NEW DELHI – Beloved Japanese manga character Doraemon might seem to be an unlikely source of serious controversy.
But in India and Pakistan, the chubby blue robotic cat has become a target of bitter criticism from some politicians and social activists. They are campaigning to ban the popular character from television.
In late July, Ashish Chaturvedi, 26, a prominent social activist in central Madhya Pradesh state, sent a letter to various organisations in India urging a ban on the Doraemon anime series. The recipients of the letter included the central government, the state government, a self-censorship organisation for entertainment programs, and two broadcasters airing the Doraemon series, including Disney India.
The letter enumerates examples of bad influences the TV series is having on children in India. It claims, for instance, that many children have acquired some of the bad traits of one of the central characters, Nobita, a silly and unmotivated pre-teen boy. Doraemon is continually having to help the hapless Nobita get out of various scrapes. In the letter, Chaturvedi alleges that children emulating Nobita have started refusing to do their homework and speaking to their parents and teachers impolitely. He also criticises Nobita for openly saying to a girl in his class, “I like you very much.”
This is no laughing matter in the conservative country. In an interview with The Nikkei, Chaturvedi said a recent major scandal prompted him to launch the campaign to banish the cartoon cat.
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