This one's a classic.
A Christmas stamp the Royal Mail put out really got to a stack of Hindu activists in Britain and abroad, including as usual the quick-to-get-offended VHP.
This story from the Telegraph, has the background and the stamp in question. The problem for the protesters is that an Indian-looking couple with various markings are depicting as venerating or perhaps praying to an infant baby Jesus Christ.
Some of the objections people have raised to this (online and in person) have been quite imaginative:
- The stamp is of a 68p denomination which is used for overseas postings, particularly to India. This is true, but this is the postage rate for the world outside Europe. More mail flows from Britain to the US, Australia, Canada, etc than to India.
- The markings clearly identify the participants as Hindu. The markings, at the very least, have Hindu origins. Many Christians in India, particularly women, use such markings habitually. Moreover, Hindu groups have always alleged that Christian missionary groups have used high-caste converts - with visible signs - to go out and spread the word. As for Hindu origins, well, prominent Christian festivals such as Easter have pagan origins so this would not be new.
- The couple are showing to be praying to Jesus. This actually isn't clear. They are shown holding the baby lovingly, and they may or may not be actually worshipping or venerating him. That said, many Hindus do worship Jesus, many orthodox Hindus keep a picture of Jesus in their home prayer areas. Organised groups of Hindus are also known to visit popular Catholic pilgrimage sites in India and abroad for worship.
- Other religious groups would object strenuously to anything approaching such a depiction. Hindus ought to adopt such practice from their peers to maintain a healthy sense of identity. Would Muslims be depicted similarly? This one is perhaps the strongest-held objection. However it is mostly irrelevant. Hindu practice ought to be governed by how Hindus feel alone, and not by how proponents of any other religion behave. Anything else smacks simply of masochism. It is true that Muslim community leaders are enjoying a high profile in the media and politically in general, but this is no reason for Hindu leaders to seek to emulate their reactions and behaviour.
- The Brits should understand that good intentions mean little, and should not regard offended Hindus as insecure and unduly sensitive. Their openmindedness is only going one way. But that's fine. The portrayal here is not of the couple eating shit or anything. Good luck convincing any neutral observer that the reaction from Hindu groups is justified on logical or objective grounds. It comes down to mostly absurd blind belief.
- Why aren't the British issuing Diwali stamps if they are so interested in depicting Hindus? Britain is still officially a Christian country.
"Other countries have rocky harbours, so we must block our coastlines.": As Paul Krugman writes, advocates of free trade in the US have long characterised protectionists who were wary of lifting trade barriers thus. But it applies perfectly well here, this is exactly how the Hindu groups have reacted.
Hindus are famously tolerant as even the most right-wing nationalist religious group in India will admit. Yet this need not extend to being tolerant of the Hindu intolerant themselves, they can go hang.
