India
Indians were enraged after CNN called Varanasi 'the city of the dead'.
Updated : Mar 04, 2017, 07:31 PM IST
On a day that Varanasi was the centre of attention as PM Modi, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi campaigned there for the Uttar Pradesh state elections, it was also getting attention online. On Saturday, Indians slammed CNN on Twitter for posting a preview of a video for Reza Aslan’s show called Believer in which they termed Varanasi ‘the city of the dead’.
Indians slammed CNN On Twitter for their ‘ignorance’ and claimed that US President Trump’s ‘fake news’ jibes weren’t off the mark. Here are some of the tweets:
CNN sure knows how not to hide its ignorance and racist mentality https://t.co/q9UELb9cRM
— none at all (@YodhaBrahmana) March 4, 2017
It's not the city of the dead but the city of attaining immortality.. #Moksha https://t.co/aTnf1HjO2E
— S™ (@smadygo) March 4, 2017
. @CNN it's not and it never was known as the city of dead. pl do read @DianaEck "Banaras: City of Light" https://t.co/Jx6Mdia2rS
— Santosh K Misra, IAS (@misra_ias) March 4, 2017
This is why @CNN is called fake news, Calls Varanasi city of Dead@HinduRajyam @SV99999 @noconversion https://t.co/nbutXiDSsR
— GappuRaja (@GappuRaja1) March 4, 2017
Breaking news
— Dr.Madhur Agrawal (@madhuragrawal22) March 4, 2017
CNN found Ghosts n vampires
R u a news channel or a comedy show ? https://t.co/aHF8WQgoXP
Read the responses to this tweet. CNN lives up to its reputation of manufacturing fake news https://t.co/sMJGcIMkwQ
— JokerAkhtarJhadu WTF (@tweetbison) March 4, 2017
#fakenews #cnnfakenews@realDonaldTrump
— Destroyer (@Parashurama_666) March 4, 2017
CNN spreading outright lies. This bogus channel should be off-air. https://t.co/JqFZJUJwnJ
@its_Smriti Disgusting reporting by @CNN @rezaaslan Its one of best place for people to gain knowledge @CNNOriginals https://t.co/p1UPZV2IVS
— shailendra singh (@shaksingh) March 4, 2017
Dear @cnn, how's business going after your own President certified you as fake.. Wait "VERY fake news" network? https://t.co/3cxqqjXsMk
— || रम्या || (@SriSutaa) March 4, 2017
@CNN stop undermining Indian heritage & history.
— Jaggu (@jaggu916) March 4, 2017
Kashi is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world! Get it right. https://t.co/nAxNmWqYK3
Perhaps CNN called Varanasi the ‘city of the dead’ because a lot of Hindus consider the city holy and many believe that dying in Varanasi or Kashi will help one attain enlightenment or moksha. Some hotels in Varanasi, even have signs saying that if one doesn’t die soon, one ought to check out.
In the Matsya Purana, one of the 18 major Puranas, Lord Shiva says that Kashi or Varanasi is ‘the place for liberation. Lord Shiva was quoted saying: “Varanasi is always my most secret place, the cause of liberation for all creatures. All sins which one may have accumulated in thousands of previous lives disappears as soon as one enters Avimukta.”
Given that the likes of CNN bend over backwards when commenting or talking about certain religions, it wouldn’t’ be asking for too much to do a little more research before shoving stereotyped and borderline racist post-colonial epithets upon our shelves.