolour, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru on undergarments.
The Orissa Congress on Saturday condemned the “cheap publicity stunt.” “This is stupid on the website’s part to malign a world leader like Gandhi and a great national icon like Nehru in such a disgraceful fashion,” Opposition leader, J B Patnaik, said, adding, “They should be told through proper channels to stop it. Since the website is US-based, I urge Indians there to lodge strong protests…” [Link]
<
p>Did you hear that? “They should be told…to stop it.” I beseech you my fellow Indian Americans to heed the call of this nobody politician from Orissa and demand that we protest against the First Amendment of these United States. If you remain unconvinced then I must point out that the reputations of Gandhi, Nehru, and the Indian Flag are not the only ones at stake. There is far greater disrespect involved here:
Youth also protested against the derogatory portrayal of Bollywood icons, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, on similar products. Now, it’s the turn of freedom fighters to air their grievances against the “offensive attacks on national leaders”. [Link]
<
p>I just can’t understand why anyone would be offended by an Indian Flag on a thong?? I guarantee you that any man that uncovers one in the proper context will spontaneously break out in a rendition of Jana Gana Mana (even though I don’t know the lyrics I could hum them). And on the flipside, what girl wouldn’t want to see me strut in a pair of these?
 |
|
Baby is that Bachchan on yo drawz? That’s hot. |
I wonder, perhaps, could it be that there is an election close at hand in Orissa? Let me tell you something politicians of Orissa. This here is America, where freedom rules and our crotches are free to be decorated in any manner we choose. If I choose an aging Bollywood star to adorn my manhood, thats my right! America, F*ck yeah, freedom is the only way!
Abhi, this is a sure way to NOT GET LAID. 🙂
While the exhortations seem a little over the top, you don’t find it at all offensive? Maybe I’m oversensitive — I think American flag underwear are also offensive, so I’m an equal-opportunity hater.
btw, our values-upholder-in-chief has a few unresolved issues of his own; prominent among them the Anjana mishra assault.
Here’s Anjana’s story. [2]
It would be very appropriate to have Moraji near the fly given his “tastes”
well, the links didn’t suggest that they wanted legal action taken, just protests. their objections may seem silly to you (i don’t share the offense, but it is understandable), but props if they go via the route of protest and moral suasion. other groups tend to take a different tack when their sensibilities are offended.
Don’t mess with Orissa
It’s against the Indian Flag Code for the flag to be portrayed in underwear. Which doesn’t mean anything since the product is not made in India. Just pointing out why they may be offended by it.
Besides they are just protesting it. No one is calling for legal action(which while they would probably not win, they would still be entitled to). So that’s covered under the freedom of speech. That’s India for you. Free speech and shit.
Abhi, you have no idea how grateful I am for your post. Thanks in no small part to you I have the perfect gift for my fiercely nationalistic DBD girlfriend. I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Patnaik for his unintentionally hilarious diatribe against underwear.
I apologize for spamming, though I came across a very well written comment on the article’s comment’s section:
never mind. Hindus protest use of gods on underwear by US firm: India’s eastern state of Orissa has lodged a protest with the US government seeking action against a California-based website for hurting religious sentiments of people by selling undergarments with images of Hindu gods….
“I, on the behalf of the government of Orissa, request you to take up the issue with the American governemnt for taking action against the website owner to refrain the company from such unholy activities,” Orissa’s law minister BB Harichandan said in his letter.
Harichandan wrote that Orissa was “deeply shocked and concerned over the unscrupulous means of advertisement” for commercial gains and demanded that the website apologize immediately.
The Orissa police has also registered a case of hurting religious sentiments after a Hindu organization lodged a complaint in the temple city of Puri where the Jagannath temple is situated.
that god for the 1st amendment! yes, i do think that having gods on underwear is in bad taste, atheist that i am i’m not childish enough to want to offend people in that way 😉 and as manish vij used to point out, hinduism tends to get the brunt of these because its gods are part of “mythology.”
Abhi, I don’t see why you’re annoyed with this news item. I agree with the posters in that it is actually a sign of political maturity that Patnaik is advocating protest as opposed to seeking an outright ban. I also see it as a sign of political maturity that nobody in India has gone around rioting, like the riots after the Danish cartoons of Mohammad. (I hope I’m not speaking too soon).
Also, here are excerpts from the Flag Code for India and that for the US:
Based on that comparison, one could argue that the Flag Code for India is actually more liberal than that for the US in that it allows the flag to be displayed on clothing at least in the upper half of the body, while the Flag Code for the US does not allow it on clothing, period. That said, the Indian Code tends to be enforced more actively than the US Code, and in practice, nobody in the US seems to follow the Flag Code strictly (or at all, given the number of sports team uniforms that have a flag on them in some form). This could very well be due to the different ages of the two countries as independent political entities, so if we see again in 40+ years, we might see India being as relaxed as the US in enforcing the Flag Code.
Correction to previous comment: Please read “I agree with the posters in…” as “I agree with the commenters above in…”.
while the Flag Code for the US does not allow it on clothing, period.
yes, but: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Flag_Code The United States Flag Code establishes advisory rules for display and care of the flag of the United States. It is title 4 of the United States Code: 4 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. This is a U.S. federal law, but there is no penalty for failure to comply with them and they are not widely enforced — indeed, punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, as the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled when the subject has come up in the past.
sorry, just extending the previous comment. not correct 😉 the “but” might misimpress.
I think Mr. Patnaik should wear underwear with a hand on it. This way, when he goes out canvassing for support and for people to join the Congress, he can grab their attention by truthfully saying, “There’s a party in my pants and you’re invited.”
Also, and this is something I’ve always wondered, does a flag on an underwear fly at half mast during times of high emotion?
Only if the emotion also precipitates motion. And it sounds like you want Patnaik’s hand to engage in Congress with what’s in his pants.
There was a frivolous political party in India in the 1996 elections that wanted its symbol to be a naked male torso. The Election Commission refused, using some obscure rule that human anatomy is not a source of election symbols, and was promptly hit with an attack – waaah, the Congress can use human anatomy but I cannot, waaah.
Well, he should pay heed to the old saying if he wants to stay in power. The hand that cradles the rocks rules the world.
Camille:
Yes, you are oversensitive. Sure, it’s definitely tacky. I wouldn’t wear any of that. But does it really damage your sense of national pride so much if some or other company launches underwear with Indian icons? It must not have a strong foundation then. Sure it’s dumb. But there’s no need to raise your bloodpressure about it. Oh, and I’m equal-opportunity too – I’d say the same thing if it were an American or Dutch flag in question.
All this talk of Bharat Mata and he can’t stand the thought of the flag sharing space with a woman’s reproductive system? This lays bare the hypocrisy of mother worship in India, if you ask me.
http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002970.html
related link
Agree with Camille, I find these somewhat offensive, although must add that this gives new meaning to “Kiss my chuddies”
Wait, Razib’s news story says they’re upset about gods on underwear.
I could see why Hindus would be upset with a Ganesh thong more than a Nehru or a (lol) Shah Rukh one. Of course the government shouldn’t get involved, but putting a minority religion’s icons on thongs to sell their “exoticism” is at least a little offensive.
What Razib said, except there is a lawsuit, it seems: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Case_filed_against_US_website/articleshow/2629806.cms For me, the test of the thing is to reverse it, i.e., how would it seem if an India based web retailer sold chuddies and thongs printed with Old Glory, George Washington, Abe Lincoln? OTOH, boxers printed with Brad Pitt might not be the same thing.
I’d relentlessly make fun of any American that was upset by it.
By the way, having just finished the book 1776 by David McCullough, I can tell you that George Washington was a huge proponent of cleanliness (among the ranks) and it is entirely likely that he would have advocated for clean new underwear for all his troops, despite the fact that his great modesty would have prevented him from being overly excited about men paying honor to his visage in such a manner.
Protests around the world would become more of a spectacle if the mob burned flag-printed panties instead of flags.
Inquilab Zinda-ouch! Inqui-shit!
Not to mention stomping on a burning panty would look rather silly.
India has its social standards on what is acceptable to display — the use of the flag unofficially (in less innocuous places than this has been protested before). The US has its own standards — lots of thongs/ boxers/ bikinis are in Stars and stripes. The method of resolving the difference in these two standards involves peaceful protests / communication.
I do not see the controversy.
As Prashant said above, wearing the Indian flag is still technically illegal (in India). In the last ten years this has been loosened so much that it’s expected for cricket fans to adorn themselves with the flag these days. But as long as the opposers voice their protests in a civilised way, I don’t see the problem.
I personally believe you should be allowed to paint your Johnson in the Indian colours and stand to attention for the national anthem, but despite being an atheist I think gods on knickers is off.
The controversy is that Orissa officials are lodging official protests (usually done when there is a diplomatic incident) against the US government because of an internet site that sells t-shirts, all the while there are actually real problems in Orissa that get attention diverted away from them.
That first picture is shocking… something actually made in the USA ??
I dont care about Nehru or Gandhi but flag on a thong one actually looks uncool. A token protest thread has been lodged on the website messageboard
Orissa is the poorest state in India. They beat Bihar in 1999 and are still the champs. I can see why this is a top priority issue for Orissa Cong.
Yeah, I’m not sure I see the controversy either, so long as protests are peaceful. The people in Orissa are offended by the acts of citizens in other state and want to go through “proper channels”. To the extent that it involves actually contacting the White House (and I don’t see any confirmation that that is what they want), fine. The U.S. government can simply explain that it does not have the legislative authority to prevent such depictions (and can hopefully show that the depiction exists for all kinds of U.S. icons as well). Sure, there are real problems in Orissa. There are real problems in the U.S. too (would you like some tea with your subprime and solvency crisis?). That doesn’t stop other issues
(seasons greetings!)from raising their head from time to time.If it’s the bread and circuses concept that bothers you, I agree, and to the extent that its used to distract the public from the true issues, it’s a shame. However, unless you can show that the government of Orissa is only devoting its attentions to this issue and nothing else, I still don’t see the gross injustice of it all. It’s no different than this site throwing up a Bollywood Barack one day, touching on unreasonable security measures the next day and “ignoring” as some appear to say, the plight of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Besides, I’ve seen enough Americans of all persuasions get horribly miffed at the sight of ferengis burning their flag and leaders in effigy overseas, so I don’t think the tendency to react emotionally to the trashing of icons you hold dear is particularly unique. I’m not saying it should be banned, I’m just saying I get why people might be upset.
What would be helpful would be for people of influence to show that Americans trash their own icons a lot, or even that such things are not seen as disrespectful in America, so that people recognize that: (a) it is not India in particular that is being trashed, but rather the W.C. Fields “I hate everybody equally approach”) is being employed or (b) that there are no ill-intentions. And if you can show some Cafepress clothing with Jinnah and the Flag of Pakistan, that would probably go a loooong way towards mitigating the concerns that Indians in particular are being targeted. After all, if one professes to hate everyone equally, one needs to be able to prove it.
Exactly!
It’s kind of like how ‘family values’ are bigger concerns in the poorest U.S. states with the crappiest educational systems.
… cool up dude. …this won’t make you more American. you would still be for the white people an indian.
I don’t blame people for getting riled up about this. Put aside the deification of Gandhi, Nehru and the flag, this is just in bad taste. You wear something on your underpants if you don’t like it. It’s a sign of disrespect. Gandhi and Nehru are not gods, but they are still respected figures.
Printing the images are okay on a T-shirt but not on the boxers or thongs? Isn’t the crotch as important a part of your body as your chest? Why the aversion? It’s hardly tasteless is it?
So if the government of India’s richest state raised the issue, then it would be okay? Or are the people of India precluded from commenting on stuff outside their borders as long as they are poorer than the target jurisdiction?
I think a false dichotomy is being set up here. I think (hope) it is possible for governments to devote attention to many issues. Again, to the extent that the government is focussing on this issue to the extent of ignoring all other issues, yes it is a problem. However, if this is just one of the issues to which they are addressing their attention, I don’t see the problem.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5275866.stm is an article dealing with the “Hitler restaurant” in Mumbai. Please note the paragraph where the U.S., Israeli and German consulates are thanked for their involvement in helping to resolve the issue. The governments of the three nations became involved over the name and decor of a private pizza shop. Perhaps it is this precedent which leads the Orissan government on its present course of action. But of course, unlike the government of Orissa, the governments of the U.S, Israel and Germany faced no other more pressing domestic issues on which they could have focussed their attention at the time.
For me the issue is whether the issue is legitimate. I think it is perfectly legitimate to be upset about how people treat your cherished symbols and to express your opinion on that point. I think it is also perfectly legitimate for people in other jurisdictions to point out that their philosophy regarding the treatment of symbols differs, that your particular symbols do not hold the same value to them, that they are in fact expressing pride in the symbol when they treat symbols in a certain way or, indeed, acknowledge that they are trashing your symbols and intend to continue to do so.
Godwin’s Law! 🙂 But just wait until you see my next post later today. You’ll love it. Fo sure.
I wouldn’t know, but I’ve read that it’s ideally supposed to taste like pineapple juice.
ente, Just to be clear, I am not a fan of flags on chaddis, Washington on toilet paper etc. etc. Hurt sentiments are free money for politicians. These issues don’t involve real work. They just have to make angry noises and cash in. Bread and circus, as you said. Orissa Cong. is not the ruling party, btw.
I think there’s a pretty obvious difference between a store visible to everyone publicly passing by that references the Holocaust (Hitler’s Cross, complete with swastika? Come on now) and something like this, where someone claims that Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are ‘national heroes’ that are being defiled because images of them are on underwear. Now if it were Kamal Hassan I might join in protest.
I’m in India over winterbreak, and I saw a random news report covering the Ganesha thongs – I don’t feel like looking up the old post, but it’s here. And the report went on for like 20 minutes. I wasn’t paying much attention, but all I could think was, “Dammit we talked about this on SM AGES ago – shouldn’t a newschannel be more on point?” And then I also found out the Gandhi underwear story is a huge thing here. “The Aunties” keep asking me about it. I just shrug and say, “it wasn’t me.”
You call this a stocking stuffer, Abhi? That’s strange, because I usually stuff stockings inside my underwear, not underwear in my stockings. Does this affect the way your shoes fit? (Oh…I get your strategy. “You know what they say about guys with big feet.” 😉
This man is a true patriot.
Ironic, considering how the Ganesha thongs don’t cover much at all.
India definitely has the right to voice objection, but it is a waste of time/effort. My brand value as an Indian is diminished by India’s desperate poverty, not the dharma chakra hovering above a woman’s naughty place
I would like to see how Christians would react if they saw the cross or Jesus on a thong; or see how all those American conservatives would react if the American flag was on boxers…
Brown Writer: You can find both and understandably they (Christians and conservatives) are not happy about it. However they also know there is no recourse and so this does not occupy the same mental space as gay marriage, school prayer etc. Indians on other hand are used to having the stupid “hurting religious sentiment” law and think that the US must have a similar law. Thankfully the US does not.
I’d like to see some outrage over how some churches are selling crosses made by slave labor.
I was just waiting until somebody left that exact comment so that I could provide this link (also from CafePress) and make their comment sound suddenly stupid. I’m just that Evil.