Custodians of faith
Recent advertisements on the depiction of religious customs have created a furore; begging the question whose religion is it anyway?
Have you met our newest conscious keepers? They are the self-appointed custodians of our faith, neo-Nazi-like proponents of our culture. They have no background in Indian history, arts, or philosophy, and are erudite only in their sense of outrage. Their world view is myopic, their thoughts divisive even as the delusions that govern them imbue a sense of false importance and accomplishment to their acts. It takes little to rile them; and a lot to placate…these new foot soldiers of our religion are fighting a digital war to safeguard their idea of the Hindu culture.
No corporate can withstand the onslaught of their virtual hate; forced as they are to surrender their own weapons of inclusiveness or art, and allow this narrow-mindedness to win. There can be no Fab India's 'Jashn-e-Riwaaz' for Diwali, or fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's modernistic mangal sutras on the brown, bare bodies of lingerie-clad plus-size model. Humour has no place in this culture warrior's arsenal — see how edtech platform, Unacademy was trolled for sponsoring a 'Ram Leela' skit at AIIMs that had some quips. And time and again, the guardians of our faith descend upon us to remind us of what is allowed and disallowed in Hinduism. Whether it's jewellery brand, Tanishq's advertisement from last year, which dared to show inter-faith marriage or Surf Excel's advertisement from 2019 that showed a young Hindu girl protecting her Muslim friend from Holi colours as he was on the way to the neighbourhood mosque for prayers, our culture keepers were enraged.
These vultures of our culture are angered by anything that doesn't seem 'Hindu' to them. One of the oldest religions in the world, which has withstood invasions and oppressions, isn't allowed to reinvent itself. Christianity is deep in dialogue on its stance on same-sex couples with Pope Francis becoming the first pope to endorse same-sex marriage. While the Vatican is a long way off to officially recognising such unions, the conversation at least has started. Keeping pace with the times, is it really so offensive if we have a lesbian couple celebrating a Hindu festival? Lesbians are not allowed to celebrate 'karwa chauth' as was depicted in the Dabur advertisement. There are many reasons to criticize a regressive practice as 'karwa chauth' but gender shouldn't be one of them.
The defenders of religious customs should be furious at the way women are treated in this country. Rape, molestation, abuse — very un-'Hindu' behaviour, right? — the numbers are there for all to see. Why not be incensed by heinous crimes against women in a country where female gods are revered the most? To be outraged over anything else is meaningless when so many women suffer every day. Instead of the farcical protection of religion why not propound the ethos of Hinduism, teach others to be respectful and tolerant, and while at it, practice it themselves!
You see, in the eyes of the protectors of our faith, religion should remain within rigid borders, pure and unmixed, without imbibing the changing times, and tolerating others just barely. The lack of openness to religious bonhomie or sexual and gender freedoms is so strong that advertisers simply avoid such controversial topics. The ones who show the gumption to speak of a modern India where religions, cultures, and sexual choices can co-exist and thrive, are trolled out of the public domain. The victory of these trolls is not only due to their cantankerous online behaviour but also largely because of the cowered brands too, who make the right noises before giving in all too easily. When the boycott calls ring loud, they care only for their toplines; artistic vision, modernity, and freedom of thought be damned. Festivals after all, are for profiteering and doing brisk business. Once the shock and awe and viral videos are created, it's time to scrap these marketing campaigns and concede.
But we should remember that every time we allow a group of illiberal online trolls to win, it's a loss for all. A defeat of freedoms, a failure of communal harmony, and a blot on the new India that is trying to break away from shackles of bigoted thought. I believe, that most of us, are not dogmatists. When faced with rationale, we do see the merits of an argument. If we start viewing the social changes that our advertisements portray, not as an attack on religion, but rather as a way of opening it up to different thoughts and perspectives, we won't have to be insecure about our religion. Religion can be a beautiful thing that strengthens people's lives; but by placing too many dos and don'ts, we take away all that is comforting about it, and we shake the faith of those that don't conform to the set notions of society.
The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal
