Harvinder Chowdury, a Sikh lawyer, has filed a Public Interest Litigation demanding that the courts ban Sardarji jokes. The courts, much more worryingly, have actually decided to take this seriously. Apparently, they're going to decide if the jokes "offend the Sardar community."
Personally, I think this is a bit much. I mean, are you seriously going to go out and ban Sardarji jokes? Also, Sardarji jokes have been around for ages. How come all of a sudden, people are offended? Why is it a big deal in the first place? I mean, there are tons of communities out there who have jokes made about them. Take, for example, the rednecks. Rednecks don't shoot people for making jokes about them. Rednecks just generally shoot people. But that's neither here nor there.
According to Ms. Chowdury, Sardarji jokes are a violation of the Sikh community's right to equality with other communities. I actually have a theory about equality where jokes are concerned. It is that if you want to be treated equally, be prepared to be made fun of equally. Sardarji jokes aren't meant to be offensive. They're really just... jokes.
It's not like other communities don't have jokes made about them, either. Take, for instance, the Tam-brahms. In a post a while ago, I posted several jokes about Tam-brahms. I didn't see any annoyed Tam-brahms in the comments, did you? I haven't yet read about a Tamilian lawyer trying to get these jokes banned.
The trouble is, India doesn't even seem to have a sense of humour any more. We're offended by jokes about women and jokes about Sardars. We're offended by roasts and we're offended by bullying shown in movies. We're offended, in short, by nearly everything under the sun. I'd say we ought to stop being offended at every drop of a hat, but then no doubt I would offend the Indian Hat-Droppers' Union (or some other organization concerned with falling headgear).
I, personally, hope they don't actually ban Sardarji jokes - or, come to that, any kind of jokes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find some jokes about my own community to be offended by. Maybe I can take the artist to court and make myself a nice pot of money.
Personally, I think this is a bit much. I mean, are you seriously going to go out and ban Sardarji jokes? Also, Sardarji jokes have been around for ages. How come all of a sudden, people are offended? Why is it a big deal in the first place? I mean, there are tons of communities out there who have jokes made about them. Take, for example, the rednecks. Rednecks don't shoot people for making jokes about them. Rednecks just generally shoot people. But that's neither here nor there.
According to Ms. Chowdury, Sardarji jokes are a violation of the Sikh community's right to equality with other communities. I actually have a theory about equality where jokes are concerned. It is that if you want to be treated equally, be prepared to be made fun of equally. Sardarji jokes aren't meant to be offensive. They're really just... jokes.
It's not like other communities don't have jokes made about them, either. Take, for instance, the Tam-brahms. In a post a while ago, I posted several jokes about Tam-brahms. I didn't see any annoyed Tam-brahms in the comments, did you? I haven't yet read about a Tamilian lawyer trying to get these jokes banned.
The trouble is, India doesn't even seem to have a sense of humour any more. We're offended by jokes about women and jokes about Sardars. We're offended by roasts and we're offended by bullying shown in movies. We're offended, in short, by nearly everything under the sun. I'd say we ought to stop being offended at every drop of a hat, but then no doubt I would offend the Indian Hat-Droppers' Union (or some other organization concerned with falling headgear).
I, personally, hope they don't actually ban Sardarji jokes - or, come to that, any kind of jokes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find some jokes about my own community to be offended by. Maybe I can take the artist to court and make myself a nice pot of money.
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