On 22nd October 2022, Sunny Tawar – a professor at the University of Haryana – posted a tweet to point out the difference in greetings by car manufacturing company Honda for customers from different castes. The self identified Ambedkarite professor juxtaposed wishes by the social media account of Honda Cars India and tried to insinuate that the wishes for new car purchased by an Ambedkarite and an upper caste person were different.
In the two screenshots attached, there were new car purchase updates tweeted by Sunny Tawar himself and another customer Neharika Sharma who is a journalist working with ABP News.
Difference between greetings of Honda Car India when a Ambedkarite and Savarna buys a new car. pic.twitter.com/DZdaT3kljo
— Sunny Tawar (@iamsunnytawar) October 22, 2022
In his tweet dated 30th May 2022, Sunny Tawar wrote, “Just bought New Honda City. Thanks Dr. Ambedkar.” Honda Car India wrote in a replying tweet, “Congratulations on the latest addition!!”
Journalist Neharika Sharma wrote in her tweet dated 21st October 2022, “As it happened. Dreams come true. First Car.” Honda Car India replied to her, “Congratulations! We are glad to welcome you to the Honda Family.”
Somehow, Tawar thought these wishes by the car company, where they have cheerfully welcomed both their customers, was ‘discrimination’. This post by Sunny Tawar attracted immediate criticism. A Twitter user TrueLibra wrote in a reply to Sunny Tawar’s tweet, “She has mentioned it’s her first car that’s why they said welcome to Honda family and you said new car so they congratulated you for adding another car to your collection. Savarn ko zabardasti target karna hai to thodi akal hi laga lo.” She meant “if at all you want to target upper castes at any cost, then at least apply some logic when you do that”.
She has mentioned it’s her first car that’s why they said welcome to #Honda family and you said new car so they congratulated you for adding another car to your collection 🤷♀️
— TrueLibra 🇮🇳 (@Mansi1253) October 23, 2022
Savarn ko zabardasti target karna hai to thodi akal hi laga lo 🤦🏻♀️
Another Twitter handle named @Sumukh123 posted, “Even Ambedkar can’t help.”
Inka Ambedkar ji Bhi Kuch nahi kar sakte
— Sumukh 123 (@UNKNOWNSMC123) October 23, 2022
Another Twitter user Alpaca Girl posted a photo of Rajratna Ambedkar with a BMW car. The number plate of this BMW car read Jai Bhim. Rajratna Ambedkar is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s great-grandson. In the caption of this photo, Alpaca Girl wrote, “True. Please buy a BMW next time.”
True. Please buy a BMW next time. pic.twitter.com/37jnYokTsw
— Alpaca Girl🇮🇳 (@AlpaKanya) October 23, 2022
Another Twitter user YCS replied, “He waited for more than 5 months to find a tweet where he can raise a point however an irrelevant one.”
He waited for more than 5 months to find a tweet where he can raise a point however an irrelevant one
— YCS (@YcsjprJpr) October 22, 2022
Vox Populi vox Dei replied, “Maybe learn how algorithms work! The hashtag says first car and the response is quite apt! Don’t always be the victim.”
Maybe learn how algorithms work! The hashtag says first car and the response is quite apt! Don’t always be the victim
— Vox Populi Vox Dei (@VoxPopuliVoxD14) October 22, 2022
A Twitter handle named Bandhua Majdoor wrote in his reply, “More than casts I think it is about a verified handle getting special treatment.” It is notable that Neharika Sharma has a verified Twitter account, unlike Sunny Tawar.
More than casts I think it is about a verified handle getting special treatment.
— Bandhua Majdoor (@iamSKC10) October 23, 2022
There is a pattern one has noticed, especially on social media, where these ‘activists’ create an issue where none exists owing to their preconceived assumption of caste-based discrimination. To find ‘proofs’ to these bias, they look for discrimination even in things where it does not exist, thereby diluting the actual causes where discrimination may actually be there. This crying wolf of ‘activists’ of any such ‘movement’ does more harm than good to the cause.
