Manipal: Poster hurts religious faith; students apologize for mistake

 

Udupi, 04 Oct 2013: Timely intervention of the police and the deputy commissioner of Udupi district averted a possible communally discordant note in Udupi and Manipal on Wednesday.

 

Students of Manipal University had printed posters of The Last Supper’’ with the face of the Jesus and his disciples replaced by heads of mice without knowing the significance of the picture and pasted it in and around Manipal.

 

Around 400 posters were pasted by the students to publicise their stage play ’The Mouse Trap’ scheduled to be staged at the Syndicate Bank Golden Jubilee Hall, Manipal, on October 14.

 

Catholics who found these pictures offensive brought it to the notice of Rev Francis Lewis, Christ Church, Manipal. He immediately informed the Manipal police in this regard. But the police did not take it seriously. Later, Rev Lewis brought the matter to the notice of superintendent of police M B Boralingaiah and deputy commissioner M T Reju. As the contact numbers of the organisers of the event were printed in the poster, they were called and told to remove the pictures. Students readily agreed after realizing the mistake.

 

Laxmi, a student and the organiser of the stage play, said that it was not done intentionally to hurt anyone. They had downloaded the picture from the internet and had printed it, she said. She also apologized for hurting the feelings of Christians and said the mistake would not be repeated. No case was registered in this regard at Manipal police station.