Gandhi spoof video in YouTube offends India

A spoof video clip of India's most revered figure, Mahatma Gandhi, posted up in the popular website, YouTube.com has earned the ire of one billion–plus people who have strongly denounced it and have demanded that it be taken off the site.

The video clip was posted on YouTube by Indian–born NRI comedian Gautam Prasad in which he impersonates Gandhi who led the struggle for India's independence from Britain with his philosophy of nonviolent resistance.

The spoof showed pacifist Gandhi pole dancing and brandishing an assault rifle.

Prasad, who now works in New York as a comedian and a clown, has apologized for causing offence but declined to withdraw the video.

"I realize this is a controversial subject. I take sole responsibility for any offence that I caused," he told the Indian news channel, NDTV.

"The video has Gandhiji shooting at people with an AK–47, holding a knife at somebody's neck and roaming around with two half–clad women," Ashutosh, managing director of news channel IBN–7, where the video clip was aired, said. "He is also shown doing a striptease and passing vulgar gestures during a pole dance."

"We felt humiliated and angry after seeing the visuals put on the Web site as it is an insult to the father of the nation and so we wanted to share the outrage with the people of India," he said.

The video was shot in the United States, another IBN official said.

Calling the video "shocking and unbelievable," Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter, Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, said, "I cannot imagine the limits to which people can go in the name of making public laugh. Such dirty form of any kind of humour is not appropriate."

"I would definitely like to talk to this man [Gautam Prasad] and know about his psychology. I cannot see people deriving any fun by making such things," she said.

Tara said she had learnt about the videos through the media though she had not actually seen them herself.

"However, I can say with surety that such videos speak volumes about the psychology of a man making such things. I believe he definitely needs to be talked to in this regard," she said.

Meanwhile, the Indian government is contemplating taking action against the YouTube website by blocking it, or asking for the removal of the offending video clip and an apology for hurting the sentiments of Indians.

The government is also planning to take some action against Indian television channels for repeatedly showing this video clip.

Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said in a statement that two Hindi–language channels – IBN–7 and Sahara – have tried "to denigrate Mahatma Gandhi" in a way that was tantamount to an "assault to the dignity of the Father of the Nation" and has demanded an apology.

In Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where Gandhi was born, members of Gandhi Sena held a silent protest, at the Sabarmati Ashram, which was set up by Mahatma Gandhi.

Children sang religious songs as they joined the protest.

Gandhi Sena president Dhimanth Badsia said they would hold a fast till India brings comedian Prasad to book.

"We were shuddered after watching the video clip. Today all the people of Sabarmati Ashram are demonstrating. We have decided to fast till the Indian government books him on the charges of treason," Badsia said.

In Bhubaneswar, a voluntary organisation Kalinga Sena, organized a demonstration and burnt the effigy of Gautam Prasad.

"His (Mahatma Gandhi) disgrace is India's disgrace, the disgrace of one billion people of India. We are staging a protest against Gautam and we demand capital punishment for him," said Kalinga Sena president Hemanth Rath.

In Varanasi, the protests were more violent. Students of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, stopped a train from leaving the Varanasi station.

The students said if their demand to punish Gautam Prasad was overlooked they would step up their protests.

"We'll call for a statewide shutdown if the Government doesn't pay heed to our agitation. And for the time being we have called off the classes at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth," said Chandra Kant Singh, a student of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth.

Mahatma Gandhi is the most revered Indian leader and the common people hold him in high esteem in India. The recent Hindi movie "Lage Raho Munnabhai" inspired by Gandhi's philosophy was a runaway hit. It helped revive interest in Gandhian philosophy among the present younger generation.