Medievalism rules supreme these days. So, when Kerala minister AK Balan made an off-hand remark in the state Assembly last week that "gods are depicted in temples without clothes on," it predictably created a furore — both inside and outside the House.
Balan said he was "at a loss to know as to why an issue was being made out of sex education as there was no temple without murals and sculptures depicting scenes from Vatsyayana's 'Kama Sutra' and gods are depicted without clothes on."
That got the goat of all you-know-who. The Opposition said it would boycott him in the House during the current session till he apologised for "hurting the sentiments of believers." Uff, what are we going to do with these hypersensitive sentiments.
So, everyone is entitled to an opinion except non-believers. And everyone has the right to free speech except non-believers. And all non-believers must do and speak they way believers would want them to.
But come to think of it, did he say something factually incorrect? If naked deities in shrines are embodiments of Indian culture, they obviously cannot be obscene.
