Posted on 09/08/2007 12:24:58 PM PDT by blam
Hindus upset over ban on holy dot
By Amarnath Tewary
BBC News, Bihar
Mr Mishra has worn the tilak throughout his career
A senior official in India's Bihar state faces suspension for wearing the Hindu red mark on his forehead at work. Lakshman Mishra, deputy director of the agriculture department, is accused of breaching a new government dress code.
He says he has worn the mark, or tilak, on his forehead at work for 30 years and it is his religious right to do so.
His colleagues support him - nearly all of them arrived at work on Friday wearing red marks in protest, and unions are threatening mass action.
Suicide threat
Mr Mishra's troubles began in August when new guidelines were issued on what state government officials could wear at the office.
His department head, CK Anil, warned Mr Mishra that he considered his tilak to be in breach of the code.
When he refused to remove it, Mr Anil recommended him for suspension.
Mr Anil is a young, no-nonsense civil service high-flier who has already reprimanded staff in another department for spitting out betel leaf they had been chewing at work.
He is currently not taking calls from the media.
Many people in northern India wear the red holy mark on their foreheads and it is a common sight in government offices.
Mr Mishra says he has no intention of giving up the practice.
"I've been sporting the red holy dot on my forehead for the last 30 years of my career," he told the BBC.
"It has religious sentiment for me and if somebody goes on harassing me on this pretext I'll have no option but to commit suicide."
Anger
Barring some senior officials, all the employees of the state agriculture department went to work on Friday with tilaks on their foreheads in protest at his treatment.
Civil servants came out in protest on Friday
They laid siege to Mr Anil's office and demanded he withdraw his recommendation that Mr Mishra be suspended.
"The officer's move has hurt our religious sentiments and as our protest against his order we've come to the office today adorning our foreheads with the red dot. Let him suspend all of us now," said union leader Baidyanath Yadav.
Several other state government unions are also angry and are threatening mass protests if his suspension order is not revoked with immediate effect.
Even state Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh agrees, saying "no one should be suspended for wearing a holy tilak as it's a matter of personal choice".
Remember, India has been a secular state since its inception. In some places, that is taken seriously, especially by the bureaucracy.
As for the dept. head mentioned here, C.K. Anil, just going by the name, he is not a Muslim.
I would not carry this over to immorality. If a guy wants to show up wearing a dress or flaunting his immorality then I say fire him. The line between no morals and no ethics is pretty thin. Cheaters are cheaters. I am not a believer in the idea that a person can be a loser in his private life and it has nothing to do with his public or professional life. Bad character is bad character.
That bears repeating.
L
I do not understand your post at all. You used to pastor a Christian church but you are opposed to evangelism? “Maybe” let Christians have a cross?
The difference between a dot and a burka is beyond words ... I’d say let him keep it.
Tilak: A red mark worn between the eyebrows symbolising the eye of inner vision, or spiritual wisdom.
New Delhi's women apply tilak to troops and tie the rakhi(a band symbolizing protection) around their wrists before they leave for war (year 1965).
Yesterday I saw a man with a red dot on his forehead and around it was drawn a red line. What is that?
As far as him wearing it at work, why not? Are they going to stop women from wearing red lipstick?
I say dots okay, but if they demand comas, off with their heads.
ROTFL! That’s funny.
Oh for Pete's sake, leave the man alone. That red dot isn't going to hurt ANYONE, except those from the ROP who want to control the world. I can see them complaining about that little red dot.
Muslims are underrepresented in civil service in India at about 1% depending on whose stats you believe. According to the 2001 census of India, the population as a whole is 13.4% Muslim. However, most of the Indians I’ve talked to are unabashedly anti-Muslim, and I think that is representative of their society as a whole.
I think he meant Muslims, reread his comment.
I had to sprinkle holy water on my monitor after that was displayed!
LOL, did it work? Look, if you have to replace it, I’m sorry.
‘sounds like it. They do have a very large Muzzie population.’
Our muslim population is 2.6%. If you think that is a very large muslim population, you’d better get your borders closed as you’re overtaking us!
‘‘sounds like it. They do have a very large Muzzie population.’
Our muslim population is 2.6%. If you think that is a very large muslim population, you’d better get your borders closed as you’re overtaking us!”
LOL, ignore that post - one too many beers before a quick freep is a bad idea - it’s 11pm here and I’ve just got in from the pub, thought it was about Britain! Hic! :)
Better a person with a red dot on the forehead than a person with a large callus on the forehead where he has been beating his head against the ground five times a day.
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