Indian TVC on inter-faith couple faces backlash
Mumbai, 14th October: Indian advertisement by a famous jewellery brand gets withdrawn after public outrage.
Baaghi TV: Popular Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has withdrawn an advertisement featuring an interfaith couple after a right-wing backlash on social media.
The advertisement shows Hindu-Muslim intermarriage where the Muslim in-laws of a Hindu bride arrange her baby shower.
BBC reported that the opponents of the advert say it promotes “love jihad”, a term radical Hindu groups use to accuse Muslim men of converting Hindu women by marriage. Rights groups say religious tolerance is under threat in India.
A section of conservative social media users led calls to boycott the brand #BoycottTanishq, taking it to the top of Twitter trends. Many social media users condemned the TVC calling it completely against the idea of India.
However, some supported the ad and urged Ratan Tata the industrialist and the owner of Tanishq to stay strong in the face of such hate and not back down. Some also asked why Tanishq had bowed to pressure and taken the ad off the air.
As per reports from NDTV, noted author Chetan Bhagat and former Congress leader Sanjay Jha both called out to Mr Tata and Tanishq, telling them “don’t get bullied”.
As a TATA group company, expected #Tanishq to be fairer and braver. If you have done nothing wrong, if you have shown something beautiful about our country, don't get bullied. Be Indian. Be strong.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 13, 2020
Dear Mr Ratan Tata
Be a titan. Don’t let bigots frighten you.
Thanks! #Tanishq
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) October 13, 2020
So Hindutva bigots have called for a boycott of @TanishqJewelry 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 in the world — India? pic.twitter.com/cV0LpWzjda
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 13, 2020
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor spoke out in support of the ad and Tanishq. Mr Tharoor praised the ad as an example of Hindu-Muslim unity and said: “If Hindu-Muslim unity irks them so much, why don’t they boycott the longest surviving symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in the world — India?”
Meanwhile, many netizens launched a savage assault on Tanishq and Tata, with some accusing them of promoting only “Muslim” jewellery on their website and others calling the brand “pseudo-secular”.
Khemchand Sharma, who is a member of the BJP, tweeted: “@TanishqJewelry Why are you showing a Hindu ‘daughter in law’ to a Muslim family and glorifying it? Why don’t you show a Muslim daughter in law in your ads with a Hindu family? Look like you are promoting #LoveJihad & favouring a particular Faith only… #BoycottTanishq. (sic)”
Why are you showing a Hindu "daughter in law" to a muslim family and glorifying it?
Why dont you show a Muslim daughter in law in your ads with a Hindu family?
Look like you are promoting #LoveJihad & favouring a particular Faith only…#BoycottTanishq
— Khemchand Sharma #BJP #Spokesperson #RadheRadhe (@SharmaKhemchand) October 12, 2020
Many such tweets were shared using the hashtag “#BoycottTanishq for Playing Jihadi Card for Brand Promotion (Sic)”. Another tweet read.
In another tweet, she wrote, “This advert is wrong on many levels, Hindu bahu is living with the family for a significant amount of time but acceptance happens only when she is carrying their heir. So what is she just a set of ovaries? This advert does not only promote love-jihad but also sexism #tanishq.”
This advert is wrong on many levels, Hindu bahu is living with the family for significant amount of time but acceptance happens only when she is carrying their heir. So what is she just a set of ovaries?This advert does not only promote love-jihad but also sexism #tanishq
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) October 13, 2020
The brand first disabled comments and likes/dislikes on the advert posted to Facebook and YouTube. It later removed the video altogether.
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