Haldiram’s namkeen lands in controversy for Arabic text on the packaging

Falhari Mixture with new packaging. (File Photo)

Haldiram's landed in controversy when a video went viral on social media, where a reporter questioned the popular food chain's Arabic packaging on Navratri namkeen. In the viral video on Twitter, a news reporter can be seen questioning the store manager of a Haldiram's outlet for Arabic description on the packaging of a namkeen mixture. 

For the unversed, the snack in question is called 'Falhari Mixture' with new packaging and has been one of the most popular fasting mixtures of the brand. As per the video, the description at the back of the namkeen is written in Arabic while the main text on the front is in English. Also, the packaging clearly displays the green vegetarian symbol. It is a sweet and salty mix of peanuts and potatoes with mild spices.

The viral video surfaced on Twitter only after a Hindi news channel shared the clip of the reporter confronting a Halidram's store manager for the Arabic packaging on the said product. The female reporter forcefully asks the manager, who is also a woman, what Haldiram's trying to hide facts by concealing the description of the namkeen packet in Arabic. In the video, a crowd of people and a police officer could be seen witnessing the confrontation.

Amazing restraint by the Haldiram staff. BTW, Sudarshan's ‘sherni’ should know that it's Arabic and not Urdu. Haldiram exports to muliple Muslim majority countries who buy Indian products without discrimination.pic.twitter.com/jic6ASOo15

— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) April 5, 2022

Replying to the question, the manager says that the food inside the packet is not a health hazard, and then she asks the reporter to leave the store. She says, “If you want to have this you can have it, if you don't want to have it, you can just keep this here and go from my outlet.”

The viral video has garnered 878.9k views, 3439 retweets, and 12k likes till now and left the netizens with divided opinions. While some of them find it ok and normal, others are inquisitive to know why the company printed the description of the packet in the Urdu language.

A Twitter user wrote, “ Haldiram using URDU print on its packet of Falhari Mixture – are they serving Halal Food to “H”?”. While another tweet reads,” This is Bikaji bhujia… In place of Hindi…. Urdu language is written…. How much % of Indian know Urdu….. Hindi is our national language…. They why Urdu is written”.