Durban: A steakhouse chain in South Africa has dropped a television advertisement after Indian-origin people complained that it was "insensitive" and "mocked" the community and its culture.
The Spur Steak Ranches advert features a young Indian-origin couple performing a dance sequence to promote cheddar-melt steak and chicken burger meals.
However, some members of the community complained that the advert demeaned Indian culture and therefore was against the Constitution of the country, prompting the company to issue an apology and pull it off air.
The company’s executive chairman, Allen Ambor, apologised to the community, saying the advert was not meant to offend anyone.
"What we were essentially doing was highlighting the genre of Bollywood movies, which can be quite cheesy at times. The intention was not to be nasty but funny. I hope those who are upset can forgive us, and we will be far more careful in future.
"We have withdrawn the remaining one third of the advertising period in order to demonstrate our sincerity", he said.
But a number of Indian-origin organisations were not amused. The chairman of the Sanathan Dharma Sabha, Brij Maharaj, said the cow was regarded as a sacred animal by Hindus.
"Traditionally, most Hindus do not eat beef. It is clear that the ad targets Indian youngsters who are highly impressionable and closely follow Bollywood trends," he said.
"There’s a notion that middle-class Indians have the largest disposable monthly income, and advertisers are targeting this group, often in ways that are insensitive to the cultural and religious beliefs of the community," Brij said adding that the trend should be checked.
Another religious leader, Thillayvel Naidoo of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, said advertising agencies took advantage of the Indian community.
"It is our own people who encourage advertisers to take advantage of our culture. I wish that these companies would show more respect to our religion, but how can they if we don’t respect ourselves."
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes
