As #BoycottTanishq trends online, jewellery brand pulls down ad; Twitterati ask why
For their recent campaign for Ekatvam By Tanishq, the jewellery brand released an advertisement that showed a Muslim family preparing a traditional Hindu baby shower for their pregnant Hindu daughter-in-law.
Titan Group’s jewellery brand Tanishq has withdrawn a television advertisement after calls for boycott of the brand for depicting an interfaith marriage.
For their recent campaign for Ekatvam By Tanishq, the jewellery brand released an advertisement that showed a Muslim family preparing a traditional Hindu baby shower for their pregnant Hindu daughter-in-law. The description of the video on YouTube read, “She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don’t. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures.”
But the ad had mixed reactions online. While one faction thought it was a beautiful example of India’s religious harmony, others criticised it on social media and said it “promoted love jihad” and made #BoycottTanishq trend online, claiming it doesn’t show the reality of interfaith marriages.
To some extent, I understand and empathise with Tanishq’s stand. The online trolling was getting personal – the trolls were digging up individual employee profiles and tagging them as they abused them. And individual showroom pics were shared as dog-whistling leads.
— Karthik (@beastoftraal) October 13, 2020
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 #IStandWithFarmersBill (@SharmaKhemchand) October 12, 2020
However, as outrage against the ad grew, Tanishq officially removed the video from all their platforms. Many reacted to the ad being pulled down calling the outrage absurd as it was not promoting hate but unity.
“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?” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wrote on Twitter. Screenwriter Aniruddha Guha, commented: “LOL, we live in a time when an ad is withdrawn for literally *promoting* communal harmony. And we think COVID-19 is India’s deadliest virus right now.” Here’s how netizens reacted after the ad was pulled down.
I wonder what Mahatma Gandhi would have said about #Tanishq ad?
A man who we call father of the nation, a man who we think is so important we print him on every currency note to remind ourselves of him, a man who helped create India.
I wonder why we don’t listen to him anymore?
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 13, 2020
LOL, we live in a time when an ad is withdrawn for literally *promoting* communal harmony. And we think COVID-19 is India’s deadliest virus right now. #Tanishq
— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) October 13, 2020
What a lovely ad. What a lovely country. Oh wait…what? https://t.co/aF4fGITfmH
— Srijit Mukherji (@srijitspeaketh) October 13, 2020
Such a beautiful ad #tanishq
Wondering why @TataCompanies is withdrawing it for some stupid mentally ill views of few.
— Sojan™ (@sojanjs) 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
What a lovely ad is being trolled. What’s happening to us?
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) October 12, 2020
Thank you for making us notice the beautiful #tanishq ad dear trolls ! pic.twitter.com/Wev3VSaiCw
— shamina shafiq (@shaminaaaa) October 12, 2020
This ad is beautiful. Opposite of what it’s being accused of, it actually shows accepting cultures. #Tanishq shouldn’t have to bow down to nonsense. Disgusting.@TanishqJewelry https://t.co/h8iX6JefIg
— Neelangana (@neelangana) October 12, 2020
I still don’t understand what’s wrong with this ad?
What’s wrong with Celebrating traditions cross religion? #tanishq https://t.co/20jJx2KOng— Bratati Mondal (@being_brats) October 12, 2020
It’s really sad to watch what kind of country we are turning into. An ad uniting two religions has to be taken down in the country which used to be called secular since forever.🤦🏻♀️#tanishq pic.twitter.com/0iPngDuzus
— Greeshma Shukla🏹 (@GreeshmaShukla) October 12, 2020
People using an advertisement meant to unite them to divide people in the name of religion.
The fact that @TanishqJewelry had to take down the ad shows the sad state of affairs.
I support #TanishqJewelry #tanishq wholeheartedly. pic.twitter.com/7s7y9JFkfH
— Nelson (@neljp) October 13, 2020
We have reached out to Tanishq for a comment, and the company said it has not issued any statement on the issue yet.
This article will be updated if they do.
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