The Dharmic TV licence dodger?
The Home Office tells us that our prisons are overflowing and then all these paedophiles and yobs terrorising our neighbourhoods get released with a slap on the wrist. But they don’t tell you that there are all these women in prison, for the heinous, bloodcurdling crime of not paying TV licences.Two years ago I almost became part of that part of that statistic.
March 27th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Shocking really…i remember a BBC piece on television a while back showing how single mothers were being sent to jail because they couldn’t afford a TV license and yet as the author states pedophiles and yobs get away.
As a university student who sees students dodging TV license fees all the time throughout my years at uni (I’m just as guilty) I sympathize greatly with the author. Makes me feel guilty greatly about the years before when i avoided paying up.
On the bright side the paedo that started the whole jail fiasco got put behind bars for failing to register as a sex offender. So at least there’s some justice (eventual).
March 27th, 2007 at 8:25 am
I agree fully here with the writer of this article. Everything is a total rip -off in this country from the Council Tax to TV licence. BBC provides nothing good in the form of entertainment and ‘East-Enders’ is what you’ll find most Hindus in Uk watching without fail. The programme provides no morals nor anything to do with Hinduism and if a ‘Hindu’ family moves into ‘Albert Square’, then they are termed as ‘Asians’ with warped brains and behaving like coconuts - brown outside and white inside.
I too have stopped watching BBC and other channels as they provide nothing for us Hindus and have always resented paying this collosal amounts of fees for something that is totally biased against Hindus.
It feels we are living under a dictatorship that if one doesn’t pay up the council tax or the Tv licence one must pay a heavy fine or face jail - and yet we do not really know where our money is being utilised.
March 27th, 2007 at 8:59 am
It is depressing to read that someone has used Hinduism as an excuse for disobeying the law by not paying for the TV licence. There are many who object to paying TV licence fee for their own reasons.
Let us not stoop so low as to bring religion into this debate on the personal preferences on the value and quality of the TV channels and programmes.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:11 am
^^^valid point that quite a few of us haven’t yet considered and certainly difficult to counter.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:36 am
i agree with Ram Aithals point of view on this subject. and being a hindu i was told that steeling is against my relgion so the person who wrote this article should think about that before using hinduism as an excuse. “how many hindus steel cable T.V”
March 27th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
i may not agree with the “stealing” issue…. but what this lady was doing was a form of civil disobedience … in the same way that a certain Mohandas K Gandhi did… or when Rosa Parks would not go to the back of the bus… now I know that when Gandhi was around there where those who said, like Ram, that he should not be using Hinduism as an excuse for his actions…
and there will be those of you who say that this young lady is a thief and can not be compared to Gandhi or Parks etc… but from such small actions are revolutions begun….
and, while I do not condone her actions, I do sympthaise with her and the fact that Hindus pay at least £20 million into the BBC and all we f,,,cking get is a 45 minute anti hindu programmer made by non hindus on Diwali - this for your info is the most expensive tv programme in the history of televisision…
but then us hindus will bleat like sheep and moo like cows and condemn our own…
bbbbbbbbaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh
March 28th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I agrre with you.. and I have problem here, we all have this problem. We are not United, we have no voice and we don’t stand up for someone when he/she is in trouble.
This is wrong. I am happy to support you and I honour you for standing up to the cause.
I have children too and I can understand why you made the decision you made.
To simply put my money where my mouth is, I am willing to contribute £100 of my money to you to reduce your fine burden…AND stand shoulder to shoulder with you to fight for our cause. Will this help?
March 28th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I’m a self confessed TV licence dodger and I’m proud of it.Why should I pay for a channel that I hardly watch and most of the times the BBC never ever shows anything about Hinduism or Hindu history.And when it does its always totally negative.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I think this is a ridiculous excuse. Firstly if you decide to live in this country you live by its laws. Secondly there is no need to bring religion into it. This is just an issue of personal preference, and whilst the writer may not enjoy anything the BBC has to offer, I know many people who do. Just because I am a hindu doesnt mean programmes need to be dedicated to my religious beliefs. I am just as happy as the next person to watch a good educational documentary on BBC channels.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
The BBC is a load a of govt subsidised leftists that have lived off government for a millenia. The licence fee should be abolished and BBC privatised.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I meant since its inception
March 28th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
To Mr. Ghanashyam Master who offered to donate £100 towards my fine, I thank you for showing such generousity.
But I just want to clarify that it wasn’t for the lack of money that refused to pay the TV license. It was on principle.
I read about the Hindu Human Rights group and the work they are doing for Hindus and Hinduism, on this issue of HV. Perhaps they are the people we should be showing our generousity to.
I thank you again
Regards
March 31st, 2007 at 11:03 am
I dont really have an opinion on this matter…I dont pay the license at home…my parents do, BUT Reena…I think the point that is trying to be made is that regardless of whether other people enjoy the programmes or not…the BBC has done nothing to this date to show Hinduism in a good light. On the very rare occasions that it DOES show a programme on pr about Hinduism, it is very anti-Hindu, heavily laiden with derogetory undertones.
As someone noted, we contribute millions of pounds towards the fees and so surely we should get programmes that atleast show us in a decent light! Noone is asking for all the programmes to be Hindu or Hindu orientated, but atleast eschew derogetory Hindu programmes!
I cant rememeber what channel it was, but there was one programme I watched featuring an Indian Hindu and a Pakistani Muslim and they each had to visit the others country (something like that)…and surprise surprise they chose an asutute RELIGIOUS Muslim women …and chose an absolutely idiotic “Hindu” women who even ADMITTED that she wasnt a practising Hindu..it begs the question, why did the producers then portray this as a Hindu Muslim thing when really, they may aswell have got an atheist to take part instead of the non practising Hindu (it would have been a like for like swap). The “Hindu” did nothing but to make us all look stupid, shallow and unreligious…and the Muslim women..I must admit, appeared sensible, smart and pious.
This is just one of many programmes about or featuring Hindus that are biased…it must stop!…BUT im not sure that merely “dodging” the fee will do much…the “writer”…if she feels so strongly about the issue should start a campaign of awareness….there are obviously like minded people out there. Write letters to the BBC…organise a protest…spread your message of disgust withe th situation on the internet, through media channels etc etc…Even if none of this works, it has to be more constructive than just merely not paying up?
March 31st, 2007 at 1:48 pm
bbc is like a moquito. mosqitoes suck your blood and give you disease, similarly bbc takes money from you and insult you.
April 14th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
I agree what the lady did, and also agree with many who say that bbc show nothing about hinduism in a positive light. eastenders is the worst for this - anytime a hindu family is on the scence they are potrayed in light that is always negative!
Yes it should defiently be a choice to pay for the licience. You pay enough for the TV, and you should be able to chose to watch bbc1+2.
for the girl who said we should folow the laws of this country, who will you be harming if you don’t pay the fee??!!
April 15th, 2007 at 6:18 am
^ Agree with Nita