In the last one week, we have seen people comment about the statement made by the Haryana DGP in a press meet. His statement against Thar owners had actually stirred up a controversy online, and since then we have been seeing reactions to the same online. Actress and model Gul Panag had come forward and shown her support for both Mahindra Thar and Bullet motorcycles. Now, more Mahindra Thar owners have started showing their support for the SUV.
The Haryana DGP O.P. Singh was talking about reckless driving and riding incidents in a press meet when he said that people who drive Mahindra Thar SUVs or ride Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles are often “rogue elements.” While we admit that there have been incidents where people driving Thars recklessly have caused accidents and inconvenience to road users, generalising all Thar owners due to the actions of a few is not fair.
Mahindra has sold over 3 lakh Thar SUVs in India. Out of these, only a few owners create nuisance on the road. On the basis of these incidents, generalising the whole Thar community is not the right thing to do.
As mentioned above, Thar owners from different parts of the country have now started responding to the DGP’s comment. This includes both women and men. The screenshots shared in social media posts show how Mahindra Thar has helped them in different ways in their lives. For some, it is freedom, while for others, it is confidence.
The screenshots have been shared by Karthik Srinivasan on his Facebook page. The images were shared with a caption, “Good to see Thar owners trying to reclaim the image of the vehicle, away from the boorish, entitled twats who make bad news in/with the vehicle, to responsible, interesting, and adventure-loving people/families! It's a trickle for now, but I'm sure it would gather steam given the vehicle's sales/popularity.
I don't know if Mahindra is behind these outpourings of love for the vehicle, but if so, smart - long, long, long, l-o-n-g overdue - move. If Mahindra isn't behind this and this is all spontaneous, then that says so much about how much the vehicle's owners care for the brand and its image.”
Mahindra Thar is currently one of the most affordable 3-door SUVs one can buy in India. It was also the most affordable 4x4 when launched. In India, Thar or owning a 4x4 has been a dream for many, and Mahindra has helped these owners in turning their dreams into reality. They were able to do this without making it too expensive and that is what worked in favour of the brand.
An affordable 3-door lifestyle SUV that can go anywhere. What the DGP did by making a statement like this in the media during the press meet is called stereotyping. He tried to create a bad image or reputation for the vehicle in front of the public so that they don’t buy Thar SUVs.
However, he forgot the fact that it is not the vehicle that is the problem here but the people who drive it. We hope the Haryana Police Department ensures that people follow traffic rules on the road and take strict action against offenders who do such stunts on public roads.