SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, June 27, 2004: Dr. A. Balasubramaniam (“source” above), chairman of the Hindu Council of Australia, wrote protesting an article in “The Diplomat,” an Australian magazine:
“We wish to place on record our extreme displeasure at what seems to us as a caricature of a Hindu deity in your magazine (June- July 2004), an illustration for your article on “India’s Economic Miracle.”. Two illustrations which appear on pages 39 and 48 look suspiciously like a representation of the Hindu God Vishnu — one of the Holy Trinity of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. According to ancient Hindu tradition, Lord Vishnu is represented as a Deity with four hands — holding a conch, a discus, a mace and a lotus respectively. The conch indicates the secret whisperings of man’s inner conscience. The lotus signifies the goal of spiritual perfection that man can attain. The mace is a warning to man to abide by the stern law of nature. The discus signifies the destruction that awaits those who do not heed the warning of nature. In your illustration, the hands hold cigars, bombs, laptops, etc. This is highly offensive to Hindus. We hope that in the future your illustrations will be more sensitive to the religious and cultural beliefs of the minority communities in Australia.”
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