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Amazon urged to withdraw skateboards with Ganesha images
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SME Times News Bureau | 18 Jan, 2017
Irked by leading e-retailer Amazon selling skateboards and bedspreads
with images of Hindu god Ganesha, Hindus in the US on Tuesday urged it
to immediately withdraw them from its online platform.
"We are
disappointed with Amazon.com for continuing to carry skateboards, bed
covers, duvet covers and bedspreads showing images of our deity Lord
Ganesha on its site. They should be withdrawn," said Rajan Zed,
President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement from Nevada
in the south-west state of the US.
As Ganesha is revered in
Hindusim and worshipped by millions of Hindus the world over in temples
and homes, Zed said it was insult to put the Hindu God's images on
skateboards, used for placing feet, or bed covers for sleeping.
"Inappropriate
use of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other purposes hurts
the sentiments of the faithful," reiterated Zed.
Asserting that
Hindusim was the world's oldest and third largest religion with over a
billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, Zed said symbols of
any faith, should not be mishandled or taken frivolously.
"Trivialisation
of Lord Ganesha is disturbing to the Hindus. Though we are for free
artistic expression and speech, faith is sacred and attempt to
trivialise it hurt millions of his followers," noted Zed.
The
elephant-headed deity in the Hindu pantheon, considered son of Lord
Shiva and goddess Parvati, is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of
obstacles. His name is also invoked on auspicious occasions or starting
any venture.
"Amazon President Jeffery P. Bezos should not only
apologise for allowing his online platform to marketing products with
images of Ganesha, but also withdraw them immediately as they are
offensive to us," added Zed.
The Seattle-based e-commerce player
had on January 12 apologised for selling doormats depicting the Indian
tricolour (national flag) and removed them from its Canadian website
after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj threatened to revoke visas
of its official in India.
Expressing regret for offending Indian
sentiments, Amazon India Manager Amit Agarwal wrote to Swaraj that the
company was committed to respect Indian laws and customs.
Economic
Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das on Sunday told Amazon to desist from
being flippant about Indian symbols and icons after the Indian diaspora
in the US brought to the government's notice that flip-flops (beach
sandals) with Mahatma Gandhi's image were being sold on its American
website by a third-party vendors.
Amazon's Indian subsidiary is headquartered in Bengaluru.
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