On June 2, The Tampa Tribune published a story ``Voyage Into Madness'' that examined a Winter Haven man's pursuit of an American who was involved in an obscure sect in India that practiced cannibalism.

The story sparked anger from readers, mainly Indian-Americans and Hindus in the Tampa Bay area, who felt the article unfairly tarnished Hinduism.

George Coryell, who has covered military affairs at the Tribune for four years, told the story of Michael Yon, a Winter Haven native and former Green Beret, who has traveled to India extensively to study the Aghoris, a tiny Hindu sect, and their practices, ultimately planning to write a book.

Yon heard rumors of an American Aghori, who went by the name Kapal Nath. He eventually met Nath, who claimed to have killed people in San Francisco in the 1970s and in Hawaii in the 1990s.

Hindus Known For Nonviolence

The Tribune received a number of e-mails from concerned readers who took offense at the article, saying it defamed the Hindu religion, and they questioned its timing and play.

They felt the story could contribute to prejudice against Indians and Hindus. They objected to part of the article in which Yon wondered if tourists who had allegedly disappeared in parts of India had become victims of sacrifice.

Nainan Desai wrote in an e-mail that Hinduism is the world's third-largest and oldest practiced religion, with a history ``well over 5,000 years old ... known for nonviolence, vegetarianism, love, compassion and peace.''

Desai said he was representing some 20 Indian-American and Hindu organizations listed in the e-mail.

Tribune Metro Editor Kathleen Burke Williams explained the story made the point - but not as prominently as it should have been made - that the Aghora sect was both obscure and extreme.

Coryell quoted a lecturer on Eastern religions at the University of South Florida who said that the Aghora sect is far removed from traditional Hinduism. The lecturer said that ``the peace and nonviolence of Hinduism would be totally opposed to this.''

Context Needed

The story did not attempt to identify how many Aghoris there were, and how that compared with the total Hindu population of India, Williams said. That context should have been prominently reported.

In subsequent checking, the Tribune found that no official figures exist, Williams said. According to the Religion and Ethics Department of St. Martin's College in Lancaster, England, in the 19th century, there were between 200 and 300 Aghoris, ``a number that has likely declined.''

The Tribune is very aware of cultural and religious sensitivities, Williams added.

The Tampa Bay area is dynamic, vibrant, diverse and changing, and the Tribune does its best to reflect that in its coverage.

The Tribune meant no disrespect of the Hindu religion or of the Tampa Bay Indian community.

In an e-mail response to reader Kiran Patel, Tribune Deputy Managing Editor Lawrence Fletcher wrote the newspaper's intent was not to insult anyone nor cast mainstream Hinduism in an unflattering light.

``We felt it was a compelling story about a specific person and a small, virtually unknown sect,'' Fletcher said.

``We went out of our way to point out that this was a unique sect and not representative of Hinduism.''

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