Singapore-headquartered “global online fashion and lifestyle retailer” Shein seems to have withdrawn blanket-bedspread and doormat carrying images of Hindu deity Bhagwan Ganesh after Hindus protested, calling it highly inappropriate.

These objectionable multipurpose blanket-bedspreads and doormats, which Hindus urged Shein to withdraw, were not found on its website when searched today.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked Shein for understanding the concerns of the Hindu community, which thought the image of Lord Ganesh on such products was insensitive.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, suggested that companies should send their concerned staff for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they have an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.

Rajan Zed had said that it was shocking to visualise that Shein, for its mercantile greed, was apparently persuading the world to sleep on the image of Lord Ganesh on the blanket; and to scrub/wipe their shoes on the image of Lord Ganesh on the doormat to remove dirt-dust-mud before entering a door; while Bhagwan Ganesh was worshipped by Hindus.

Hindu deity Bhagwan Ganesh, whose image was depicted on the Ganesh Multipurpose Blanket Bedspread and doormat earlier sold at Shein website, was highly revered in Hinduism. He was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for covering feet and body, eating on, putting feet on, reclining, sitting, sleeping, using as pet bedding, utilising as beach mat and ground cover, etc.; as was the case for a multipurpose blanket-bedspread; and not for putting one’s feet/shoes on for cleaning or sweeping on, as was the case with doormat. Inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu deities or concepts or symbols, or icons for commercial or other agendas was not okay, as it hurt the devotees, Zed had indicated.

Rajan Zed stated that Hindus were still waiting for an apology from the Shein Group and its CEO Xu Yangtian and Executive Chairman Donald Tang.

Hinduism is the oldest and third-largest religion of the world, with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed had noted.

Rajan Zed further said that such trivialisation of the Hindu deity was disturbing to the Hindu world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else, if not more. But faith was something sacred, and attempts at trivialising it hurt the followers, Zed added.

In Hinduism, Bhagwan Ganesh is worshipped as the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

The mission of Shein, which serves customers in 160+ countries, is “to make the beauty of fashion accessible to all”. Besides Singapore, it also has offices in Los Angeles, São Paulo, Dublin, Guangzhou, Paris, Washington, DC, and London.