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| Fabindia is not the first brand to buckle under right-wing pressure in recent years. A recent advert by clothing brand Manyaavar, which featured Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt in a wedding attire, caused a social media furore. The ad received right-wing backlash for "hurting Hindu sentiments". (Photo by=SCREENSHOT/FABINDIA) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Indian retailer Fabindia has withdrawn an ad about a new festive line after a backlash from right-wing Hindu groups. BBC reported that they accused the ad of using Urdu, a language spoken by many Muslims, to celebrate a collection for the Hindu festival of Diwali.
The collection is titled Jashn-e-Riwaaz, an Urdu term that means "celebration of tradition". But a tweet of the ad sparked accusations from some Hindus who said it hurt their religious sentiments. They added the firm, a household name that sells home furnishings, furniture, clothes, and food, was appropriating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Some social media users called for a boycott of the brand, making their campaign one of the top Twitter trends. They said "Diwali is not Jashn-e-Riwaaz". The tweet, which went viral on Monday, said "as we welcome the festival of love and light," the collection "pays homage to Indian culture".
A spokesperson from Fabindia, however, told the Times of India newspaper that Jashn-e-Riwaaz wasn’t its Diwali collection. It has since been withdrawn and so has the ad.
Urdu has a rich history in South Asia and has produced some of the most powerful and intriguing literary works over the centuries. Many of those poets and writers are still celebrated in India.
