Owner of Hitler clothes shop in Ahmedabad Rajesh Shah
AHMEDABAD, Gujarat, India - Rajesh Shah claimed he had not named his store after the most reviled dictator in modern history but his partner’s grandfather who was known as 'Hitler’ for his strict manner. He had only become aware of the Nazi leader after searching the name on the internet.But critics say his use of the German National Socialists’ Swastika symbol on his 'Hitler’ shop sign contradicts his claim and said they believe he is cashing in on the late Fuhrer’s curious popularity in India.
- The Nazi Swastika symbol was taken from Hindu culture in which it is regarded as an auspicious sign. Mein Kampf, in which Hitler set out his racist theories, remains a bestseller in India where more than 10,000 copies are sold each year to students.
- An Indian romantic comedy film Hero Hitler in Love was watched by large audiences in Punjab last year, while a politician in Meghalaya state named 'Adolf Hitler’ was re-elected to the state assembly in 2008 and is a member of one of India’s ruling coalition parties.
- Some Indians fought with the rebel Indian National Army to aid the Japanese advance in the Second World War because they believed it would speed Indian independence from British rule.
Mr Shah said he was prepared to rename his shop in Vastrapur, Gujarat, close to Mahatma Gandhi’s home city, only if opponents compensate him for the £500 he has paid for his shop sign and other promotional materials.Nikitin Contractor of India’s Friends of Israel however said he had ignored their concerns.
“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? 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,” he told the Times of India.
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