An advertisement by jewellery brand Tanishq triggered a row after right-wing groups claimed that it was promoting 'love jihad', a popular conspiracy theory propounded by Hindutva ideologues which suggests that Muslim men deliberately marry Hindu women in order to convert them to Islam. Ironically, the claim propagated by many on Twitter, including BJP members, was deflated by their own ruling government's submission from February this year which said that “no such case of ‘Love Jihad’ has been reported by any of the central agencies” and that it was not defined under India's current laws.
Titled 'A confluence', the ad was broadcast as part of Tanishq's 'Ekatvam' collection of jewellery being released ahead of Diwali. The ad shows a Muslim family busy in preparations for a Hindu ritual for their pregnant daughter-in-law. When the daughter-in-law points out to the mother-in-law that these rituals were not a tradition at their place, the latter replies that keeping a daughter happy was a tradition in all homes.
"She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don’t. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures," Tanishq said in its description of the video on YouTube.
Watch the advertisement below.
However, a section of Twitter users took offence at the ad and tweeted with the hashtag #BoycottTanishq, which started trending in India. They claimed that the company was showing a Hindu daughter-in-law in a Muslim family and asked if they could turn the tables, and show a Muslim woman marrying into a Hindu family, without evoking outrage.
.@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
Why i see Hindu daughter in law everywhere....why dont you show Muslim daughter in law anywhere. Just Asking #BoycottTanishq
— Ranzy Singh (@ranzysingh) October 12, 2020
Many users on Twitter, however, were quick to slam the communal narrative.
The Tanishq ad, which has got all the right wing frothing over depiction of love jihad, shows neither deception/coercion or forced (or any) conversion. It shows a simple interfaith marriage. Which proves again they are just against any interfaith love, which they term love jihad.
— Asim Ali (@AsimAli6) October 12, 2020
"We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true."- Swami Vivekananda#tanishq launches an add focusing #HinduMuslim unity, why we should #BoycottTanishq?
— rubina khatun (@rubinak79265448) October 12, 2020
Incident of violence for the sake of conversion is disgusting and accused dealt severely. pic.twitter.com/2g6OiCIhhx
Others dropped in on the trend, with some humour.
People are trending #BoycottTanishq as if they buy jewelry from them on daily basis.
— Sandeep Singh (@sandeep90s) October 12, 2020
Really? #BoycottTanishq ? pic.twitter.com/vadUnI6Kks
— Tanishq Srivastava (@ts_tanishq_) October 12, 2020
Tanishq is giving interfaith union ad and parle-G is deciding to not give ad on “toxic” channels.
— Monica (@TrulyMonica) October 12, 2020
It is anyway a very difficult financial year. Why these brands are committing suicide
Last year, an advertisement for detergent brand Surf Excel had sparked similar bigotry on social media with many tweeting with the hashtag #BoycottSurfExcel and claiming that the ad went against the Hindu religion.
The ad showed a young girl, dressed in white, cycling through a colony which was celebrating Holi and choosing to let her clothes get stained so that her Muslim friend, who is dressed in sparkly white, can go to the mosque to pray without being splashed with colours.
Watch the ad below.