Brooklyn (New York) headquartered e-commerce company Etsy, Inc. removed Sexy Ganesh Thong Panties carrying image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh within few hours of Hindu protest, who called it “highly inappropriate”.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked Etsy for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which thought that placing image of Lord Ganesh on thong panties was utterly insensitive.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, suggested that companies like Etsy should send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.
Rajan Zed had said that Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one’s crotch. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.
Zed indicated that they were still waiting for a formal apology from Etsy and its CEO Josh Silverman; as this was not the first time for the company to offer such products which were deemed offensive by Hindu devotees. In the past, Etsy had toilet-seat, flip-flops, and ashtray carrying images of Lord Ganesh; which were later reportedly removed after Hindus protested.
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed had noted.
Is offering products like Sexy Ganesh Thong Panties really matches Etsy’s commitment of “using the power of business to strengthen communities and empower people” and its stated mission to “keep commerce human”? Zed had asked.
Etsy; founded in 2005 in an apartment in Brooklyn and now headquartered in its Dumbo neighborhood with additional offices in Germany, Ireland, UK, India, France, Canada, Chicago, San Francisco, Hudson (New York); describes itself as “global marketplace”. It claims to have had annual gross merchandise sales of $5B in 2019.
In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. There are about three million Hindus in USA.
Source: World Hindu News