New Delhi: Social media users in India expressed anger at e-commerce giant Amazon Tuesday for selling underwear and doormats with Hindu sacred symbols on its overseas websites.
As #BoycottAmazon trended on Twitter, the parent company Amazon.com Inc., issued a statement saying it had taken down the product listings from its websites.
“All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account,” said Amazon.
But social media users continued to share screenshots of doormats and underwear emblazoned with various insignia of Hinduism, according to a Reuters report.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Goel also took to Twitter, saying, “We too have religious sentiments. Don’t violate Section 295A. The section says that any person deliberately and maliciously intended to outrage religious feelings can be punished for the term prescribed or extended up to 3 years.”
We too have religious sentiments. Don't violate Section 295A.
The section says that any person deliberatly and maliciously intended to outrage religious feelings can be punished for the term prescribed or extended upto 3 years.#BoycottAmazon
— Gaurav Goel (@goelgauravbjp) November 10, 2020
Many others similarly expressed outrage, with some also commenting that Amazon was “demeaning Hinduism”.
#BoycottAmazon
Amazon dnt check our tolerance.
U hv been quite oftn hurting our Religious Sentiments deliberatly & at times forcd 2 withdraw ur products bt seems u dnt wanna pay heed.U dare nt hv pics of Prophet or Christ thn y our Lords?
Too scared of Francebeheading, Aren't u? pic.twitter.com/Znzx96PL80
— Sanatan Women (@SanatanWomen) November 10, 2020
#BoycottAmazon
IS THIS A JOKE ???????? pic.twitter.com/HIFhy3qfJY
— Aditi // self stan acc (@Babyyyyaddy) November 10, 2020
From selling disturbing images of Maa Sita and Maa Kali printed on t-shirts to ‘Om’ and images of Bhagwan Shiva printed on doormats and underwear, Amazon seems to have no issue in demeaning Hinduism. #BoycottAmazon trends on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/V8M6pVvnaQ
— The Arth India (@thearthindia) November 10, 2020
The Reuters report also noted that several of the product listings on Amazon’s websites were controlled by sellers and not directly by the company.
Also read: E-commerce can help startups scale up and revive our struggling economy
Previous uproars
This, however, wasn’t the first time that the e-commerce giant has faced flak for its products. In 2017, the Narendra Modi government had threatened to rescind visas of Amazon employees in India if it did not stop the sale of doormats with the tricolour on its Canadian website, said the report recalled.
In 2019, again, the firm’s US website sold toilet seat covers sporting images of Hindu gods, leading to an uproar in India.
Also read: Amazon faces new anti-trust probe in EU over use of rivals’ sales data
Boycott amazon
Thats the difference between us and “them”. We are outraged by these acts of Amazon and its vendors/sellers. So we will raise a hue and cry, maybe boycott Amazon or may even drag the company to court for hurting our religious sentiments. People may organize dharnas and protest marches too.
But we will never ever kill someone or behead someone just because they offended our religious sensitivities.
Lynching for cow and beef?
It’s called mob justice in villages. People are killed because they are stealing cows just like they are killed when they steal someone’s livelihood in rural India. But you’ll deny it coz you are an ideological slave. If people were really being attacked coordinately you won’t find ANY beef-eating restaurants or such places in India. Moreover, anyone who does it is condemned by almost everyone rather than people being an apologist for terrorists, regardless of the fact that you are KILLING a cow – a pet- to EAT. Please Try killing cats and dogs – the “babies” – in the US to eat them and you will invite a public outcry much more than what’s happening in India. in texas, people shoot you for trespassing the property.
Tell me what is the definition of being secular – the Hindu culture says every path/faith leads to god as opposed or organized religions which say my way or the highway??? Tell me which ideology is secular and inclusive and which is exclusive? And how do they coexist because the Muslims who have coexisted with us have been Sufis/Spiritual not the current batch of Islamists who identify themselves with Babur or Aurangzeb?
And Hindu is a cultural term – the culture of hind/indian civilization termed as “unorganized religion”. Well, an unorganized religion is just an umbrella term for various faiths since religion is a political ideology itself. And It’s not about the crime which can be done by anyone be it Buddhists or Jain or atheist – part of Hindu culture – but about the ideology of religion which has nothing to do with faith. You shouldn’t shout secularism if you don’t believe in it yourself. One can’t have an exclusive mindset and exist in a secular society without feeling victimized by anything or everything and people can take only take so much bullshit. And I make a clear distinction between Islamists with Muslims (Muslim treat Islam as faith/ no conversions like initiation process into a cult or blasphemy law). Believe me, I wouldn’t have noticed this distinction if people haven’t been such continuos hypocrites.
You say a terrorist doesn’t have a religion, but then you coin the term “Hindu terror” for a stray crime. Stop being hypocrites. Selective reporting is used for narrative building, people are not stupid. Tolerant people get called out for pointing out this fact or hypocrisy but intolerant people will come out in protest for what is happening in other countries – who is more communal? Indians get communal only when to call out bullshit like this- it’s tit for tat after a point – as has been the case in history. The cost of tolerance seems to be too high in this world, and you should reserve tolerance for people who actually believe in it and practice it. I couldn’t give two shits about “religion” but if I am not allowed to criticize slaughtering of Goats on Eid then don’t tell me you’ll kill cows in front of temples as a show of “protest”. It is not only disgusting from an animal rights perspective but is also against law, since 1947 when it was added by Mahatma Gandhi himself. What happens to the protectors of the constitution and how low can you go? Standing up for selective injustice is no way to show secularism because then you are only seeing the retaliation of something else. A one-way relationship is an abusive relationship.
Only followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism are allowed to be insulted. Businesses, left and western academics, Films all think it is fair game to insult Hindus. Generally they are sensitive about other religions and has tight controls and checks in place. After long Hindus are realizing these trends and have started asking – is insult the cost of tolerance from Hindus? And now when Hindus are protesting that becomes intolerance!! Not fair!