KATHMANDU : Cable operators in the country will seek content-related clarification from India's Zee TV before airing episodes of 'Buddha', a period drama based on the life of the founder of Buddhism, to ensure Nepalese sentiments are not hurt. They had refused to broadcast the first episode of the weekly serial on Sunday after actor Kabir Bedi, who is playing the lead role, said on Zee News during a promotion of the show on Saturday that Buddha was born in India. His statement had led to protests on social media since many Nepalese are sensitive to claims about the Buddha being born in India.
"We blocked Zee TV between 11.15 am and 12.15 pm on Sunday because of the protests," said Sudhir Parajuli, president, Federation of Nepal Cable TV Operators. He said since the cable operators had not found anything objectionable in the first episode, the 7 pm repeat telecast of the programme on Sunday evening had been aired. "We've been in touch with Zee TV and will seek details of the content before airing future episodes," Parajuli said.Bedi had later corrected himself through this Twitter account, saying: "Yes, my friend; I mis-spoke. Forgive me! Lord Buddha was certainly born in Lumbini, Nepal! My apologies to all whose feelings were hurt."
Cable operators in Nepal fear a backlash like the one in 2000 when four people were killed when protesters went on the rampage against Indian and other businesses after a news report wrongly claimed Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan had said he did not like Nepalese people.Last year 'Time' magazine columnist Fareed Zakaria had had to issue a clarification when he, too, said the Buddha was born in India. Zakaria later said the country called Nepal did not exist when the Buddha was born and he had meant a geographical India rather than a political one.
Earlier this year a television channel had launched a campaign to collect one million signatures asserting the Buddha was born in Nepal. The birthplace of the Buddha was apparently rediscovered and identified in Lumbini in southern Nepal in 1896 by archaeologist P C Mukherjee of the Archaeological Survey of India. Archaeologists believe the Lumbini civilisation was part of the Nareh culture of middle Ganga plain centred around Allahabad.
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