Success : Star TV withdraws promo of ‘India’s Raw Star’ that denigrates Deity Hanuman !

Star TV India had launched a singing talent hunt show featuring Hirdesh Singh (aka Yo Yo Honey Singh). To promote this show they had prepared an advertisement that showed Honey Singh visiting a Maruti Mandir and ‘talking’ to Deity Hanuman about his requirements. In the end it was shown that Hanuman blesses Honey Singh by saying his show will be a ‘Super hit’.

Devout Hindus who had come across this advertisement on YouTube, contacted Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and voiced their displeasure about he way Deity Hanuman was depicted.

An HJS volunteer promptly sent an email to Star TV explaining how the advertisement hurt the sentiments of Hindus. (Please read further for the email)

Star TV responded to the email with the explanation that their team had used their artistic freedom while ensuring that no one’s sentiments would be hurt. However they also promptly removed the video from YouTube (previously available on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbunZGLXZiU )

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti commends Star TV for its prompt action and also expresses the wish that Star TV and its affiliates will ensure that Hindu sentiments are not hurt in future.

Protest letter sent by HJS to Star TV

Date : 20.10.2014

To,
Star India Pvt. Ltd,
Star House,
Off Dr.E.Moses Road,
Mahalaxmi,
Mumbai – 400011
Tel: 91-22-66305555
Fax: 91-22-66305050
    Email : [email protected]

Dear Sir / Madam,

    Sub: Request to remove ‘India’s Raw Star promo’ YouTube video
that denigrates Deity Hanuman               
    Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is a registered NGO engaged in social, religious and National welfare work. The Samiti is active throughout the world, educating people about Dharma in scientific way, campaigning against malpractices that have been attached to religious practices while also solving issues of national, social and religious importance. We also For further details please refer to our website www.HinduJagruti.org
    We understand that you want to capture the attention of the Indian television audience and promote your show. You even want to project the ‘uniqueness’ of your show, and presumably since you are airing this show in Hindu majority India, you and your creative team decided to use a revered Hindu Deity as the object of your advertisement. We have received numerous complaints about the content of the said advertisement, which mainly concerns with the following
(Voice over) Deity Hanuman asks if the artist wants 3 celebrity judges, or two talented anchors or 10 singers with talents like that of Tansen. To which Hirdesh Singh (Yo Yo Honey Singh) replies that he only wants original singers. After this, the ‘voice’ ‘blesses’ him with a flower.
    This is a gross denigration of the most revered Deity, Shri Hanuman. The relation between a devotee and a Deity is sacred and should be respected as such. You have reduced it to a mockery. Using Deity Hanuman (or any other Deity) to publicize your show is a denigration of the Deity and an offense as per Indian Penal Code section 295A.
    Also, it seems that there is some malicious intent behind the denigration of a Hindu Deity. We have not come across any advertisement for India’s Raw Star, wherein Honey Singh goes to a Mosque where Allah speaks and blesses him, or a church where Jesus Christ speaks from the Cross. We believe you very well know the vocal and legal hassles you will face if you do this. If this respect can be accorded to other religions, then we only ask you to do the same towards Hindu Dharma and its Deities.
    We request you to immediately delete the said video form YouTube and all other video hosting / sharing websites, tender a public apology and refrain from ridiculing Hindu Deities in any form whatsoever.
Please acknowledge this letter and inform us in writing about the action taken by you in this regard.
  Regards,                  
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

 

Reply from Star TV to HJS

Dear Hindu Janajagruti Samiti member/s,

This is with reference with your mail dated October 19, 2014.

With regard to your mail about a promo for India’s Raw Star (‘Program’) which is being telecast on the YouTube platform, we would like to clarify that the promo of the Program shows Mr. Honey Singh to be a bhakt (devotee) of God Hanuman. The promo depicts Mr. Singh praying to Lord Hanuman and asking for his blessings towards the success of the Program.

The promo features Mr. Honey Singh going to Lord Hanuman’s temple, praying to him and seeking his blessings for the Program to become a hit. Lord’s voice asks Mr. Singh if he needs some celebrity judges, funny anchors, copycat playback singers to make the Program a hit.  Mr. Singh declines respectfully and requests only for raw talented singers which is the prime focus of the Program.

The promo does not attract the provisions of Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 since it can hardly qualify as being a ‘deliberate and malicious’ attempt on anyone’s part to ‘outrage and/or insult the religious feelings of any class of citizens’. Contrary to the opposite, the powers and prominence of Lord Hanuman are being depicted and getting upheld throughout the promo. Nowhere during the promo is there any instance/depiction/utterance of disrespect and/or insult towards Lord Hanuman. Additionally, neither was it nor has it ever been the intention of Star India to hurt the religious sentiments of any of our viewers. Please be assured that Star India is a law abiding and conscientious corporate organization with deep ingrained values and sentiments. We would never do any act(s), let alone intentionally which would hurt or offend the sentiments of any caste, creed, community or person.

To reiterate, the promo of the Program is merely the end result of the expression of our creative and artistic freedom and the intention never was to demean any particular Hindu God and/or hurt religious sentiments of our viewers. Mr. Honey Singh, like any other devotee is merely requesting God to fulfil his wishes i.e. help in the hunt for true talent.

That said, in view of your feedback and out of sheer respect to your feelings, we have discontinued the promo of the Program on the YouTube platform. We thank you for writing in to us and hope that you continue to enjoy watching our shows.

In case you are not satisfied with our response and would want to pursue the matter, you may write to IBF, at the email id [[email protected]]

Regards,
Consumer Response Cell.

Tel: + | 1800 3000 7827
Email: [email protected]

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