If you thought that burning effigies is a disease that afflicts only the Islamic world, you’re wrong. It is a way of protest that is catching up more and more among Hindus in India, as well.

The most recent examples are the protests that erupted after Lord Krishna was dressed in jeans and was seen having a mobile phone in his hand.

Goswami, at the request of some fun-loving devotees, gave the deity on Thursday a “modern look” complete with jeans and a shirt and wielding a mobile phone. The western dressing of the idol had led to strong protests in the holy town and raised a public outrage.

How long will we take to understand that the mobile phone is not entirely the creation of the West? When will we realise that the development of the mobile phone was also helped by Eastern companies and definitely some Indians as well? The mobile phone belongs to all humanity and not a single country or cultural division.

Now how does dressing Lord Krishna in jeans with a cool mobile in hand amount to sacrilege? My take is that dear Gopala himself would’ve loved to be dressed in some fashionable clothes.

Till yesterday afternoon, Goswami had bravely stuck to his guns, saying the new attire was perfectly in keeping with Krishna’s image of a playful god with many faces and avatars, always game for a bit of leela (illusion or prank).

“Nitya naya roop, nitya naya leela, Krishna ka yehi hai parichay. Kya guna kiya hamne (A new face and a new trick every day, that’s the hallmark of Krishna. What sin have I committed)?” the chief priest had told reporters in Vrindavan. (link)

Ejjactly. Moreover, the Lord has no form. He’s Eternal. Drill some of that into your devotees’ muddled brains. They lack basic understanding of their own religion.

In another case, Sania Mirza allegedly stepped on the national flag and subsequently, her effigy was burnt. Now, if she indeed stepped on the flag, she has hurt my sentiments as well. Therefore, I would take legal recourse and get a case registered against her under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act but I wouldnt go about burning her effigies.