Jews refuse to shop at ‘Hitler’ store in India

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Published time: August 29, 2012 08:48
Edited time: August 29, 2012 12:52

A general view of the 'Hitler' clothing store in Ahmedabad on August 28, 2012. (AFP Photo/Sam Panthaky)

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Fashion, History, Human rights, India, Scandal

There’s one shop in India that local Jews won’t stop by at any price: the one called “Hitler”. The owner of the clothing outlet in Ahmedabad claims it’s merely a “nickname given to one of the proprietors' grandfathers.”

"Hitler was a nickname given to my business partner Manish Chandani's grandfather because of his strict nature. Frankly, till the time we applied for the trademark permission, I had only heard that Hitler was a strict man,” Rajesh Shah who owns the shop told The Times of India daily.

“It was only recently that we read about Hitler on the internet,” he added.

Shah complains he had to spend Rs 40,000 on the banner, and says he won’t change the name unless he is compensated.

One of the two Indian owners of the 'Hitler' clothing store – Rajesh Shah – poses with a visiting card at his shop in Ahmedabad on August 28, 2012. (AFP Photo/Sam Panthaky)

Local residents can’t hide their indignation.

"In the city of Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence, how can anyone celebrate a person like Hitler who is known to have murdered millions of unarmed ordinary civilians? We as a community had represented our concerns to the proprietors and we do not think they agree with us," Nikitin Contractor, convener of the Friends of Israel organization from Vadodara was quoted as saying. "Youngsters need to be told of the atrocities that Hitler committed and the millions who were killed in gas chambers more than 70 years ago."

Some members of the Jewish community claim the proprietors know what Hitler’s name stands for.

“They had researched well, right from the clothes the dictator wore to his cufflinks. We had suggested a separate design, but the proprietors claimed that the name brings good business since its launch a week back."

Comments (121)

Cynthia A. Sandor (unregistered) 31.10.2012 02:04

"Through Innocent Eyes – The Chosen Girls of the Hitler Youth," written by former Greenwich, Ct resident Cynthia A. Sandor, has been selected as a finalist in the 2012-Balboa Press Writer's Contest.
"Through Innocent Eyes," is a historical non-fiction, novel based upon the personal journal of the author's mother, Gertrude Kerschner, her life growing up in Kleinzell, Austria, during WWII. Gertrude's incredible journey begins in 1931, when, at the age of four, she is on the verge of dying. Catastrophe ensues when Gertrude's father dies and the family looses their life possessions, forcin g her mother and siblings into the streets. As Austria is devoted to remaining independent, political and economic turmoil continues. Austria ceases to exist in 1938 when it is annexed into Nazi Germany. Under the new government, Gertrude joins the girls division of the Hitler Youth called the Bund Deutscher Mädel (BdM) and her life changes forever. This remarkable story takes an in-depth look into Gertrude's moral character upbringing, her thoughts, writings, and the education she received that leads her to become a chosen girl of the Hitler Youth, serving in the Country Service Camp called "Landjahr Lager Seidorf." "Through Innocent Eyes" follows Gertrude's extraordinary journey, her passage from poverty ruled under a totalitarian régime to an affluent life living in prestigious Greenwich, Connecticut.My moth er was chosen as a Landjahr girl because Germany only wanted those girls who possess the highest moral character, strong work ethics, who were disciplined and obedient to serve in their country. I capture in detail the ceremonies and songs, ancient neo-pagan rituals, traditions, and folklore, just as my mother wrote about it in her personal journal, and as she experienced it over seventy years ago. The photos I will include in "Through Innocent Eyes" will give a comprehensive look into the lifestyle of this period in history. Reviewers have informed me that this is the opposite of The Diary of Anne Frank."

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gehtdichnixan (unregistered) 15.09.2012 23:29

wegbomben den laden wir hitler es damals mit allen anderen auch gemacht hat!!wie kann man seinen laden nur nach dem größten spinner der geschichte benennen?schämen sollte er sich und man sollte jeden laden nieder brennen!!sowas gehört weltweit verboten,und dann noch ein hakenkreuz mit drin!!was eine ********

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UncleJoe223 (unregistered) 11.09.2012 21:04

Ghandi??

Hi tler was a better dancer than Ghandi; he was better looking than Ghandi; he told funnier jokes, and he could paint the pants off of Ghandi! Hitler could do an entire apartment in ONE DAY. . . TWO COATS! Ghandi. . .

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