A female reporter from Sudarshan TV grilled a Haldiram’s staff member about the “Urdu” description on the brand’s namkeen packet in what could be described as an attempt to incite communalism.
Shivani Thakur, a news reporter, can be seen in the viral video on Twitter attempting to elicit an aggressive response from the store manager of a Haldiram’s outlet, repeatedly asking why the description is in Urdu, insinuating that it is intended to mislead Hindus observing Navratras. In doing so, she demonstrates a callous communal stance and a complete lack of basic information that a journalist should be able to command.
The incident can be interpreted as yet another attempt by communal media to gain publicity at a time when the country is already embroiled in controversies over halal meat, the Azaan, and the hijab.
The snack in question is the ‘Falhari Mixture,’ which is one of the brand’s most famous ‘fasting’ mixtures (used during fasting days). It’s a sweet and salty combination of peanuts and potatoes seasoned with mild spices. According to the video, the namkeen’s description is written in Urdu on the back, while the main text on the front is in English. In addition, the packaging prominently displays the green vegetarian symbol. According to sources, the description on the back of the packet is in Arabic. It caters to the company’s export requirements, as this specific mixture is exported to the Middle East.
The video first appeared on Twitter after a Hindi news channel shared it. It has since gone viral on social media, sparking a community debate. In the video, reporter Shivani Thakur aggressively questions the manager, a woman, about why the description on Haldiram’s packet is written in Urdu and wonders if Haldiram’s is attempting to conceal something. The confrontation is witnessed by a crowd of people and a police officer.
In response to the question, the manager states that the food inside the packet is not a health hazard, and she then asks the reporter to leave the store firmly but politely. “If you want this, you can have it; if you don’t want it, you can just keep this here and go from my outlet,” she says.
“You can do whatever you want, ma’am. Haldiram’s will not entertain such tantrums,” the store manager says firmly, while the reporter rants about “Urdu writing” and “betraying Hindus who fast during Navratri.” Netizens praised the manager for dealing with the reporter in a firm and balanced manner.
Shivani Thakur works for Sudarshan TV, widely regarded as a far-right broadcaster. The Supreme Court has previously condemned the channel for its Islamophobic content. This particularly vicious instance of inciting communal tensions is just one of many irresponsible stances and shows that this channel has hosted.
According to Sharad Aggarwal, Director (Calcutta region), Haldiram’s, “First and foremost, it is not even Urdu. We wrote it in Arabic because our products are exported to countries such as Dubai, Italy, Spain, and France. Furthermore, every country requires their native language in the product description, which is why we use a variety of languages in our products.”
To date, the viral video has received 2.8 million views, 5190 retweets, and 19.6k likes, leaving netizens divided. While some of them think it’s fine and normal, others are curious as to why the company printed the packet’s description in Urdu.
Several political organizations, including the Indian Youth Congress, accused the reporter of inciting communal violence. “The Sudarshan News reporter spread hateful poison in front of police, and the police stood by mutely…” (As translated from Hindi, SIC)
“Haldiram’s using URDU print on its packet of Falhari Mixture – are they serving Halal Food to “H”?” a Twitter user asked. Another tweet says, “This is Bikaji bhujia… Urdu is written in place of Hindi… How many Indians know Urdu? Hindi is our national language, which is why Urdu is written.”
What do you think of the news reporter’s stunt? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
The authored article is written by Darshana Joshi and shared with Prittle Prattle News exclusively.
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