Hindus Object To Statue Of 'Christian' Charlie Chaplin

"The 67 ft statue was to be erected as a tribute in a film sequence by a Bollywood director. But the installation was halted after protests from members of the nationalist BJP party who claimed it "hurt Hindu sentiment".

Activists in Udupi, near Bangalore, told the director, Hemant Hegde, that they would not allow the statue because Chaplin was a Christian, and that any statue would have to honour the Hindu guru Swami Vivekananda instead." (Via Telegraph)

"The Chaplin sculpture, which would have shown him in his baggy trousers and bowler hat, was being built at a cost of about 3.5 million rupees (£48,600) near the town of Udupi, the site of several important Hindu temples. It was to form part of a set for a dance routine in a film but work ground to a halt when Hindu activists chased the workers away and buried the materials." (Via Timesonline)

"Meanwhile film director Hemanth Hegde told CNN-IBN that he had the clearance from the Tourism department. The objections to a christians statue near a temple may force him to shift the location to Karwar. "They said we can't see Chaplin's statue and then go the temple, I asked why, they said because he is Christian. I have seen Om beach at Gokaran and a beach at Karawar and I will finalise one of them for the shoot," said Hegde.

However, the state Home Minister Dr V S Acharya is against it. "There's no place for all statues like that and it will be a problem till the picture is over," said state Acharya. Clearly, there is no place for Hollywood's renowned comedians statue in Karnataka." (Via IBNLIVE)

My thoughts: Comeon people it is just a statue of a great comedian, he aint hurting anyone and I guess he never did. I loved Charlie Chaplin as a kid and am sure that generations to come will love him too. And clearly people who say there is no place for Charlie should rethink their own religious beliefs. And people who say that they can't see Charlie's statue and go to the temple should stop looking at themselves in the mirror before going to the temple. Charlie you were/are/will be a hero with or without a statue.