According to an AP report earlier this morning, a man by the name of Adolf Hitler is running for state assembly.
So is Frankenstein and "Billy the Kid", Billykid Sangma. All of them will be running for office this weekend in India.
A northeastern state of Meghalaya, is fascinated and obsessed with controversial and famous names from other countries throughout history. Adolf Lu Hitler is a 54-year-old father of three who has won three other elections in the state assembly, and his name bars no animosity. His father worked for the British army but was fascinated with Adolf Hitler, but gave him the middle name "Lu" to distinguish from such a terrible person.
"I am aware at one point of time Adolf Hitler was the most hated person on earth for the genocide of the Jews. But my father added 'Lu' in between, naming me Adolf Lu Hitler, and that's why I am different," Hitler told The Associated Press.
Hitler’s autobiography, Mein Kampf is bought by thousands of Indiana every month. Reviled it might be in the much of the world, but Indians buy thousands of copies of it every month. As a recent paper in the journal EPW tells us (PDF), there are over a dozen Indian publishers who have editions of the book on the market.
This in no way means that Indians look up to Hitler. Rather, they see him as a source of entertainment and fascination. His ability to speak to crowds and sell his ideas so easily intrigues small business owners, prompting such sales.
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