A Hindu nationalist organization called Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has petitioned the government of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal to rename two lions in a zoo-cum-animal reserve, citing religious sentiments being hurt.
The tragic story of Sita and Akbar
As per the details, the lioness, Sita, named after a Hindu deity, shared an enclosure with a lion named Akbar named after the 16th-century Mughal emperor.The VHP demanded that the lioness be renamed to maintain religious purity. Till then, the lions have been subsequently separated into different enclosures.
The incident has sparked a wave of memes and AI art in cyberspace with critics and supporters engaging in a heated debate over the issue.The incident highlights the growing influence of majoritarianism in India where religious sentiments are increasingly used to justify political agendas.
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Commentators have raised concerns about the dangerous precedent this case could set in a court of law. Citing the example of previous incidents where trivial matters have snowballed into dangerous and life-threatening offenses.
The incident has also sparked a debate about the role of political humor in India. Some supporters of the VHP’s petition are even taking offense to the memes and AI art that have surfaced online.
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