company selling 'om' socks apologizes

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Company Selling ´OM´ Socks Apologizes

 

 

New York, July 13, 2003 -- Gold Medal Hosiery, a New York company

marketing the controversial socks with "OM" symbol, has sent a formal

apology to the Indian community.

 

IndiaCause, an Indo-American watch-dog group had expressed outrage at

the use of the Hindu symbol ´Om´ on socks, and had launched an

agressive protest campaign against Gold Medal Hosiery.

 

Although, the company had earlier declined to comment on this

controversial issue, it was forced to apologize due to tremedous

media-coverage and appeals from the Indian community activists.

 

In a letter dated July 11, 2003; the company president Paul Rotstein

wrote to IndiaCause:

 

"Let me start off by apologizing for causing concern and outrage at

our inadvertent use of the "Om" symbol.

 

We at Gold Medal Hosiery are respectful of all religious values and

traditions and would never knowingly be disrespectful towards

anyone´s beliefs.

 

This was a one time occurrence and we will not repeat the use of this

symbol in any of our products.

 

Please accept our apology and rest assured that tolerance and harmony

are core beliefs that we live by."

 

However, the company did not comment on the request by the activist

groups to withdraw the product. Therefore, it is assumed that the

company will continue to market the product in the US.

 

The socks have been designed by New Yorker Linda Maddocks, but

according to the label on the socks, the product is made in South

Korea.

 

 

Sanjeev Dahiwadkar, coordinator of IndiaCause, pointed out that in

the recent past there had been at least three instances where India

and Indian culture were attacked. "We are outraged seeing such

repetitive insults and attack on Indian culture," Dahiwadkar said.

 

Earlier, he said, images of Lord Ganesh and goddess Kali were

offensively used on toilet seats, an article depicted a muscleman

beating up an image of Mahatma Gandhi and Ganesh images were used on

slippers.

 

 

 

 

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