Walmart indulges in iconoclastic representation of Hindu deity, puts images of Lord Ganesh on underwear, slippers

Case ID : 59548a6 | Location : United States | Date of Incident : Thu, 5 December, 2024
Case ID : 59548a6
location United States
date 5 December, 2024
Walmart indulges in iconoclastic representation of Hindu deity, puts images of Lord Ganesh on underwear, slippers
Attack on Hindu religious representations
Iconoclastic representation of Hindu Gods/Goddesses

Case Summary

International chain Walmart came under fire after it was revealed that the retail giant had been selling clothing items, including underwear, swimwear, and footwear, emblazoned with the image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh. The products, marketed as part of the "Celestial Ganesh Blessings Collection," included tops, pants, bikinis, boxers, briefs, thongs, flip-flops, socks, and more, with reports indicating over 70 variants of these items. The depiction of Lord Ganesh on intimate apparel and casual footwear sparked outrage among the global Hindu community. Social media users and Hindu advocacy organisations criticised Walmart for cultural insensitivity and disrespect toward Hindu religious sentiments. Prominent voices in the Hindu community, including activist Rajam Zed, demanded the immediate removal of the offensive items. Zed said, "Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled." Advocacy groups such as Insight UK, Hindu Jagruti, and the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) strongly condemned Walmart's actions. Insight UK called it "blatant negligence and disrespect," while Hindu Jagruti labeled the depiction as "deeply offensive" and sought a formal apology from the corporation. The HAF wrote directly to Walmart management, urging the retailer to cease the misuse of Hindu imagery on commercial products. In response to the uproar, Walmart removed the "Celestial Ganesh Blessings Collection" from its stores and online platforms. However, swimsuits featuring the deity’s image reportedly remained available. Hindu groups continued to demand a full apology and the complete withdrawal of all offending items.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case is being added to the primary category 'Attack on Hindu religious representations' under the sub-category 'Iconoclastic representations of Hindu Gods/Goddesses'. An icon is a symbol of someone or something that is revered, or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Any iconoclastic representation of these symbols, images and murtis is an affront to the religious beliefs and faith of the Hindu community itself since the symbols and icons are deeply religious in nature. In this sub-category of crime, we would record hate crimes and iconoclastic representations, in words, art, or any other form of representations of symbols that hold religious significance for the Hindu community. Since these symbols, icons and murtis are central to the Hindu faith, any iconoclastic representation of these symbols is born out of animosity towards the faith itself, manifesting itself through these symbols and therefore, these representations would be considered religiously motivated hated crimes. In this case, the international chain Walmart put the images of Hindu deity, Lord Ganesh, on intimate apparel, slippers and other products. Lord Ganesh is a deeply significant deity in the Hindu faith, revered by Hindus and worshipped. Any iconoclastic representation of these symbols, images and murtis is an affront to the religious beliefs and faith of the Hindu community itself since the symbols and icons are deeply religious in nature. Deities are the paramount representation of the Hindu faith and to put images of the deities on articles such as slippers and intimate clothes disrespects and desecrates the sanctity attacked to deities. This case is, therefore, being documented as a religiously motivated hate crime.

Case Status Background
Gavel Icon

Case Status


Case adjudicated

Case Status Background
Gavel Icon

Perpetrators Details

Perpetrators


Others

Perpetrators Range


Unknown

Perpetrators Gender


unknown

Case Details SVG
The details of each case are updated till the day it has been added to the database. It is not practical for us to manually track the progress of every case listed in the Hinduphobia Tracker database. If you have additional information which you believe should reflect here, please provide additional details by clicking the button below. If you believe this case should not be considered a religiously motivated hate crime, you can proceed to raise a dispute using the same button.
Please note the case ID: 59548a6 <click to copy case id>, you must enter the same in the form which will pop up after clicking the button.