Indian government threatens to refuse visas to Amazon employees over flag doormat controversy

FIRST there were calls to #BoycottAmazon, then a full scale diplomatic crisis erupted over this controversial listing.

The Indian flag is considered to be sacred. Picture: Indranil Mukherjee

A DOORMAT listed for sale at Amazon has sparked a diplomatic crisis.

A top Indian official has threatened to deny visas to Amazon officials after reports last week that Amazon’s Canadian site was selling doormats that pictured the Indian flag, the New York Post reports.

“Amazon must tender unconditional apology,” India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted Wednesday, demanding that Amazon remove all products that “insult” the Indian national flag.

“If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official,” Ms Swaraj added. “We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.”

In India, the national flag is considered to have a near-sacred status, meaning that to step on it, use it as a towel or soil it with any action “is akin to disrespecting our country, its people and its civilisation, its history and traditions, its struggles and its bounties”, Mukul K Jha said in a discussion on Quora about why the flag could not be printed on bedding or beach towels.

@SushmaSwaraj Madam. Amazon Canada must be censured and warned not to sell India flag doormats. Please take action. pic.twitter.com/td4KXlDUQL

— Atul Bhobe (@atulbhobe) January 11, 2017

@AmazonHelp we will lead a campaign to boycott amazon in India , and this is real

— sanyog shrivastava (@sanyogs) January 11, 2017

@atulbhobe @SushmaSwaraj have
Stopped all transactions with amazon till they apologise!

let's make amazon pay for this insult

— Omkar Sreenivasa (@OmkarPS) January 11, 2017

The original post had queried why such items were so heavily frowned upon, when the flags of nations like the United States and United Kingdom feature liberally on everything from bikinis to boxer shorts.

“We look up to our national flag with pride. It symbolises our freedom and the sacrifices of all the Indians for the nation. It is the symbol of unity. Hence, it’s sacred,” wrote Vikash Bhattar.

“So using the national flag as a towel or as under garments or for printing it on shoes and flip flops (prevalent in many nations) is nothing but sheer disrespect.”

Last week, Amazon removed the listing for an Indian-flag-themed doormat that was advertised as “personalised durable machine-washable indoor/outdoor,” which drew a petition from irate customers.

When asked for comment Amazon officials said, “the item is no longer for sale on the site.”

This article first appeared on the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission.

Originally published as Indian government threatens to refuse visas to Amazon employees over flag doormat controversy