Indian Jewelry Brand Pulls Controversial Ad
Tanishq, an Indian jewelry brand, faced intense backlash over an advertisement with an interfaith couple this past week (Flickr).
Tanishq, an Indian jewelry brand, pulled a controversial advertisement picturing an interfaith couple from Indian airwaves on October 13. Originally released on October 9, it sparked heavy backlash on social media platforms over its perceived support of “love jihad,” with the hashtag “BoycottTanishq” trending in India this past weekend. Others supported the ad’s message of Hindu-Muslim unity and condemned abuse of the brand.
The commercial portrays a pregnant Hindu woman married to and living with her Muslim husband. Her Muslim in-laws organize a traditional Hindu baby shower for her, during which they present her with Tanishq jewelry. The backlash to this advertisement came primarily from right-wing Hindu groups. It received condemnation primarily because of its perceived promotion of “love jihad,” which refers to the alleged practice of Muslim families using love and marriage to convert Hindu women to Islam. Many, including popular Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, called for Tanishq to take the commercial down and apologize for airing it, which they eventually did.
Tanishq has taken the ad down from YouTube and their other official channels, though it continues to circulate on Twitter. The caption of the original video described it as a “beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, [and] cultures.” After restricting comments on Monday, Tanishq eventually pulled the ad the following and issued a statement via Twitter. Since Tanishq makes up part of the prolific Tata Group, it surprised many that the large industrial entity succumbed to the social media pressure. This backlash also resulted in the Titan Company’s stock (part of the Tata group) dropping by more than two percent on the day of the ad’s release.
Nevertheless, several people denouced the attacks on Tanishq and praised the message of Hindu-Muslim unity showcased in the advertisement. Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor tweeted a message in support of Tanishq and belittled “Hindutva bigots.” Hindutva, a Hindi term that means “Hinduness,” also denotes the ideology of the Hindu right-wing in India. Bollywood actresses Swara Bhaskar and Divya Dutta (who voiced the advert) also made supportive statements. Others in the media industry lamented Tanishq’s succumbing to the pressure of social media.
The political backlash to this advertisement has precedent. Other commercials with similar undertones of Hindu-Muslim unity for brands, such as Brook Bond Red Label Tea, have faced calls for boycotts in the not-so-distant past.
Religion in India has become increasingly polarized. Arranged marriages within religions and, often, castes (despite the caste system being officially outlawed) still persist in Indian society, especially in rural regions. In certain areas, marriages outside these boundaries have resulted in violent killings. Seeing such tensions between religious groups that, sometimes, comes across through television presents concerning implications for the future of religious secularism in India.