Puneet Varma (Editor)

Hindu Human Rights

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The Hindu Human Rights (HHR) is a United Kingdom-based organisation, stating as its aim "educating people about human rights of Hindus". This group maintains a website which actively displays news about persecution of Hindus or destruction of temples. This group also publishes articles concerning Hindus and their human rights.

HHR has successfully run many campaigns including alleged abuse and misuse of Hindu icons, and persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan and several petitions. A campaign against Roberto Cavalli's bikinis and thongs with imagery of Hindu gods led the designer to withdraw all the offensive clothing.

A campaign they launched against painter M. F. Hussain's depiction of Hindu deities indulging in bestiality was widely reported in the international press. The campaign was perceived by some as censorship and an action against freedom of art.

However Hindu critics have pointed to his Selective Caricature of Hinduism alone-"M.F.Hussein has chosen to denigrate the Hindu Gods being worshiped by a vast majority if Indian population. And the double standards applied by him in fully clothing Mother Teresa and a Muslim king, but depicting only Hindu gods naked betrays his perverse approach". They have drawn parallels to the protests over Danish Cartoons and the fact that the Painter had no such creative works regarding his own faith.

In April 2004, the Delhi High Court has found Hussain guilty of hurting of religious sentiments. The Honorable Justice Kapoor states,

"If one has been granted unlimited freedom, one is required or expected to use it for good purpose and not with malicious intention, to defame or degrade religious deities may be mythological, as these immortals are held in highest esteem and over a period become part of one's day to day religious life to such an extent that anything adverse said or printed or painted hurts the religious feelings immensely. Any objectionable, demeaning caricature or painting of religious deities or gods or goddesses of any particular religion creates disharmony and ill will amongst different communities. Even if it is presumed that such a painting is a piece of art still one cannot be oblivious of the fact that depiction of these deities or goddesses in full nudity comes within the mischief of deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings of concerned religion as these goddesses are worshiped by crores of people. .... Under the garb of freedom of expression no person can be allowed to hurt the religious feelings of any class of people. This should be known more to the petitioner who belongs to a different religion. If the petitioner wants to gauge the depth and the unflinching nature of religious feelings he may venture and try his hand at his own or any other religion and see how sensitive religious feelings and beliefs are. Such acts promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and arc prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. It is the effect that is guiding and determining criteria."

References

Hindu Human Rights Wikipedia