In a move that has stirred both controversy and debate, an Indian court has intervened in the naming of two lions residing in Siliguri zoo, urging authorities to find alternative appellations. Sita and Akbar, the lion duo, found themselves at the center of a legal battle after a religious faction petitioned against their shared enclosure.
Hailing from a neighboring state as part of an animal exchange initiative, Sita and Akbar’s arrival in Siliguri zoo sparked outrage among members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a prominent Hindu organization known for its staunch advocacy against interfaith relationships.
The VHP, denouncing the lions’ cohabitation as an act of blasphemy and an affront to Hindu sentiments, swiftly took the matter to court. Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya of the Calcutta High Court, presiding over the case, ruled in favor of the petitioners’ demand for renaming the lion pair.
Expressing concerns over potential controversies, Justice Bhattacharyya emphasized the necessity of discontinuing the usage of names associated with revered religious figures. Sita, a figure from the Hindu epic Ramayana, symbolizing purity and devotion, and Akbar, the illustrious 16th-century Mughal emperor, whose reign shaped India’s history, were deemed unfitting appellations by the court.
Government counsel, Joyjit Choudhury, assured the court of the state’s willingness to comply with the directive, indicating that renaming the lions was already under consideration.
The contentious nature of the issue underscores the broader backdrop of religious tensions prevailing in India. Critics have pointed to a growing wave of religious intolerance, particularly towards the country’s sizable Muslim minority, during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The VHP, closely associated with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been at the forefront of campaigns against interfaith marriages, citing concerns over the purported “Love Jihad” conspiracy theory. This theory alleges that Muslim men deceive Hindu women into marriage to facilitate their conversion to Islam, a claim vehemently rejected by minority groups.
As the debate rages on, the fate of the lion pair remains uncertain, caught in the crosscurrents of religious sensitivities and legal mandates.
