Last Diwali It Was Tanishq, This Diwali It Is Fabindia. But The Intolerance Remains The Same

By
Admin
-
0
430

[ad_1]

We are way past the debate about the possibility of becoming intolerant as a community. For we most certainly already are. Remember the row that Tanishq’s ad about an inter-faith marriage sparked online? The vitriol all because it apparently promoted ‘Love Jihad’. Yes, it is a prime example of the growing intolerance and bigotry that has stained the fabric of secularism and communal harmony in the country. But that’s not news; the problem is we haven’t learnt a thing and nothing has changed even after a year.

While last year, it was the Tanishq ad–about a Hindu girl in a Muslim household where a mother-in-law was doting on her pregnant daughter-in-law–that was withdrawn by the company after facing severe backlash, this year it is Fabindia’s Diwali ad that is receiving flak for using Urdu and the term ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ for the name of their collection ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali. Not the festival, but their collection that was promoted as a celebration of Indian culture.

SEE ALSO: Tanishq Withdraws Ad After Accusations Of ‘Love-Jihad’; Twitter Calls It A ‘Sad State Of Affairs’

Sharing the campaign, the clothing brand wrote, “As we welcome the festival of love and light, Jashn-e-Riwaaz by Fabindia is a collection that beautifully pays homage to Indian culture.” If you haven’t seen it, the post featured men and women wearing the upcoming collection with red as the theme. But it was enough to trigger right-wing Twitter who came down hard on the brand for being ‘anti-Hindu’. Hell, they also had a problem with the absence of bindi in the same. Not just that, they called for the ban of the brand with #BoycottFabindia trending on the top spot.

It only amplified when BJP Yuva Morcha President Tejasvi Surya tweeted, “Deepavali is not Jash-e-Riwaaz. This deliberate attempt of abrahamisation of Hindu festivals, depicting models without traditional Hindu attires, must be called out. And brands like @FabindiaNews must face economic costs for such deliberate misadventures.”

Needless to say, the ad has now been withdrawn by Fabindia clarifying that ‘Jashn-E-Riwaaz’ was not its Diwali clothing collection and they have another line titled ‘Jhil Mil se Diwali’ collection dedicated to the festival of love and light. The representatives also told NDTV, “Fabindia comes out with capsules of collections every month every 15 days, and for various Indian festivals, including Diwali, Onam and Durga Puja. ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ means celebrations of rituals/festive celebrations.

But while that many can’t wonder about the state of affairs that have plummeted since we last checked. The kind folks are also pointing out that Urdu is ‘very much Hindustani’ and how Fabindia should look the bully in the eye and bow down.

Sware Bhasker even cracked a joke at the expense of the trend.

Anyway, what are your thoughts about the entire episode? Tweet to us @MashableIndia and let us know!



[ad_2]

Source link

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR