Eco crisis talk ends up trashing Facebook, homosexuality

A mention of the economic crisis in the US and Europe in the Lok Sabha started an impromptu discussion on the western model of development. Aloke Tikku reports.

A mention of the economic crisis in the US and Europe in the Lok Sabha started an impromptu discussion on the western model of development.

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It morphed into one to run down “western culture”, Facebook and homosexuality and ended with a new theory on why Indians made an exception and featured erotic art at Khajuraho temples in Madhya Pradesh.

The informal discussion — it was technically a set of speeches by members during zero hour — was started by the BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi. But he stuck to drawing the attention of the House and the government to the economic crisis due to their faulty model of development that could spell disaster the world over.

Sharad Yadav (Janata Dal-United) was next and swerved the debate to western culture. “They killed all values and morality… enjoy…eat, drink and it is people like them who are SMSing,” Yadav said. Fellow socialist, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was equally critical of India aping the West and trying to be a lackey of the US.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad didn’t spend too much time on the economic crisis and kept his focus on the US influence destroying India's age-old culture of saints and sages.

“But how many such temples will we build today… nudity, chatting, valentine, internet, iPod and Facebook were brought from the US to spread nudity all around.”