Walmart was embroiled in a controversy on December 6 for selling footwears and underwear bearing the images of Lord Ganesha, a Hindu deity revered in Hinduism.
An issue of this nature surfaced when an X (formerly Twitter) user, ‘Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht),’ uploaded pictures of the items on the web, which depicted how the retail giant had humiliated Hindu sentiments. “This is unacceptable. You can’t demean our Hindu Gods,” the user wrote in a post that had caused widespread uproar within the Hindu community.
The images showed a variety of products, such as tops, shorts, bikinis, flip-flops, and socks, that are marketed under the ‘Celestial Ganesh Blessings Collection.’ According to reports, Walmart was selling at least 70 different boxers, thongs, briefs, and other garments that had Lord Ganesha’s image on them.
This has resulted in sharp criticism from the social media users, as they accused Walmart of ridiculing Hindu sentiments by putting such sacred imagery on items. Many called for withdrawal of the products immediately and pointed out the need for sensitivity in cultures.
Hindu activist Rajan Zed also joined in, calling on the corporation to stop selling the items. “Symbols of any faith, no matter how small or prominent, deserve respect,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hindu advocacy group ‘Insight UK’ condemned Walmart’s actions as blatant negligence. “The Hindu community is deeply hurt by this disregard for our deities and values. Such acts reflect a lack of cultural awareness and respect,” the group tweeted.
The incident has reignited discussions on the commercialization of religious imagery and the importance of respecting cultural and religious symbols. Walmart is yet to issue an official response.
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