Last week at an AIDS Awareness Campaign in Jaipur, India, a small group of right-wing Indians managed to shift the attention from fighting the spread of HIV to an inane case of obscenity against Hollywood actor Richard Gere.
Gere, who kissed famous Indian actress Shilpa Shetty on the cheek, now has a warrant out for his arrest due to his violation of obscenity laws.
Most Indians can agree on the absurdity of this case. Deeming Gere as obscene and vulgar is the work of a minority of fundamentalists trying to create a commotion and hardly the views of the entire country.
In Gere’s defense, he was mimicking a dance routine from his recent film “Shall We Dance.” He has since apologized for his behavior not realizing the media attention he would receive.
But it’s not just the Indian media that have blown the situation out of proportion. Friday, Gere’s kiss was all over American broadcasts as well, giving India negative publicity.
This silly news story depicts a very inaccurate display of Indian society and culture. Stories such as this falsely makes Indians appear narrow minded and prudish in their behavior.
I’m so tired of American media wrongfully characterizing the Indian public. Several times in the past, American media has focused on stories focusing on just a fraction of India’s one billion inhabitants.
For years I’ve been angered by news images of Indian poverty acting as if primitive village life is the norm for the entire subcontinent.
Oprah Winfrey occasionally features stories revealing the mistreatment of women, insinuating all women in India are uneducated, battered and treated as slaves.
These types of imperialist broadcasts depict Indians as people begging for enlightenment when that is hardly the case.
India is a thriving nation and has made so many invaluable contributions, and Indian culture is prevalent across the world.
Yoga, which has ancient origins in India, is practiced by people all across this country. Indian spices and cuisine are hugely popular. Americans order gallons of Indian chi tea.
I see Indian fashion all over campus. Brightly colored Indian bags replicating saris, traditional Indian dress, are carried by several girls. Colorful ornate jewelry has been a staple in India fashion and is only now becoming popular in this country.
Some of the brightest minds have come out of India contributing to the fields of science and technology. The computer software industry is booming in India. The educated, literate, successful and cultured Indian is a better stereotype than what the media likes to display.
I wish the media would broadcast a broader image of India and all its splendor. A few protestors trying to get attention in India coupled with a ravenous American media is a combination for misrepresentation.
India is not a primitive society that is scandalized by a kiss on the cheek by a Hollywood actor.
While India may pride itself in being a moral country, this is a gross exaggeration of the people.
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