Indian jewelry company Tanishq got creative with its latest ad for their Ekatvam line, but the needless controversy they had to face made them pull the ad down. The subject of said controversy was interfaith harmony.
The ad featured a baby shower for a Hindu bride organized by her Muslim in-laws. What’s so infuriating about inter-faith harmony? Hindu supremacists deem such an inter-faith marriage ‘love jihad‘, alleging that Muslim men convert Hindu women in this manner.
ALSO READ
Surf Excel is Getting Hate in India for Making an Ad that Promotes Muslim-Hindu Harmony
The brand meant well with its jewelry line called “Ekatvam” (the Hindi word for unity), but that’s not what the right-wing sections want. After all, this is the India where BJP and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made their fortunes out of demonizing Muslims.
Opposition Congress party Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor called on bigots to boycott India if they can’t handle ekatvam.
“Hindutva bigots have called for a boycott for highlighting Hindu-Muslim unity through this beautiful ad. If Hindu-Muslim ‘ekatvam‘ irks them so much, why don’t they boycott the longest surviving symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity – India?”
https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1315833504253374464
Despite positive reinforcement by people like Shashi Tharoor, the hate that the ad got online got out of hand and Tanishq was forced to pull the ad down. The company then released a statement saying they wanted to celebrate diversity, but the ‘divergent and severe reactions’ it prompted are ‘contrary to its objective’.
— Tanishq (@TanishqJewelry) October 13, 2020
The company added that the decision was made for the well-being of its employees and partners. Given the track record with boycotts against McDonald’s for serving halal food, Zomato for employing Muslims, and Surf Excel for its interfaith ad, Tanshiq is right to be concerned for their employees’ safety.
ALSO READ
India Calls For #BoycottMcDonalds Because They Serve Halal Food
Since a Hindu supremacist government has come into power in India, it has largely affected religious freedom and interfaith harmony in the country. The citizens of India had even come out to protests the anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA 2019) in countrywide protests.
Additionally, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in its annual report this year recommended that the US State Department designate India as ‘country of particular concern’ or CPC, due to;
“engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).”
