Hundreds of social media users in India supported the boycott call, saying Hyundai should apologize for being insensitive to India’s position on the decades-old dispute.
see photosHyundai’s India unit said it strongly condemns the social media post shared by the Pakistani dealer
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor on Monday faced calls by Indians to boycott its cars, angered by a tweet from its Pakistani partner’s account, which expressed solidarity for the people of the disputed region of Kashmir. The row erupted on Sunday, a day after Pakistan marked the annual Kashmir Solidarity Day and posts by Hyundai’s partner Nishat group appeared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to commemorate the sacrifice of Kashmiris fighting for self-determination.
Hundreds of social media users in India, who consider entire Kashmir as an integral part of the country, supported the boycott call, saying Hyundai should apologize for being insensitive to India’s position on the decades-old dispute. Dozens of Indians posted an intention to cancel orders for Hyundai cars to punish the company, urging support for domestic brands such as Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra.
Reacting to the uproar, Hyundai’s India unit said it has a “zero tolerance policy towards insensitive communications and we strongly condemn any such idea”. It further said, “Unsolicited social media posts linking Hyundai Motor India are insulting our unparalleled commitment and service to this great nation,” @HyundaiIndia said, adding that it’s the force behind the “strong ethos of respecting nationalism”. stands by.
Reuters requested comment from Hyundai’s headquarters in Seoul and Pakistan’s largest business conglomerate Nishat Group, but did not immediately respond. Hyundai is India’s second largest car seller after Maruti Suzuki sold nearly five lakh vehicles in the country and exported over one million units in the last fiscal, making it India’s largest car exporter.
Hyundai is India’s second largest car seller and country’s largest car exporter
Ashwini Mahajan, an official in the economic wing of the powerful Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) group that is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, said Hyundai should clarify its position on Kashmir.
He said, “Hyundai not criticizing Pakistan Indian branch of @Hyundai_Global is also not saying that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Speaks a lot about its commitment to India. Isn’t this a call for #BoycottHyundai does?”, he said.
Indian Twitter user Ashutosh Soni said that he has canceled his booking for Hyundai’s Verna sedan which was due to be delivered this month and bought a car from rival Honda Motor.
Sony on Sunday took to its handle @CA_AshutoshSoni to say “#BoycottHyundai, that’s it!” tweeted, also shared a picture of himself taking delivery of a new Honda car.
“Let’s make them bankrupt. India is one of the biggest markets for cars,” filmmaker and social activist Ashok Pandit said on Twitter on Monday with a screenshot of the fall in Hyundai’s share price.
While Hyundai’s share fell 1.25% on Monday, weaker than Seoul’s benchmark index, the main factors behind the decline were concerns over the record number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea, and ongoing concerns that the global chip Shortage can affect production and sales.
The problem of social media posts highlights the risks facing global companies amid rising nationalism in the sector. India and Pakistan have twice gone to war over Muslim-majority Kashmir and Modi’s government has adopted an aggressive policy to counter a militant separatist insurgency that blames Pakistan. Islamabad denies the allegation but says it provides moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
Twitter users in India have made similar calls in the past, demanding a boycott of Chinese goods after a border conflict between the two Asian giants disrupted automobile supply chains and other industries. Amazon.com Inc. has also faced social media backlash in India after its foreign website was found selling goods with the faces of Hindu deities and other sacred symbols.
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