A Tanishq advertisement showcasing an inter-faith baby-shower, with a Muslim mother-in-law celebrating the custom in the traditional Hindu way to make her pregnant Hindu daughter in-law happy, triggered intense outrage on social media. Subsequently, the jewellery brand pulled the ad down, even though inter-faith marriages have long been a part of Indian history and an integral component of India’s secular fabric.
Evidently, what may work for the bride and the groom and the Constitution of Independent India, may not necessarily bode well with the public on Twitter. As allegations of #LoveJihad and #Anti-Hindu behaviour do the rounds on Twitter, simply triggered by an advertisement that celebrates love and familial ties amid diversity and cultural differences, it is worth reflecting how can something that is accepted in Indian law and by the Constitution of India be unacceptable to certain sections of Indian society.
(Kaafi Real is a series of cartoons on The Quint. You can check out all our other Kaafi Real cartoons here.)
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