National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Chicago, which sparked an outrage among the Hindus with its commentary on an ice hockey match, has removed the objectionable term "weird" from its Web site.
On Wednesday, the NBC commentator, while talking about an ice hockey match between "Nashville Predators" and "Chicago Blackhawks," in which Predators beat Blackhawk, 3-1, said that the Predators were "swallowing up space like some weird Hindu god," to which Hindus strongly objected.
According to reports, the comment perturbed the Hindus as labeling their deities "weird" was considered "inappropriate," and NBC removed the objectionable term from its Web site within a few hours.
Meanwhile, the Universal Society of Hinduism, a Hindu organization based in the United States, has thanked NBC for showing responsibility and maturity in taking quick action and for having an understanding for the hurt feelings of the Hindu community. It was a step in the right direction.
Hindu statesman and President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed said in Nevada that "about one billion Hindus worldwide worshipped their deities almost on a daily basis and labeling them as 'weird' was highly hurting their feelings."
Pointing out that Hinduism advocated "free speech" and its tradition encouraged peaceful debates, he said that "faith is something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Media should be more sensitive while handling faith related subjects, as media like religion is very powerful."
Arguing that Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not be irrelevantly branded as "weird" while commenting on an ice hockey game, he stressed that "these deities were highly revered in Hinduism and inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees."
Last year too, Hindus were shocked and dismayed to see the portrayal of Lord Ganesh in a sex act on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," demonstrated by actors Jim Carrey and Kenan Thomson, mocking the elephant-headed deity and his trunk in the process, Zed added.
