As #ShameOnYouCeatTyres was trending on top of the microblogging site twitter, a letter from BJP MP Ananthkumar raising objection to a controversial advertisement by Ceat Ltd. has come to light.
The letter dated October 14, has been addressed to Anant Vardhan Goenka, the CEO and MD of Ceat Ltd. In the letter, Ananthkumar has appreciated the company for creating an ad with a public message and requested him to address other more important issues through advertisements.
Sh. Ananthkumar has written, “Your company’s recent advertisement in which Amir Khan advising people not to burst firecrackers on the streets is giving a very good message. Your concern for public issues needs applause. In this regard, I request you to address one more problem faced by people on roads i.e., blocking roads in the name of Namaz on Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims.”
The Uttar Kannada MP Ananthkumar highlighted that the deliberate blockade of roads by Muslims to offer Namaz causes inconvenience to general public. On occasions, it also blocks the path of Ambulances and Firefighting vehicles leading to harassment and loss of life in many cases.
Further he suggested the CEO regarding ads that should address the issue of noise pollution also. He said:-
I also request you to highlight the issue of noise pollution in your ads. Everyday, loud noise is emitted from mikes arranged on the top of mosques in our country when Azan is given. That sound is beyond the permissible limits. On Fridays, it is prolonged for some more time. It is causing great inconvenience to people suffering from different ailments and taking rest, people working in different establishments and teachers teaching in classrooms. Actually, this list of sufferers is very long and only a few are mentioned here.
Continuing his suggestion, and taking a dig at the hypocrisy of some actors , Ananthkumar writes:-
As you are very keen and sensitive towards the problems faced by the general public and you also belong to the Hindu community, I am sure you can feel the discrimination done to the Hindus for centuries. Nowadays, a group of anti-Hindu actors always hurt the Hindu sentiments whereas they never try to expose the wrong doings of their community. Therefore, I kindly request you to take cognisance of this particular incident where your company’s advertisement has created unrest among the Hindus. I hope in future your organisation will respect the Hindu sentiment and will not hurt it directly or indirectly by any means.
If CEAT ltd. heeds to the advice of Ananthkumar, it might lead to dispelling the hypocrisy that is prevalent in our system. It is due to this hypocrisy that advertisers and media honchos have been targeting benign Hindu traditions whereas turning a blind eye to regressive traditions like Nikah-Halala and triple Talaq. Let us hope for a better India.