Source

BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, December 13, 2003: A court in Orissa has admitted a petition seeking a ban on the making and selling of vulgar devotional songs on Hindu God Jagannath, presiding deity of the State. The Sri Jagannath Sanskruti Surakhya Parisad, which aims to promote Oriya culture and tradition, has filed the public interest petition in the State’s High Court. Petitioner Sulochana Mishra and others who went to court are residents of the Temple City of Puri, which houses the Jagannath temple. They have asked for a special censor board to scrutinize the audiocassettes before they are released. Mishra said, “We first brought the matter to the notice of the state administration and temple administration but did not get any response. Some members of our organization had also petitioned the government in the past seeking a ban on such songs that are shown on State television and radio.” Mishra said the matter was also raised in the State Assembly and Culture Minister Damodar Rout had promised to bring a special bill in the Assembly to restrict such songs but nothing came of it. The group then went to court. Unchecked circulation of such audio materials is hurting the sentiment of State residents and millions of Hindu devotees, Mishra said.

Post Views: 584