The Northeast has always had to battle the issue of identity. Whether it’s Priyanka Chopra playing boxer Mary Kom for a Bollywood film or this Netflix India ad on Cherrapunji, there is little effort to engage with the region, to learn about its tribes, communities and their cultures. Instead, the focus remains on minting money through tokenistic mention and gross misrepresentation of the region’s language, culture, customs and also its people.   -The Print

While we are aware of Black or Native American or Aboriginal cultures being appropriated in the West, the Netflix ad is the Indian equivalent of cultural appropriation — by misrepresenting Cherrapunji and its people, Netflix India has shown how it doesn’t care about the cultural nuances and will sacrifice ethnic differences, customs, traditions and practices at the altar of corporate money making.-  The Print

Firstly, several people from the Khasi-dominated area have pointed out that Sohra (which is the official name of the town, not Cherrapunji) majorly inhabits Christians. Diwali celebrations are hardly prevalent there. Moreover, in spite of the weather being quite an impediment to the town's residents, the autumn and winter seasons are mostly dry - to the extent that the town often faces water shortage during this time of the year. Furthermore, Netflix even managed to mistranslate the Khasi song featured in the advertisement!-  The Squint

THIS IS NOT UNITY IN DIVERSITY. IT IS PURELY THE EQUIVALENT OF WHITEWASHING AND SHOVING THE CULTURE OF THE MAJORITY DOWN THE THROATS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. IT STANDS FOR THE MARGINALISATION AND ALIENATION OF ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF INDIA AS A WHOLE AS WELL AS A THREAT TO THEIR CULTURE AND HISTORY.

IT SHOULD NOT EXIST TO CONSTANTLY REMIND INDIGENOUS INDIANS THAT THEIR CULTURE, THEIR LANGUAGE, THEIR FESTIVALS, THEIR IDENTITY IS INSIGNIFICANT TO THE POINT OF GASLIGHTING THEIR REALITY, WHILE ENCOURAGING THE SPREAD OF IGNORANT YET ARROGANT, ENTITLED ASSUMPTION.

As Netflix claims to be a global yet inclusive media platform, it should take its responsibility and influence seriously by taking down the ad as an apology on behalf of its ignorant, dismissive, disrespectful disregard of the identity of the indigenous people of Sohra/Cherrapunji and Meghalaya and nauseating, unintelligent attempt at inclusivity.

In doing so, it will have made a mark in building the dream towards a truly united India where every culture and race is uniquely represented, acknowledged and celebrated, thereby upholding the acclaimed greatness of the Indian Constitution and the essence of being Indian.

It may be just an ad, but it has the power to culminate negative exponential consequences if allowed to continue, as it is out on a national and global platform, influencing the Indian mass to turn a blind eye to the constant cultural appropriation of minorities.