For centuries, the world has been obediently
using many sub-region names in
the Asia and other Continents. It is time
India started using its affirmativeness
when it comes to the Asia and its subregion
South Asia. Instead of being
branded as one of the countries in South
Asia, India should be viewed as a lead
country in "Indo-Asia".
- Sreenath Rangarajan, New Jersey
SONY WITHDRAW HANUMAN VIDEO GAME
Hindu community leaders have urged Sony Corporation to withdraw the newly released "Hanuman: Boy Warrior" video game for PlayStation2, saying it trivializes the highly revered deity of Hinduism. In a video game set-up, the player would control the destiny of Lord Hanuman while in reality the believers put the destinies of themselves in the hands of their deities.
Re-imagining Hindu scriptures and deities for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Controlling and manipulating Lord Hanuman with a joystick/ button/keyboard/ mouse was denigration. Lord Hanuman was not meant to be reduced to just a "character" in a video game to solidify company/products base in the growing economy of India.
As a PlayStation2 video game, Lord Hanuman would be in the company of America’s 10 Most Wanted, Bad Boys, Barbie, Britney’s Dance Beat, First Kiss Stories, Guitar Freaks, Jackass, Killer7, Looney Tunes, Mafia, Mercenaries, Midnight Club, Mister Mosquito, Nicktoons, Psychonauts, Scooby Doo, Truckers, etc.
Lord Hanuman was greatly revered and his worship was very popular among Hindus and there were numerous temples dedicated to him. Son of wind-god, besides incredible strength and changing shape at will and flying, he was believed to be a perfect grammarian, great scholar and excelled in all the sciences. According to a legend, even while he was still an infant, he intimidated the sun. In Mahabharata war, flag on Arjuna’s chariot driven by Lord Krishna displayed Lord Hanuman. According to a belief, all the planets were under his control.
As Sony was said to be a socially responsible and ethical corporation, it would effectively understand the feelings of Hindu community on this issue. According to PlayStation Network website: "This game is a "growing up" story of Hanuman, where he starts as a powerless being and regains his powers through the game."
India and all other countries of the
world should come up with national content
rating organizations for video games
as these seriously affected the outlook and
thought process of our next generation. Till
India came up with such organization,
Central Board of Film Certification should
be given the authority of rating and deciding
whether the particular video game was
suitable for public distribution in India.
Hindus welcome entertainment industry
to immerse in Hinduism but taking it
seriously and respectfully and not for
refashioning Hinduism concepts and symbols
for mercantile greed. Hindus would
gladly provide genuine entertainment
industry seekers the resources they needed
for their study and research regarding
Hinduism.
- Rajan Zed, Nevada
LIFE TOUGH FOR H1B VISA HOLDERS
Two US senators are again introducing
a bill in the Senate to revamp H1B Visa
program, which is extremely popular
among Indian techies. They aim to make it
tougher for Indian IT firms — one of the
biggest users — to send employees to
America for contractual work. The same
legislation failed last time it was introduced
but with high levels of unemployment
in US, it might just get through this
time. The proposed legislation is antithesis
to globalization. It is a restrictive trade
practice. Over the years India has helped
the US to compete globally and this has
brought benefits to both countries. A reversal
of this could impact the US economy
adversely. It is a protectionist measure. It’s
utter assumption that the H-1B holders are
taking away American jobs.
- Deepak Joshi, Houston
