“I am not really agitated as I have not read much about the man (Hitler). However, from what I know about Hitler, I find this name rather amusing.”

AMUSING?
Okay, lets start amusing...
what is next?
the genocide grocery store?
idi amin's dosa shack?
kadafi's kati roll?
mao tse tungs tea shop?

ridiculous.
i call a macaca boycott ..

Disgusting. Utterly disgusting.

*On a somewhat related note, I can't stand those Che t-shirts and all that Soviet-type iconography.....ick.

Oh, the 'all that Soviet iconography' wasn't meant to refer to Che, but, uh, you know what I'm getting at.

chick pea, don't forget to try the Roast Schoolboy at Bokassa's Bar & Grill...

There are just no words.

not limited to brownland. a japanese soft drink company used him to promote their brand.

In my openion,in general Indians are relatively less anti nazi than the Europeans or the Americans.This is not to say we support them,but because we were not affected by facism as the Europeans neither we were directly involved in the war.So its understandable that people are not as sensitive as the others are.

It's about time.

We have a KGB bar here in NY. Che Guevara t-shirts are still in style. There's a "House of Mao", restaurant in Singapore. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I'm thinking about opening the Aparthied Restaurant & Bar...for those with discriminating taste.

WTF...G Quotes "People are being indifferent in pursuit of being different"..Shame on such ignorance..maybe they might even put up a mel gibson poster up there..F**in Page 3 Idiots..Page 3 my Ass..i wonder if those celebs could read even 3 pages.no wonder they have filled them pages with pictures..

"We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tell people we are different in the way he was different.“…
yes, nothing induces relaxation and enjoyment more than a photo of Hitler.

and this was the best example of "being different" they could come up with? perhaps mumbai's jewish community could enlighten them on how hitler was "different." given the actor's statement about not knowing much about hitler and the above comment, i wonder if it's not intentional malice but just ignorance stemming from a lack of knowledge? i mean it would make more sense if they actually expressed some sort of admiration for him and knowledge of him.

kumar's logic is correct. volga germans who emigrated to germany within the last 15 years still used the word 'furher' in everyday conversation (not relating to hitler) and what not. they had to be reeducated to speak post-1945 german.

Okay, lets start amusing...what is next?

Stalin Samosa Shop.
Mahmud Ghazni's Mouthwatering Masala Dosas.
Al-Qaeda Atrocity Appetising After-dinner Snacks.
Jalebi Jihad Junction.
Kill-the-Kafir Corner.
Mlechcha Morsels.
Partition Pizzas.

don't forget to try the Roast Schoolboy at Bokassa's Bar & Grill...

As I mentioned once on SM a while ago, "roasting" means something very dubious indeed here in the UK, so Siddhartha's suggestion is actually even worse than it sounds.....

siddhartha:

oops.. how could i forget?
and a friendly reminder to patron these stores:

ferdinand marco's pita hut
castros cigar shop
ayatollah khemeneni falafels
kim jongs juicy juice
robert magabe's margaritas...

We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tell people we are different in the way he was different.“…

the way he was a mass murderer? okay... and you're a restaurant? okay...so do we need to hire our own taste testers to make sure you're not poisoning us? i mean how RETARDED are these people? i'm embarrased to be brown right now... seriously...embarrased...

I understand that people in India in general are not much affected by the happenings of WWII, but at least everybody know about the great number of people that perished during the Nazi regime? At least they could show some sensitivity? It'll be like opening a Jinnah Cafe in North India.

On the topic of communism, I think that the reason that Soviet logos are not so reviled is that the original ideal of communism wasn't mass extermination of certain sections of the population, though the Gulags took a great toll on the Russian people. I'm not saying that I agree with this logic but I believe this is how it is. Besides, most people I've seen who parade around in Che shirts and bags actually don't have the faintest idea exactly who the guy is who's being depicted on their clothing.

but at least everybody know about the great number of people that perished during the Nazi regime?

how many in the west know abt the partition? or anything abt the long bloody history of the subcontinent in the last millenium? to many indians, if anything, hitler is the just the look alike of charlie chaplin in the great dictator. not everyone in the world cares abt the west.

This just goes right along with the TV crew that assisted suicide. What is wrong with us?? I say "us" because these people really are representatives of the Indian community. Whether that's right or wrong, it's human for other people to jugde these people and form opinions about the entire Indian community. The world's image of the South Asian community--at least in South Asia--is rapidly becoming tarnished by stories like these.

Bytewords,

how many in the west know abt the partition?

It's very well-known in Britain.....

or anything abt the long bloody history of the subcontinent in the last millenium?

.....but not so much is known about pre-colonial times, although generally people have heard of the Mughal Empire.

^^^^^

not that i support it, but i think i can understand they actually meant

We are not promoting Hitler

while doing what they did. but still i really think they should change their name.

quote

but at least everybody know about the great number of people that perished during the Nazi regime?

I don't think many people in India know the extent of atrocities committed by nazis.The general idea about Hitler in India is "Hitler is a bad guy".Thats all.The ones who know are who have in some way or the other an interaction with people of other nationalities and you can imagine out of 1Bn how many have that.

Another reason for this might be the potrayal of Hitler in Indian movies-mostly an object of comedy(toothbrush mustache anyone?).

I understand that people in India in general are not much affected by the happenings of WWII

One of the most bloodiest theater in WW II was the Burma front.

Around 50,000 Indians died in WW II, fighting on various fronts, including the Battle of Al Alamein in North Africa (Montgomery-Rommel), Malay front (a lot of surrended soldiers went to join INA).

There used to be magazine Imprint, where one of the historian wrote about India and WWII - it is very complicated because of Quit India Movement, Indian British Army, Legacy of Mountbatten of Burma in India (Vice Supreme Allied Commander), Netaji Subhash Chand Bose, and why Field Marshall Rommel was once a household name in Bengal.

I am not surprised about Hitler cafe - "Hitlerwallah" is an idion in India

What is wrong with us?? I say "us" because these people really are representatives of the Indian community.

There appear to be serious problems in India regarding sensitivity to other cultures and their respective peoples. The endemic, unthinking racism (all "just jokes", apparently) towards people from other countries and ethnicities (including frequent examples within the Indian media) is another example of this, as we've all discussed previously on SM.

Someone should open a restaurant called "Jallianwalla Bagh Junction", and then perhaps certain people will see the point. Not so funny and "harmless" after all.

Imagine how the American natives, "indians", feel, when they see the eulogizing of columbus..

Pol Pot's Pot Roast
Pinochet's Pickle House
Bush's Burger Heaven

The problem with this game is that the world has experienced way too many despots. That doesn't excuse the idiots who named the restaurant however.

It's a sort of cultural ingnorance. One year during Diwali a cousin (who just arrived in the u.s. a few months before) wanted to put a swatika in christmas lights on the front of the house. From his point of view it was a perfectly innocent expression of faith.

One five minute history lesson later. problem solved. (It doesn't take long to explain "killed millions of people for no good reason")

Assuming this was a naive move on the part of these businessmen, is there a way to get through to these people? If there's contact information for these guys anywhere maybe we could send them a link to the wilkipedia entry on the Holocaust.

Yes, I did get some education in the dark ages: at school in India and Pak I rarely heard about Hitler's dastardly deeds. MOST Asians in Asia do not know much about Hitler or apartheid or black slavery for that matter.

my kaka hitler bhai sends his best.

Yahoo News is carrying a picture of the restaurant here

The DNA link doesn't seem to be working any longer.

One year during Diwali a cousin (who just arrived in the u.s. a few months before) wanted to put a swatika in christmas lights on the front of the house. From his point of view it was a perfectly innocent expression of faith.

um..the hil:

the hindu sign is vastly different than the nazi swastika...
it's turned differently...

then:

The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit svastika (in Devanagari, स्वस्ितक), meaning any lucky or auspicious object, and in particular a mark made on persons and things to denote good luck. It is composed of su- (cognate with Greek ευ-, "eu-"), meaning "good, well" and asti a verbal abstract to the root as "to be"; svasti thus means "well-being".

for hitler to demonize this fantastic symbol is also atrocious...

One of the most bloodiest theater in WW II was the Burma front.

Around 50,000 Indians died in WW II, fighting on various fronts, including the Battle of Al Alamein in North Africa (Montgomery-Rommel), Malay front (a lot of surrended soldiers went to join INA).

There used to be magazine Imprint, where one of the historian wrote about India and WWII - it is very complicated because of Quit India Movement, Indian British Army, Legacy of Mountbatten of Burma in India (Vice Supreme Allied Commander), Netaji Subhash Chand Bose, and why Field Marshall Rommel was once a household name in Bengal.

the swastika motif is found in many cultures. unfortunately, people forget to notice the way they turn....

the most famous battles happened in Europe

hey now, mebee in europe the most famous battles happened in europe, but don't forget the pacific theater. iwa jima? guadalcanal?

Since the manager is Muslim I will assume the owner is to, but I'm sure the intense dislike Muslims have for Jews has nothing to do with this.

This is just another example of rich people in India who have no brains and dont have to fear any competition from anyone.

but if this restaurant is a success then I will be opening a Rawanadan House of Genocide and Pancakes in India soon.

what's also annoying is that they brazenly feature the nazi swastika (a distortion of the hindu/buddhist one) in a country where the symbol has an altogether different significance. people who don't know anything about the swastika's origins already equate it with only evil, this will make it even harder for hindus/buddhists in the west to educate the public about the differences.

Chick pea, I think the point was that it might not sit very well with the neighbourhood if the façade of the house was decorated with a huge glittering swastika....(most in the West have no idea about it's Sanskrit origins)

#33 is really strange as spam goes.

I agree it is disgusting. But, Hitler is not considered as evil in india as he is considered in the west. Many hard-core indian nationalists (like the RSS idealogues..) admired hitler for giving Brits the finger. India's Subhash Bose hoped to join the 'Axis of evil' to fight the british.

Since the hil said:

"It's a sort of cultural ingnorance. One year during Diwali a cousin (who just arrived in the u.s. a few months before) wanted to put a swatika in christmas lights on the front of the house. From his point of view it was a perfectly innocent expression of faith.

One five minute history lesson later. problem solved. (It doesn't take long to explain "killed millions of people for no good reason")"

I would suggest that he/she also take a look at the wiki article on swastika. When I was a kid, on Ganesh Chaturthi in India, we maked up our textbooks with swastikas, in vermilion and turmeric. If I repeat this now, would I be called a neo-Nazi? :)

One of my posts has been deleted. It was meant to be sarcastic. But if the admins thought it would have caused problems and deleted it, am alrite with it. Sorry if I offended anyone. Didn't mean to.

Ken

I am just picturing all the talk on Bill O' Reily and new talk radio.

This is not good at all. I am sure this will be on The Daily show tonight, unless there is a rerun

meena:
i see the point, however, it's nice to educate the people around you who don't know what it means...

for example... i decorated my clay pot back in pottery class in high school with hindu swastikas since it was going to be used for puja purposes..my teacher FREAKED out... yet i explained, with written evidence (way back in the day before online wiki and such) of what it meant.. it educated and enlightened... teaching and learning from one another about culture might make for more peaceful and tolerant times..

hey now, mebee in europe the most famous battles happened in europe, but don't forget the pacific theater. iwa jima? guadalcanal?

chick pea,

Good Point but...

You know the difference, I know the difference, but do you expect the average american to care?

As much as I hate that the Nazi's appropriated the symbol for their propoganda, as far as the western hemisphere is concerned it doesn't matter how it's oriented, the damage is done. Especially when seen out of the context of Ganapati's palm.

I never said cultural ignorance was mutually exclusive ;)

"If I repeat this now, would I be called a neo-Nazi? :)"

Nope, youd be a paleo-"nazi"

do you expect the average american to care?

actually, i do...
most people i know are interested in learning..
as am i...

we are all in the dark otherwise..
and that leads to the stupidity as seen above...with the restaurant...

another thing is,in Indian movies Hitler os portrayed as an object of comedy (toothbrust mustache anyone?) and majority on Indians get their gyan from movies.So its only expected that no one really knows much.Who know the extent of Atrocities are just a drop in the ocean (literally!)

chick pea,

most people are cool with being educated. i even know a guy from a jewish background who converted to buddhism who is now pro-buddhist swastika.

but it takes time out of your day.

It is never about being PC when it comes to business in India (which I deeply despise). They openly practise all sorts of discrimnation, be it by basis of caste, religion or community. So, it comes as no surprise to me that someone has used Hitler's name to promote his shop. I wont be surprised if someone opened a shop with Osama as theme either.

Also, the adminstration or politicians cant do much about it because, they themselves never cared about being politically correct either. In Laloos land, if they can buy a vote for 1000 rs, who needs such hindrances like ethics and morals. Indian democracy is like stock market, short sighted and long-sighed.

but it takes time out of your day.

of course it does..
as does posting on SM ;)..
we each learn from one another..
the beauty of blogging and reading..
some of the most important things take time..

time is precious..
and educating and learning is also precious..
just depends on what you find to be important...
to each their own...

Indian movies Hitler os portrayed as an object of comedy (toothbrust mustache anyone?) and majority on Indians get their gyan from movies

Sure, they do like Asrani "Angrazo ka Jamana ka Jailer" in Sholay. However, the origin lies from Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator not Hilter himself.

Hitler's Final Solution has never been discussed in India at school level sans few "Coffee House/ Max Mueller Bhavan/ British Council Library" intellectuals.

Remember, both the world wars were heavily funded by Indian raw materials in addition to soldiers. If you go to New Orleans' "D-Day Museum", you can see one of the RAF bombers that was named after a Punjabi village.

Some of you people are just bursting with excuses arent you? Your saying these people have the intelligence to open a major restaurant with celebrities and all coming to the grand opening but dont know who Hitler is?

These people are not the same people, who are digging well's in villages for water and think that streets are literally paved in Gold in America.

Another reason for this might be the potrayal of Hitler in Indian movies-mostly an object of comedy(toothbrush mustache anyone?)

On another note, Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu's chief minister) has a son called Stalin. Stalin is a politician himself. The fact that the original Stalin was a brutal dictator has never been highlighted in India the same way that it has been in the West.

Imagine how the American natives, "indians", feel, when they see the eulogizing of columbus..

Yeah, how 'bout that, sister macacas and brother macacas? There were many mass murderers, but Hitler is always shown as the main man. I don't think this has anything to do with "It's because Jews run America" kind of theory (sounds like exaggerated BS to me). I think it's simply because he did his stuff right in the middle of Europe, in full view to Europeans, who and their descendents seem to have a lot of say in how history is written and taught today.

Business in India is all out dirty. Its only a matter of time before they open a restaurant where you cant be darker then khaki in order to enter.

same way that it has been in the West.

well, stalin is not odious in the west either, just as communism gets a relative pass in comparison to nazism.

Subhash Chandra Bose sought both German and Japanese support for the Azad Hind Fauz (Free India Amrmy), and believed that the enemy of the British were India's allies. Remember that the Third Reich sponsored Azad Hind Radio as well, in which Bose declared a government in exile. I believe he was critical of Hitler's treatment of the Jews and eventually grew disillusioned with him when he did not show enough interest in India's independence.

Check out Shyam Benegal's movie on Bose, which includes a meeting with Bose and Hitler.

51

Who says celebrities (anywhere in the world) have any intelligance ;)

Free Speech proponents becoming so furious about naming a eatery ??!!!.... woh! take it easy guys....Hard Rock Cafes have Ganesha & other Hindu deities in their bar section! We all seem to tolerate it very well.....!!

[VERY unnecessary further comment deleted. We get your point. - Admin]

Hard Rock Cafes have Ganesha & other Hindu deities in their bar section! We all seem to tolerate it very well.....!!

isaac tigrett, one of the founders of the hard rock along with peter morton (first one founded in london on park lane 1971--yes i have a super fascination with the HRC), follows Sai Baba and hence you will see hindu photos around each of the hard rocks.. he has carried this onto his next empire of restaurants 'house of blues'... it was something that he wanted to do..similar to hindu restaurants portraying little mandirs, chinese nail shops having their buddha shrine, and some ismali shops having the photo of agha khan....

just some background fyi..

re:the post: WTF?!

I once drew swastikas in red marker on my hands, in imitation of the markings on Ramchandra's hands in my favorite movie. My British schoolteacher knew both sides of the problem, explaiend it to me, and I both stopped and went to the library and checked out a biography of Hitler and a history of WWII. I'll take every opportunity to educate peopel about the difference in the Swastika, and I'm not going to give up the right to use the Hindu one, but neither will I rub it in people's faces without the opportunity to explain what it really is.

Suraj is right! This is free speech and there is no place on earth more free then India.

Suraj, you just took 1st place in the idiot of the day contest.

Free speech goes both ways, buddy. That's why we're all giving our opinions about this idiot move. See? Right there, free speech :)

#62 was to Suraj

chick Pea " it was something that he wanted to do..similar to hindu restaurants portraying little mandirs,"

Hindu restaurants definitely portray little mandirs at the cashier, mostly to have a "blessing" for the business to run smoothly and prosperously!!..Hard Rock Cafe using Hindu Deities for "Decoration" purposes and not for any specific devotional or religious purpose.

That's a big difference.

Its OK to support South Africa's apartheid govt. by the US, officially. Its also OK for US to ELECT apartheid supporter a0hole as VP, but not OK if you say anything about the white people's good war. Thats the only real war you know, rest all black and brown people's wars dont mean sh$t. Dont you get it. And yes, give up that Swastika too. I dont care how many milleniums you used it as an auspicious symbol.

suraj:
no, it's not all decor always (i'm not for his placement..) and can understand the frustration with it...

aah... but let's focus on the topic at hand..
nazi restaurant.

Shallowthinker!!???

Sorry, I can't beat that one! :)

Any predictions on what's likely to become of this place? It's already one of the most famous restauarants on Earth, thanks to its "different"-ness. Will it draw protestors? Will it draw supporters to counter the protestors? Will authorities shut it down because it causes too much community trouble? Nothing like this could exist in the West, so I'm curious.

I guess the owner of this restaurant made a poor choice while naming it.

At the same time, I don't feel overly offended by this. There are tonnes of similar examples in different cultures.
People in Britain still 'respect' their queen..their numerous lords and viceroys who killed millions of Indians.

ChickPea "aah... but let's focus on the topic at hand..
nazi restaurant"

Correction: Not a Nazi Restaurant. Its named after Hitler. Do not conclude otherwise.

I am Ok with HRC using Hindu Deities anyway they want..I don't care about it. Just that, you are somehow so enthused to pick on this issue with more fervour than, I personally think it asks for. Yeah..agreed, naming a restaurant with Hitler's name might be disagreeable...make it known. No need to ensure that, the owner HAS to take off the name.

Another gem from South Korea

">http://www.pusanweb.com/feature/hitlerbar/

Oh..and I fogort to mention that I WILL NOT eat at 'Hitler'....even if its free. :)

Any predictions on what's likely to become of this place? It's already one of the most famous restauarants on Earth, thanks to its "different"-ness. Will it draw protestors? Will it draw supporters to counter the protestors? Will authorities shut it down because it causes too much community trouble? Nothing like this could exist in the West, so I'm curious.

this is why i'm hoping manish will go check it out. after all, movie stars are hanging out there ;)

movie stars are hanging out there ;)

who of course:

“I am not really agitated as I have not read much about the man (Hitler). However, from what I know about Hitler, I find this name rather amusing.”

and thousands of people in india look up to these people..
please.. spare me..

Thank you ethnic, for the link to the Korean Hitler bar article. I actually feel bad for poor Mr. Hong, who really had no idea what he was doing.

Nina P,

I agree, he seems to have been misled by his decorator unlike the restaurateur in India who clearly threw caution to the wind, on a different note I once went to school with a girl named Democracy

Another such incident: In 2003, a Hong Kong fashion company designed clothes featuring Nazi symbols and used the Nazi symbols for decoration and advertising.

Its from Little Green Footballs, a conservative political blog. They have also covered the restaurant story.

It could be that they took their business idea from the guys who made "Springtime For Hitler"...

From the Kumar at #46 "another thing is,in Indian movies Hitler os portrayed as an object of comedy (toothbrust mustache anyone?)"

Hitler! hee hee... mmm. Hitler's funny.

Hitler Bar-freshly squeezed juice available.

Maybe they should call the resturant "Bad swastika" (Hitler's cross) to contrast against the proper one.

Problem solved/people educated :)

hmmmmmmmm... education

for example... i decorated my clay pot back in pottery class in high school with hindu swastikas since it was going to be used for puja purposes..my teacher FREAKED out... yet i explained, with written evidence (way back in the day before online wiki and such) of what it meant.. it educated and enlightened... teaching and learning from one another about culture might make for more peaceful and tolerant times..

My sister put the hindu swastikas by the door steps of her apartment. Most of the people who lived in her complex were jewish, so when she did this during Diwali, a few concerned neighbors came by with puzzled looks on their faces. They just couldn't put two and two together. My sister got everyone together and gave them a nice, detailed explanation. Once explained, everyone left satisfied knowing their Indian neighbors weren't Nazis and actually quite pleasant.

Shorba Nazis -> 77 comments
Bismillah Khan RIP -> 9 comments

??

My sister got everyone together and gave them a nice, detailed explanation. Once explained, everyone left satisfied knowing their Indian neighbors weren't Nazis and actually quite pleasant.

Wonderful story, and your sister is bold. We went with Ganesh on our wedding invitation and nixed the swastikas because we didn't want to confound the non-Indian contingent.

Shorba Nazis -> 77 comments Bismillah Khan RIP -> 9 comments

AAieee..!

it must be a nimboodiri conspiracy.

Down south (of India), Hitler only refers to over-protective brothers who stand in the way of their sisters having a good time.

Shorba Nazis -> 77 comments
Bismillah Khan RIP -> 9 comments

true. it kind of bothered me too. but then i remembered that one Yo Dad comment is worth at least ten!

Gujudude and Desitude:

I sympathize with you both. A couple of years ago, my son's daycare wanted the children to come in with "ethnic" clothes so my wife chose a panjabi with swastikas on it. As our daycare was located in a primarily jewish suburb of Chicago, and owned by a Jewish couple, I found it tough to explain to my wife (who is Indian but educated abroad) why this wasn't a good idea. Unfortunate situation!

It's probably dangerous to say this, but at some point the swastika and other Nazi imagery will stop being taboo, maybe 50 to 100 years from now. Commercialization tends to suck the meaning out of all symbols, which is why t-shirts and other consumer items with peace symbols or pictures of Che are so banal. The pictures of the Hong Kong Nazi-themed clothing shop (thanks Ken) make the Nazi symbols look as harmless and watered-down as any commodified logo. The time will come, and designers will have a field day, since Nazis put much skill and effort into their graphic and fashion design, expert propagandists that they were. But now is definitely not the time.

The best comments about the swastika so far have included a vital component. There was both an opportunity to address the issue and a willingness on the part of the confused to listen and accept something new.

Gujudude's sister and Saheli's teacher are great expamples of how to preserve our heritage in the "new world"

I've clearly been too cynical on this issue. Thanks for the insight.

Now seriously... NAZI RESTURANT!?!

The reason why I posted a sarcastic comments is because India is the ONLY COUNTRY in the wholw world where the Jews were not persecuted, whereas Europe was responsible for the horror that the Jewish community had to go through. Yet India still has to apologize for Europe's sins?? WTF??

The reason why I posted a sarcastic comments is because India is the ONLY COUNTRY in the wholw world where the Jews were not persecuted, whereas Europe was responsible for the horror that the Jewish community had to go through. Yet India still has to apologize for Europe's sins?? WTF??

1) you're wrong. google "the jews of kaifeng" (china).

2) get a sense of perspective.

It is never about being PC when it comes to business in India (which I deeply despise). They openly practise all sorts of discrimnation, be it by basis of caste, religion or community. So, it comes as no surprise to me that someone has used Hitler's name to promote his shop. I wont be surprised if someone opened a shop with Osama as theme either.

ZeeTV already had a miniseries on (I think it was earlier this year or late last year), called "Time Bomb 9/11" (I think - forgive me if I misnamed it). It revolved around Osama and plans to bomb something or another - I couldn't bring myself to watch such insensitive corniness. Who does that?

btw, if you want a brown spin on the holocaust, the gypsies are from india. this isn't just a "jew thang."

true. it kind of bothered me too. but then i remembered that one Yo Dad comment is worth at least ten!

Why is it so troubling? Is leaving a comment necessary when reading the post? There really isn't much to say on 'RIP' threads other what was already said (particularly by Yo Dad). Plus, you'd probably see more comments if the audience that posts was far more connected to his music.

It was a nice post dude and good to see you folks keep tabs on news such as this. He definitely deserves attention. The public that posts in the commentary, I would guess, is probably a mere slice of your audience - a minority. What is the hit count on that post? The word is out if people read it, thats all anyone can ask for.

The reason why I posted a sarcastic comments is because India is the ONLY COUNTRY in the wholw world where the Jews were not persecuted, whereas Europe was responsible for the horror that the Jewish community had to go through. Yet India still has to apologize for Europe's sins?? WTF??

The double standards and hypocrisy! It's anti-Indian racism!

Hail Macaca Mogambo!

1) you're wrong. google "the jews of kaifeng" (china).

Assuming you are right about China, how does that make my comment "wrong" about Europe's sins ??
And give me a f@cking break with your know it all BS. I have been to Israel (Haifa, my previous company has a big office there and switches in Ramallah too), I never saw any Asian looking dude over there. I do however know several Indian Jew as a co-worker of my previous company, who emigrated from Israel. In Haifa office also there are quite a few Indian Jewish people.
The whole Chinease jew thing is clinton-esq logic. Its technically true but everyone knows that it doesnt mean shit.

Also, my cousin's neighbour in Thane, Mumbai is an elderly Jewish person.

Everyone in the world agrees that what Hitler stands for is bad sh$t. Talk about perspective.

RC,

i really don't know what your problem is. you're pissed cuz we're shitting on some guy promoting hitler?

GauthamPerhaps the two are related....I mean, the attitude underlying this man's decision to name a cafe after Hitler and the discrimination practiced daily against a whole range of Indians. I'm not sure one isn't an aspect of the other.....

such as the continuing exclusion of locals from many white-oriented businesses such as hostels, swimming pools and others

What can I say? It's a necessary step. The poor downtrodded white visitor India needs an oasis to get out of the sea of madness, if Indians are allowed into hostels, they'll become
hostile! Especially Hindus! Nothing riles up RSS and BJP emotions like inexpensive housing and shared restrooms! And the pools must be off limits, or else the Hindu extremists will aggressively start
a scuba swim force to swim all the way to the arabian penninsula and gloat over how cool our pools are and how sandy their deserts are. This cannot happen.

Hail rubber duckies!

Its only a matter of time before they open a restaurant where you cant be darker then khaki in order to enter.

No worries shallow, I'm working on it! It's called Klan Kafe. The visual motif for the waitstaff is white cone-shaped hats and flowing white robes.

Rest assured, judging patrons by khaki-ness is so 19th century colonialism. I, and my horde of celebrity friends, prefer the paper bag test.

The Gujarat Daily
Food Section-

New eateries announcements - G & G [ Gahzni and Ghori] restaurant. Food served on gold and silver utensils. Location , adjacent to the on again off again, Somnath Temple.

Also opening - N. Modi's bar-b-cue, where the oven is always fired up and the meat is always roasting. Location, next to the uber chic, Best Bakery.

Who cares? The West doesn't know anything about India or its history. Hell, I wonder if half of the people here can even locate the country. So why should we give two shits about the West and its history? WWII and Nazism did not affect us that much and the Holocaust is just another footnote in our history books. Thus, I don't see what the big deal is. I don't think the restaurant is trying to support Hitler, it's just a gimmick and should be regarded as so. Any outrage over this is absurd.

Excellent points Gautham....though a bit off-topic.
There might be a connection too...worth discussing.

The reason why I posted a sarcastic comments is because India is the ONLY COUNTRY in the wholw world where the Jews were not persecuted, whereas Europe was responsible for the horror that the Jewish community had to go through. Yet India still has to apologize for Europe's sins?? WTF??

I don't know but i have read (forgotten where) that Bani Isra'el communities in India were subject to fines and persecution, sometimes brutal. Jews throughout the ME, Arabia and Central Asia were persecuted at times.
Wherever the jews were a minority population or ruled by surrounding non-jews, they were likely persecuted. Get used to it. By the way, I wonder how these oriental jews do wrt IQ/mental performance. Are Kaifeng jews as bright as the Ashkenazis?

Thanks, Gautham. You make sense.

Where was everybody when they opened an American chain called 7-11, to unapologetically celebrate the July 11 Mumbai train explosions? This is a slap on the face of every Indian. As if Indians weren't already stereotyped as being closely connected with convenience stores.

Who cares? The West doesn't know anything about India or its history. Hell, I wonder if half of the people here can even locate the country. So why should we give two shits about the West and its history? WWII and Nazism did not affect us that much and the Holocaust is just another footnote in our history books. Thus, I don't see what the big deal is. I don't think the restaurant is trying to support Hitler, it's just a gimmick and should be regarded as so. Any outrage over this is absurd.

Fei:
Um. Why should we care? Because we are human with a conscience (well most people are). The West might be somewhat ignorant (generalizing here) and so are we on certain issues... If people didn't care..we'd be inhuman I believe..

It is a gimmick, but a gimmick with an evil root... that breeds discontent...

Discussing issues with those who are foreign to Indian history/roots/location is a start... knowledge for the ignorant is light.. (damn I am sounding to sound like Mommy Chick Pea)...

If we ignore it, don't respond, etc...we'd just be like the 'ignorant West' as you put it...

WWII and Nazism did not affect us that much and the Holocaust is just another footnote in our history books. Thus, I don't see what the big deal is.

All this 'this,them,ours,their's' BS is ultimately the cause of all our disharmony in the world today....

And to end with quoting my most favorite song by Depeche Mode...'People Are People'
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

So were different colours
And were different creeds
And different people
Have different needs
Its obvious you hate me
Though Ive done nothing wrong
Ive never even met you
So what could I have done
I cant understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

Wherever the jews were a minority population or ruled by surrounding non-jews, they were likely persecuted.

Except the present day USA, in fact, it's somewhat the opposite.

What I did want to call attention to is the way that Indians have basically made racial distinctions acceptable, and even heirarchical in our society, with Caucasians, NRIs and brahmins squarely on top.

The Brahminicals (priestlies) and Rajputs, kshatrys, Kamboj, and Sindhus (warriors) were the defenders of classical India, since times immemorial. And these people, yes, have more Europid physiognomies. The hierarchy is based on thousands of years of our history. There is more grand history relating to the north, where heroic Pactyans have been dwelling from antiquity. The Pakhtun is in our blood, as is the Turk, both physically more europid than sudras and dalits, who have not contributed as much to the cultures, maybe because of bad luck have having to do with genetics/IQ or injustices. These proud, fair-complected northern men are the ones who conquered, ruled and established themselves within the system. They have spread the royal blood as far as the Bengal, and so you will see Bangladeshis claiming Brahminical, Persian, Afghan or Turk ancestry. I am not advocating discrimination, just stating realities. It's all good. Worth Taking pride in our History, if u ask me.

Except the present day USA, in fact, it's somewhat the opposite.

no!

Except the present day USA, in fact, it's somewhat the opposite

nah, this isn't true. I have thought this through, but it just doesn't square with the realities I have seen on the ground. Though we do have a huge population of Chistian Zionists in this land, a very bad thing if you ask me.

Oh dear. Alright, let me clarify. In certain instances, and in certain industries, Jews are overrepresented, and by no means are they persecuted in the present day USA.

Um. Why should we care? Because we are human with a conscience (well most people are). The West might be somewhat ignorant (generalizing here) and so are we on certain issues... If people didn't care..we'd be inhuman I believe..

Yea, with all the BS that's going in the world let's express fake outrage over an obscure restaurant in India...let't get our priorities straight.

Discussing issues with those who are foreign to Indian history/roots/location is a start... knowledge for the ignorant is light.. (damn I am sounding to sound like Mommy Chick Pea)...

Knowledge is fine and dandy, but the importance given to Western history by Indians is disproportionate to the importance given to Indian history (and culture) by Westerners....which in actuality is NIL. Which is why you get faces of Indian Gods on toilet seats here.

You know, it might have not affected me personally, but I have friends who have certainly been affected by it.. just because you don't suffer, doesn't mean that you shouldn't care about the pain that another person has or is going through...

So it affected your friends...so what? Most Indians were not affected by WWII and the Holocaust. I am not justifying the opening of the "Hitler Restaurant" but it is simply a gimmick with no "evil" intention. Expressing outrage over this is, again, absurd.

All this 'this,them,ours,their's' BS is ultimately the cause of all our disharmony in the world today....

Good luck in your fantasyland, but this is how the world is today. The West still associates India with either curry or cow-riding beggars. Thus, Indians accomodating to "Western" sensibilities is a non-issue...what next? Ban the Swastika because it is associated with that one instance of the many massacres in human history?

The West still associates India with either curry or cow-riding beggars.

LOL. that was a funny image.

The West doesn't know anything about India or its history. Hell, I wonder if half of the people here can even locate the country.

sir, you a correct here. I have read that an astonishing number of westerners (Americans in partic.) could not even find north america on the map. In addition to this, Americans seem to believe that everyone East of Isra'el is a Hindoo, and that everyone south of the border is a wet-back(derog.lol) or Mexican. Again, I stress that these are Americans more than others.

Hi guys, excellent website. A newcomer here - interesting post. Very clueless move by this fellow in new mumbai - i'll echo many of the commenters in saying that there is a lot of nonsense back in the des - cannot believe how cavalier some of the locals are about this ("hitler? oh, how amusing...")

I know a few Indian Jews from the rapidly diminishing community (there is a VERY interesting Indian Jewish temple in Queens by the way - an interesting blend of the 2 cultures during services, worth a field trip if in NYC).

But what is what a couple of these commenters ("MD" and "Manju") at the beginning of the comments equating this travesty to Che Guevara tshirts?? How can you compare Hitler to Che Guevara?? Are you guys Rush Limbaugh subscribers??

Knowledge is fine and dandy, but the importance given to Western history by Indians is disproportionate to the importance given to Indian history (and culture) by Westerners....which in actuality is NIL. Which is why you get faces of Indian Gods on toilet seats here.

No, sir. It is only a minority I believe that are obsessed with western history. More South Asians are obsessed with their own history, which, imo, is a much healthier sign.

It is only a minority I believe that are obsessed with western history.

count me in that group. because it is my history. :)

Some chutia opens an obscure and stupid restaurant in navi mumbai and mutineers are up in arms about how 'those Indians are insensitve boors.. they should have at least thought about the Jews na..' These same mutineers would whine if something named after an imperial lord or a medieval thug was renamed/taken down.

I can understand Indians in India not giving much thought to Jews, but desis in the US have an awful lot in common with Jews here. There are many parallels, from the pressure on girls to preserve the culture, to expectations of offspring becoming doctors and lawyers (and attendant family freak-outs when the occasional rogue turns to the arts, which I experienced first-hand), to dating and marriage dilemmas, identity questions, culture vs. religion vs. ethnicity, loyalty to more than one country (I'm definitely not a Zionist, but many American Jews are), not speaking the same language as your grandparents (or great-great-grandparents, since the big wave of Ashkenazi Jew immigration occured several generations prior to desis'), a heritage of guilt (a journalist from Delhi was telling me about Indian Mother Martyr Complex, but he'd never heard a Jewish Mother joke! - it was my pleasure to enlighten him, and he laughed and laughed)...on and on. I've been thinking a lot about this since I started reading Sepia Mutiny over a year ago. This blog has given me a new perspective on my own family history.

and by no means are they persecuted in the present day USA.

Well, i'll put it this way: jews aren't exactly loved either.

Nina P - you bring up good points. Another thing is a large amount of hindu indian support for israel, for better or worse, as it is a voice against islam/pakistan to these guys.

now, i think that is the wrong reason to find common ground with the Jewish people - but you outline some of the good ones.

count me in that group. because it is my history. :)

razib, you seem to know the nooks and crannies of every era of every history for every culture in every part of the world. The whole world is your history:) At least, that is my impression. ;)

nina, you're amerikan, i'm amerikan. thatz enough for me to care about the showa.

Good luck in your fantasyland, but this is how the world is today. The West still associates India with either curry or cow-riding beggars. Thus, Indians accomodating to "Western" sensibilities is a non-issue...what next? Ban the Swastika because it is associated with that one instance of the many massacres in human history?

Thanks for your well wishes...fantasyland or not...

Obviously as stated in an earlier co