Jyeshtha Krushna Trayodashi

Australian Hindu Leader Mr. Nand calling for boycott of 'The Love Guru'

Australia: Blacktown's Hindu community has called for a
boycott of Mike Myers' new film The Love Guru. They say the movie,
which is scheduled for a nationwide release on Thursday, July 10, goes
too far at making fun of the Hindu faith.

Sajana Nand, president
of the Australian Hindu Multicultural Association, said he believed a
comedy should make people laugh but not at the expense of ridiculing
faith or spreading misinformation.

"It's us today but could be your community tomorrow,'' he said.

Mr
Nand, who is also the secretary of Blacktown Migrant Resource Centre
management committee, called on other religious and community leaders
to support the boycott.

"We support free speech,'' he said. "But
our faith is sacred and attempts at belittling it has hurt the
devotees.Humour is a part of our society. Our folk plays and stories
are full of parody, satire and buffoonery.''

American Hindu
leader Rajan Zed, who has called for a boycott in the US, said the
antics of Myers' character, Guru Pitka, mocked the institution of guru.

"Guru
is allied with the divine,'' he said. "Guru bestows spiritual
knowledge, free from selfish objectives. But the guru in The Love Guru
instigates a bar fight, repeatedly tells penis jokes, wears female
jewellery, makes his disciples drink tea passed through his nose and
lives in a lavish ashram with scantily clad maids.''

Mr Nand
quoted a saying from a Hindu religious book: ''As you imbibe the
teaching of the guru you will find God in the forest or in the city.
Any attempt by an individual or an organisation to make a mockery of a
guru shouldn't go unchallenged.''

"Based on the information I have got, I would strongly urge a nationwide boycott of the movie.''

Mr Nand said he would call on the Film Classification Board to review the suitability of the fun.

The Sun contacted Viacom, the parent company of the movie's maker Paramount, but up to press time there was no response.

Source: blacktown.yourguide.com.au