Nevada (USA): A statement released from here claims that Hindus are disturbed over distortion of goddess Kali image in Titan Comics and are seeking the withdrawal of all the comics containing such distorted Kali images from the stores and online.
Goddess Kali. Photo Credit: http://www.dollsofindia.com/
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, described it as highly inappropriate portrayal of goddess Kali and urged public apologies from all those responsible for it, including Titan Comics its parent Titan Publishing.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stated that goddess Kali was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to worshiped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in re-imagined versions for dramatic effects in comics. Such absurd depiction of goddess Kali with no scriptural backing and calling her a "creature" was hurtful to the devotees.
Rajan Zed noted that many actions/characteristics attached to goddess Kali in the Titan Comics were unheard of in mainstream Hinduism. It seemed to be blatant twisting of the facts aimed at mercantile greed and maligning Hinduism in the process, Zed said.
Such trivialization of goddess Kali was offensive to Hindus world over, Zed indicated and urged Titan Comics not to inappropriately and unnecessarily drag Hindu deities to advance the commercial or other agenda in the future.
Rajan Zed stressed that Hindus were for free speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Comics, being one of the very effective mediums, should be more sensitive while handling faith related subjects, Zed argued.
Rajan Zed further said that Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and should not be taken frivolously. No faith, larger or smaller, should be ridiculed at, Zed said and added that if entertainment executives needed any assistance about Hinduism, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help.
Titan Comics, headquartered in London, is the comics and graphic novel division of global publishing giant Titan with brands such as James Bond and Sherlock Holmes.