In a world where nations don’t hesitate in going to war for pride, playing with national sensibilities can spell a disaster for a person or an organisation. World’s leading e-tailer Amazon has learnt this lesson hard. On Wednesday, Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj took strong exception to Amazan Canada selling doormats bearing India’s National Flag and asked the e-tailer to tender an “unconditional apology” for doing the “unacceptable” business.
In a series of tweets, Swaraj vented her ire, leading to speculations that a major diplomatic row was in the offing. Swaraj asked the Indian High Commission in Canada to take the matter with Amazon at the highest level. The minister, who is popular for giving a social twist to diplomacy, said “Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.” Swaraj warned, “If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.”
Swaraj’s high-decibel protest against Amazon on Twitter “escalated the protest into a possible diplomatic spat,” noted The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeffery P Bejos. For now Amazon Canada has removed the Tricolour doormats and the controversy has ended. While Amazon is yet to tender an unconditional apology as demanded by Swaraj, the controversy has put the focus on how people of different countries treat their national symbols.
Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. https://t.co/L4yI3gLk3h
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. /1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
The official Flag Code of India says, “The Indian national Flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is the symbol of our national pride.” Hence it cannot be abused. The Flag Code bars people from using the tricolour for “trade, business, calling or profession, or in the title of any patent, or in any trade mark of design.”
The code bars people from insulting the tricolour by burning, mutilating, defacing, defiling, destroying, trampling or disfiguring.” The flag cannot be used as “a portion of costume or uniform or any description nor shall it be embroidered or printed upon cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or any dress material.”
The US flag code also says that the country’s flag should never be used as “wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery…The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.” However, in popular practice, Americans don’t hesitate using the flag in their private lives, even wearing it on their dress. The story is similar for many European countries as well.
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In the context of current controversy, one can say Amazon Canada may not have been aware of the Indian Flag Code. For doormats sporting national flags of different countries can easily be purchased on e-tailing sites including Amazon and E-Bay.
True that different countries treat their flags differently. But for a global giant like Amazon, it doesn’t augur well if it feigns ignorance over its products playing with national sensibilities. Amazon is one of the largest e-tailers in India. It has learnt a lesson, other should also pay attention.
