Gorkha Community Petitions Flipkart to Take Down Its Offensive Ad

Flipkart lands in trouble for its ad that stereotypes the Gorkha community.

The logo of India’s largest online marketplace Flipkart is seen on a building. (Photo: Reuters)

The Gorkha community has filed a petition against the owners, Sachin and Binny Bansal of Flipkart for their stereotypical portrayal in their latest ad.

The ad, which has been titled Sahebji’s Jogging Shoes, shows a little boy dressed as a Gorkha sporting their traditional Napelese hat, Bhadgauley Topi and plays a security guard.

There have been such instances in the past where the media has stereotyped the community in similar ways. Aamir Khan’s Coca Cola ad is one such example.

The community alleges they had to resort to filing a petition after repeated requests to take the ad down went unheeded. The founders are charged under Section 154 (A) and (B) for criminally conspiring with each other for defamation and hurting the religious sentiments of the Nepali/Gorkhali community.

They’ve been so cold. I know they must have spent a lot of money making the ad but then again it’s a form of racial misrepresentation. We wanted them to withdraw it. We gave them so much time to take it down but they didn’t do that.

Rajen Chettri, Petitioner, Member of Gorkha Youth and Student Association of India (GYASA)

The petition also accuses the ad agency Mullen Lintas for “conspiring against the Gorkha community with Flipkart and its co-founders.” The e-commerce portal is yet to take down the ad.

(Photo: Reuters)

They are showing the image of Gorkhas in a very poor light. It’s been happening in the movies and many ads, but this time the entire Gorkha youth from across India are outraged. Many youngsters ask me why I need to introduce myself as Gorkha, and when I ask them why, they say in their school they introduce their watchman as Gorkha. 

Roshni Rai, Lawyer and Gorkha Rights Activist

Source: Business Standard