Censorship – Social Media

Marathi content creator Atharva Sudame deleted a reel promoting religious harmony and pluralism following backlash on social media. Anand Dave of the Brahmin group Akhil Bharatiya Brahman Mahasangh also opposed the video. Sudame later put out an apology video saying he did not intend to hurt sentiments and that he had previously created multiple reels on Hindu festivals, Marathi culture and Marathi language. Dr Hamid Dabholkar of the Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) opposed the hate directed towards Sudame by saying that taking down the reel was a sign of an intolerant society.

In the now-deleted reel, Sudame was shown walking into a Ganpati idol shop to buy an idol and selects one he wants to purchase. The shopkeeper’s son then walks in with a skullcap, revealing that the shop belongs to a Muslim family. The shopkeeper says that Sudame could buy an idol from any other shop if he wished. However Sudame buys the idol from him saying, “While making the Ganpati you had good intentions in your heart, right? My father says we should be like sugar that sweetens both shev kheer as well as sheer khurma, like a brick that makes both a mandir and a masjid, like a flower that is used in a garland as well as a chaddar (holy sheet) as well.”