E-Commerce Site Takes Swift Action to Address Concerns of Hindu Community
Maltashopper, a leading home decor e-commerce site based in Santa Venera, Malta, has apologized and withdrawn socks featuring images of the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha after facing protests from the Hindu community, who deemed the product "highly inappropriate."
WORLD DESK – In response to the protest spearheaded by distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, David Thake, Chairman of Maltashopper Limited, took swift action to address the concerns raised by the Hindu community.
In an email to Zed, Thake wrote, "Recognizing the significance of Lord Ganesh in Hinduism and understanding the inappropriateness of depicting such a revered figure on socks, we are taking immediate and decisive action. We have immediately removed the product from our platform and do not hesitate to issue an apology to you and the Hindu community, and any others affected by this oversight."
Commitment to Learning and Sensitivity
Thake further emphasized Maltashopper’s commitment to learning from the incident and making necessary adjustments to their operations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Rajan Zed, President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, expressed gratitude to Maltashopper and Thake for understanding the concerns of the Hindu community, who found the image of Lord Ganesha on socks to be insensitive.
"Lord Ganesha is highly revered in Hinduism and is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines, not to adorn one’s feet-ankles-legs, ‘keep your feet cozy and dry,’ or ‘prevent sweat and odor,’" Zed stated.
Call for Religious and Cultural Sensitivity Training
Zed suggested that companies should send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity to gain a better understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.
He emphasized that inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agendas is not acceptable, as it hurts the sentiments of devotees.
Hinduism, the oldest and third-largest religion in the world with about 1.2 billion adherents, should not be taken frivolously, and symbols of any faith should not be mishandled, Zed noted.
Ganesha’s Significance in Hinduism
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
Maltashopper had previously claimed that the Ganesha socks, priced at €6.95, were "a statement of eco-conscious fashion" and stated on their website that "Ganesha, the Hindu deity known as the remover of obstacles, symbolizes wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune."
