Recently, jewellery brand Tanishq released an ad showcasing an inter-faith couple, in order to promote their jewellery line called “Ekatvam”.
The advertisement, that showed a Muslim family celebrating a baby shower for their Hindu daughter-in-law, drew immense flak on social media, with people calling it a promotion of ‘love jihad’.
I will try to call every brand from now on, each day one brand! And make them aware Indians won’t tolerate any anti-nationalist now! Brands have to boycott or we will boycott brands! Request you all to do it too!Or already make HTs for brands just like we did for Tanishq!JAI HIND
— Pri ~ Not a BOT (@SSRian4lif) October 13, 2020
#aukat #BoycottTanishq
— berozgar Shashank pal up (@shashank0101199) October 13, 2020
Don’t spread love jihad for your business pic.twitter.com/sRkU66Ugj6
.@TanishqJewelry :
— khemchand sharma #IStandWithFarmersBill (@SharmaKhemchand) October 12, 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
Let’s be a part of this🙏#BoycottTanishq pic.twitter.com/fWyi2jIhpp
— चौधरी अरुण पँवार (@thearunjaat) October 13, 2020
Soon, #BoycottTanishq trended on social media, even as people, including politician Shashi Tharoor, condemned the wave of intolerance gripping India these days.
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
Those boycotting the Tanishq ad don’t like seeing daughter in law(s) happy around mother in law’s. You have seen too many soaps & too much prime times news.
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) October 13, 2020
Reality: Can’t buy a Hero cycle with personal savings
— Sarthak Goswami (@SarthakGoswamii) October 13, 2020
On Twitter: #BoycottTanishq
+ Couples are policed on suspicion of being of different religions — interfaith and intercaste marriage are the two things that the RW fears most. #LoveJihad itself, the ugly and false belief that Muslims deliberately target Hindu women, is not fringe anymore. It’s mainstream.
— Nilanjana Roy (@nilanjanaroy) October 13, 2020
However, after facing severe criticism, Tanishq first disabled the comments and Likes/Dislikes on the video posted online. And now, Tanishq has taken down the ad from its social media channels.
People reacted to Tanishq’s decision to take down the ad:
How degrading& ludicrous that lovely #TanishqJewelry ad on inter-faith has been pulled because of vicious trolling. Pathetic Hindutva trolls know nothing of Hinduism, nothing of culture, nothing of India. They should be pulled off all platforms. https://t.co/hXRSh24M12 via @ndtv
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) October 13, 2020
Sad and dangerous time ahead. A jewellery advert promoting Hindu-Muslim unity & coexistence has to be pulled because of trolling and calls for boycott. India, 2020. https://t.co/iWoZJI8Z6y
— Rohit K Dasgupta (@RKDasgupta) October 13, 2020
Sheer withdrawing the ad will not work. Tanishq has to apologize.
— Sushil Sancheti 🇮🇳 (@SushilSancheti9) October 13, 2020
Moreover, damage has already been done… people are going to Boycott #Tanishq this festive season.
Tanishq should remove the person responsible for approval of the ad.#तनिष्क_माफी_मांग pic.twitter.com/DKR748AWC8
How sick and toxic a section of the society has become… these are sick people who opposed this beautiful ad and Tanishq did a wrong thing. #tanishq https://t.co/xp19xk7WWR
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) October 13, 2020
Tata should have shown the temerity to stand against the RW goons.
— Mini Nair (@minicnair) October 13, 2020
Bajaj did it!
Invertebrates ! https://t.co/Cd2jsriD5X
If anybody has a problem with this beautiful ad, don’t watch it and share it
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) October 13, 2020
pic.twitter.com/w6zGf6emTp
Really lovely ad from @TanishqJewelry .. only a mindless bigot would see it in context of Hindu Muslim relations. By withdrawing the ad, you are succumbing to the hate mongers. As a lifelong Titan watch man, I expect better! Let’s fight hate with harmony.. 👍🙏
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) October 13, 2020
This is certainly not the first time that a brand has tried to promote the idea of inter-faith unity, only to be met by widespread trolling. Tanishq is yet to issue any official statement on the incident.
