Hindus approach Embassy of India in Washington DC on holy Ganges denigration issue

NEVADA - Hindus have approached Embassy of India in Washington DC asking for approaching the United States Government for apology from Fox News regarding its comments about holy river Ganges, which they found denigrating.

Glenn Beck, talking about India in December nine segment titled “This is the best America has to offer?” of his opinion show “The One Thing” on Fox News channel, said: “One big river they have there, that sounds like a disease. Come on it does. I mean if somebody said, I am sorry, you have a really bad case of Ganges.”

Bhavna Shinde of Forum for Hindu Awakening, in a communiqui to Ambassador Meera Shankar, wrote: Please take up this issue urgently with the appropriate authorities in the United States Government, urging an apology from Fox News, its parent News Corporation and Glenn Beck, and assurances so that this unnecessary ridiculing of our faith and country does not happen in the future.

Meanwhile, acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that the community was very upset with the remarks and the indifference of Fox News and its parent News Corporation regarding issuing a formal statement on this issue despite protests. Ganges was holy to one billion Hindus world over, including about 2.3 million in USA, and they revere it, and such remarks were very painful to the devotees.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged Fox and its owner News Corporation to be more sensitive when handling faith related subjects, as television was a forceful medium.

It is believed that bath in the sacred Ganges purifies one of all sin, and its water if taken daily confers immortality. It finds mention in Rig-Veda; the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, dated from around 1,500 BCE. Kumbh Mela, starting next month, will see an expected influx of about 100 million people from world over coming to take a dip in Ganges. (ANI)