Take a look at the image below this post. It is not from a religious website. It is from a market research website. In a completely neutral discussion about sampling methodologies for market research, a visual identity of one religion is embedded. They have just about one or two main identity markers. And one of them makes it into every communications platform across government or commercial or NGO sectors for the sake of multiculturalism.
Where are the Hindu visual symbols? We have hundreds to choose from. Yet not a single one makes it anywhere. Why? We can sit and mope that we are systematically excluded. Or we can sit up and develop a plan to infuse our visual identities into common communication platforms.
Having a Hindu visual identity commonly appearing everywhere will boost the confidence of Hindu youth and next generations. It is one of those small things with big impact. It will require systematic and collective work. It may have to start small. Amongst those who run their own websites. Like this forum. The forum can make a start by offering up Hindu visual identities in its background imagery; maybe carry a gallery of images custom-developed, that can be downloaded and embedded by other people in their own platforms, powerpoints, what have you. And from there on, a systematic plan will be needed to scale it up further.
Here...another image that completely makes Hindus invisible BUT highlights Sikhs as separate and, of course carries M visuals in multiple formats [Image credit: Twitter handle @anziluzi007].
As I said, we need to create and widely distribute Hindu visual images and lobby for their inclusion in promotional material by organisations.
Thanks! And a good suggestion, too. Local governments need to be tapped on the shoulder and also given stock images. Your tweet link reminded me of a 2nd dimension - artwork. Artwork can push boundaries and is great for posters etc., to be used at rallies and demonstrations [which we know we could be better at]. But in the main, images need to be that which are universally visible in the real world - the sari-clad lady and a dhoti-clad man would be examples.
I loved this article. I found one representation of Hindu man and woman in this tweet. I am not suggesting that these are the only ones but we can start collecting and push our local Governments to start giving Hindus also a representation.
https://twitter.com/thesanatanist/status/1307394195116535808?s=20