Nepal magazine apologises for cartoon on �Idol� hero

Monday, 08 October , 2007, 11:49

Kathmandu: Soon after an Indian radio station apologised for offensive comments on Nepali-origin policeman Prashant Tamang who won the Indian Idol contest, a Nepal magazine had to Monday publicly say sorry for a cartoon that protestors said maligned both the singer and his community. In its latest edition, the popular Nepali fortnightly Himal Khabarpatrika published a cartoon by its regular cartoonist Rabin Sayami that outraged the peace-loving Buddhist Tamang community to which Prashant belongs. The first sequence of the cartoon titled "Prashant Tamang in Kathmandu", published in the magazine's regular column 'Muhurta' (Moment), shows a beaming Prashant waving a microphone before a sea of ecstatic fans, an allusion to the runaway success of the Idol's recent concert in Kathmandu. Indian Idol 3: The official website | In Video: Watch the 40 best moments on Indian Idol 3 | All about Amit, Prashant & all Idol contestants The second image called "Phulmaya Tamang in Mumbai" shows a scantily clad woman, her clothes scattered on the floor, sitting near an empty bed and weeping piteously. It is an obvious allusion to the plight of the large number of Nepali women, who are trafficked to India every year and forced into prostitution, especially in Mumbai. On Monday, the editor of the magazine tendered a public apology, saying it was not its intention to hurt or malign any community. "The satire was directed at the chronic exploitation by the state, which was the cause of social problems," said the apology, printed in Nepal's biggest daily Kantipur. "We apologise for having hurt the sentiments of the Tamang community." The Tamang community, once among the most exploited in Nepal, has begun fighting for its rights under the umbrella of the Nepal Adivasi Janajati Mahasangh, demanding an autonomous state for its people. Protests started pouring in from the community soon after the magazine hit the stands last Wednesday, forcing its publishers to remove the offending cartoon from its web site. The cartoon incident comes after violence erupted in Darjeeling and Siliguri towns of India's West Bengal district after a radio jockey in an FM station programme made derogatory comments about Prashant's victory

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