By Anshul Tewari:
Just how wealthy India’s temples really are has been in the news more often than not. With Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala having a treasury of over Rs. 1 lakh crore and Tirupati Balaji coming in a close next, India’s love for God makes us travel miles, and donate from a few rupees to lakhs and crores in the name of goodwill and prosperity.
This animation by Krishna Chandra A. Nair, a student at la Poudriere, school of animation film making takes on what many believe to be the ‘business of temples’ – on what probably happens to the donations that people make.
Pour l'amour de Dieu (For the love of God) from Krishna Chandran A. Nair on Vimeo.
Make sure you drop in your comments below!
To know what I think about this video, hit me up on Twtter @anshul_tewari.
Ritesh Anan
Completely agree with the author there, some people have made Religion a business. Not only that, they are also segregating the society, causing friction by giving people with money easier access to gods ( At several temples one can find different queues for ‘bhakts’ and the easiness of access is determined by the ‘donation’ charged for those queues – anything between rs. 500 to more than Rs. 10,000)
However, again the problem lies in showing just one aspect of the matter. No religious bigotry, but why focus on one religion per se. Those who have been regular readers of this site knows what I am talking about.
I am completely against the bias and superstition that has creeped in Hinduism in last few centuries against mensturating women and believe they should face no restrictions because of a bodily function. However, I am also against the bias in a particular religion that ASKS , mind you ASKS women to be clad in an outfit from head to toe without ‘revealing’ anything, restricting their right to wear anything. No one will touch that topic even though it comes EQUALLY under women’s right, moreover their would be articles, op-eds against it when a country like France bans such anti-women religious dogma. no one will touch that and we all know why! 🙂
Similarly, one will find a lot of VOICES on particular media platfroms to tell us what is wrong with hinduism (WHICH I AGAIN SAY I AM IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH – HIGHLIGHTING WHAT IS WRONG)
However, what you won’t find is EQUAL NUMBER OF VOICES on those platforms telling us how Madarsas-Mosques are wrong. How they don’t really teach anything substantial to kids that makes a person fit for employment when they grow , how they RECEIVE MILLIONS IN FUNDING, SAUDI PETRO-DOLLARS THAT ARE MUCH MORE THAN “DONATIONS”, how they are screwing the life of millions by brainwashing them.
BUT WHAT YOU WILL GET IS OP-ED, COLUMNS, ARTICLES ARGUING HOW PEOPLE OF A PARTICULAR RELIGION ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN JOBS, GOVERNMENT SERVICES ETC.
IRONY, HYPOCRISY, SHOWING ONE SIDE OF COIN>>>>PROPAGANDA
Thankfully there are outlets, who don’t kid themselves by calling themselves ‘mouthpiece for the youth” and actually are a mouthpiece for only a particular section of the youth, who only target one particular religion, but are unbiased. Where you will get equal numbers of articles against the WRONG in every religion from hindutva fanatics to Islamists. Where you will also find rational, objective articles like –
http://www.firstpost.com/world/iran-nuke-deal-implications-islamo-fascism-shia-sunni-conflict-india-2184993.html
http://www.firstpost.com/world/killed-bangladeshi-bloggers-dont-just-blame-fanatics-2185433.html
Finally, I will again repeat – I agree with the author that Hinduism has such evils. But so does other religions that contribute to more than 90% deaths every year in name of religion. Lets talk against those too at times.
P.S.- TO ANYONE READING THIS, JUST RUN A SEARCH QUERY ‘KASHMIR’ ON THIS SITE AND START SCANNING ALL, I MEAN ALL THE RECENT ARTICLES. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE “BIAS” I AM TALKING ABOUT 🙂
Anoop
Well said Ritesh. The bias you talked about is everywhere,why because if somebody talk against Hinduism it is very normal…its a free country and people have the right to speak what they want..in the same way if a hindu speaks anything against other religion it becomes a big issue …national even international news….the minority is getting harassed….Religious value are getting hurt ….infact who is Minority here….???
As you said even am against the evil thing happening in the name of religion …..but why this bias …??
“Do not believe in anything simply because you’ve heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it”.
:Gautam Buddha
Ritesh Anan
@Anoop – Thanks for your comment, appreciate it. This is going to be my last comment on YKA and here’s why 😀 –
You raised two valid points and let me answer both
1.—- “infact who is Minority here….??”
I thought of the same point what constitutes a “minority”? In the past few years I was somehow due to some unexplainable reasons compelled to go through articles on this particular media outlet (YKA), which were let’s say biased, high on propaganda instead of rational arguments, facts, statistics or objectiveness and I always used to think – Do the “majority” of the youth of this country believes in this s#!t? Is this the real “voice of the youth”? I know other outlets like “Caravan” exist that are mouthpieces for a “particular section” and there’s no problem in that, the problem is Caravan or for that matter any outlet that doesn’t speaks for the entire section of society/ youth can call itself “mouthpiece for the youth”!
THEN ONE DAY S#!T HIT THE FAN AND I THOUGHT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, LETS GO AHEAD AND CHECK IT FOR MYSELF.
To Test a Hypothesis (Majority of the “educated” youth Doesn’t Believe In Propaganda) You Need To Conduct Experiments, So Here’s What I Did-
Statistical Analysis –
Step 1) In the last 10 days took some time off from my schedule and started commenting with facts, figures, rational arguments on every article that was based on propaganda.
Step 2) Waited to count the number of “Likes” and “Dislikes” and use them as a metric to identify the perception of real youths.
Results – AS IT STANDS NOW (can change or MADE to be changed later), the like:dislike ratio is 4.5:1 or in other words for every 1 dislike I got, there were 4.5 Likes = 82% people agreed and 18% disagreed.
Hence this proves that around 82% “Youth” doesn’t believe in bulls#!t, propaganda, but rather for the lack of a better word, is ready to “call a spade a spade”. THE REST 18% THAT DOES IS THE MINORITY
(Benefits of Error- A lot of the audience that comes here is from a “particular section”, hence the percentage of people who don’t believe in propaganda can be greater than 82%)
(Validation/vindication -The 18% that disagrees won’t come up with rational arguments, facts, data but will use slandering as a mean for rebuttal.)
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2. ——– “but why this bias …??”
“Is Duniya mai aisehi kuch bhi nahi hota” > “Nothing happens in this world without a reason”
[Source – Detective Byomkesh Bakshi (Fictional Character) 🙂 ]
Go and study (if you haven’t) about North Korea and what people are taught there (propaganda). It is a perfect example/analogy of how by spreading propaganda you can turn “disbelievers” into “believers”,> control them> rule them! and even when those disbelievers are dying from poverty, sickness they won’t go against you!
Go and study (if you haven’t) about Pakistani textbooks where right from the start the kids/youth are taught how “hindus are evil” (propaganda). How can you make a nation of 170 million people believe that their nation which lacks an identity of its own was created for the “right” reasons? >>>Propaganda.
A lot of people believe that the slogan “Islam is in trouble” originated in the last few years/decades and we saw Islamic terrorism explode.
Check out M.J. AKBAR’s (Editorial Director of India Today) Book “Tinderbox : The Past And Future Of Pakistan” >> You will find the same phrase “Islam is in trouble” as the call to war for the creation of Pakistan.
However, point this historically true fact and you will be immediately branded “Islamophobe” / “Hindutvadi”…..! 🙂
Imagine how many articles we see everyday telling us about the plight of minorities in India (nothing wrong with that). However, how many you find talking about the rights of minorities (Hindus/Christians) in Pakistan or Bangladesh? Think Or do statistical analysis 🙂
A few Pakistani Hindus who still reside and are facing severe oppression (daughters getting abducted on a daily basis/ killings/ abductions for ransom) manage to flee the country somehow and come to India by getting a temporary visa, don’t leave India when they come here. Some of them reside in Delhi at Manju Ka Tila, read about their plight.
Instead of highlighting the plight of those “minorities”, a few media outlets will tell you how “We Exaggerate The Plight Of The Religious Minorities And Women In Pakistan” –
Check this out – http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2013/03/anti-muslim-prejudices-do-we-exaggerate-the-plight-of-the-religious-minorities-and-women-in-pakistanpart-5/
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I gave the example of “Kashmir” in my previous comment, Out of nearly 20 recent articles here (YKA) you will find 18 having an “anti-india” bias (Why do they publish 1-2 unbiased article? Think > “Plausible deniability”> the best cover under which several biased media outlets hide.)
What you won’t find articles on is this >> Kashmir University Students Celebrating India’s defeat in World Cup >Point this out and you will be termed “cricket nationalist” 😀
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11082453_916031298418716_1882998861751177256_n.jpg?oh=b522c7d35becba11de8a5f2ed0386a27&oe=559C3F6E&__gda__=1435985639_952a206ed8295bffdce5f5072176c6ac (source- KUSU Facebook Page)
When the recent Gangrape of nun happened in W.B. > we saw an uproar of how this is happening under “Hindutva extremist”> Checkout the NDTV’s Barkha Dutt episode on YouTube 🙂
However, as soon as it was found out (CCTV Footage) that this was done by Bangladeshi Islamist extremist, you didn’t saw anymore NEWS or discussions regarding this in media.
There are people, institutions (/NGOs) who do good work and then there are people /NGOs who take cover under good work and work for their own interests like – how about breaking India into pieces so that it can be easily Fuc%ed up? Hell, there are several countries, institutions who will love that and pay you a fortune for that!
Once you start looking at things objectively, start asking questions about motives, things become a lot clearer and I am happy that around 82% of the “youth” sees it that way, is asking questions like “why this bias?” , “who is minority here?”
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P.S. – The comments from and likes from people like you that I got was a validation and vindicated my long held belief that a lot of people are rational and don’t believe in propaganda. Only a few gullible can/will be fooled, who will believe anything.Now that I have done so, it’s time to move on and get back to life 🙂 I never used to comment, debate with propagandists, dimwits earlier because it is a sheer waste of time and will offer the same advice to anyone reading this, leave them because they are a ‘minority’ like the ‘Lutyens elite’ used to be. If mere idealism, protests and propaganda was enough to run a nation/state> history has shown us and is still showing us (AAP Fiasco in Delhi) how that ends. AND YEAH STUDY HISTORY, EVEN IF IT APPEARS BORING, IT IS MEANINGFUL 🙂 😉
Veeral
Sad reality. But in my point, the act of Charity is done to remove the sense of ownership towards our wealth. It is done to detach us from the myth that money is everything. So from the point of view of the donor, I should just submit it for a cause that has no personal benefits to me. If the charity is not utilized for the cause, it is the “middleman thief” at fault, not the donor. People may not acknowledge your donation, and some people may loot you in the name of charity. But remember, people may never pay you back, but He will never forget what you have done. So I would acknowledge everyone to keep donating and liberate yourselves.
Rather, I would request the creator of the video to create a sequel video to this one, depicting the “middleman thief” rotting in hell for each penny he acquired which he did not deserve.
Ruhie
This video is to the point! Short and clear. It’s like saying no one knows where it goes – almost like a blackhole, but surely not where it should go. Who keeps accounts for the donations, are there report backs? Different places different rules. Hypocrisy.