US firm urged to recall Ganesha duvet cover

CHICAGO: Indian Americans across USA have taken strong exception to a Philadelphia based Urban Outfitters (UO), Inc., marketing duvet cover carrying image of Lord Ganesha

This type of marketing strategy is deeply hurting religious feeling of Indians and they have pitched for withdrawal of the duvet cover that has Lord Ganesha’s image

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, has described this type of marketing highly inapposite and could prove counterproductive as well. He said that Lord Ganesha is highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be slept upon. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Sohan Joshi, a front ranking community activist in Chicagoland has urged Richard A. Hayne and Tedford Marlow; President of Urban Outfitters, Inc., and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Outfitters Group respectively, not only to end this type of marketing but also assure Indians that they would not indulge in any measure that would disturb Indian Americans not only in USA but across the globe.

Madhu Patel, president of NRI Press Club, asserted that Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled.

Nand Kapur, former president of Associations of Indians in America, said that it would be most appropriate for the Hindus to urge the concerned authorities to come out with a legislation that would help them proceed criminally against any corporation that would show disrespect to “our religious belief and our deities.” He urged the right minded people to approach their lawmakers and urge them to do something in this regard.

The duvet cover which Hindu devotees are finding objectionable is claimed to be Made in the USA and is priced at $129.00-$169.00 on the website.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. is a retail company which offers a variety of lifestyle merchandise in Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and BHLDN brands through stores in USA, Canada, and Europe; besides garden center, catalogs, websites and wholesale. It boasts of its “established ability to understand our customers and connect with them on an emotional level” and calls its brands “both compelling and distinct”.

Suri Swamy