A major controversy has started on the internet. It involves Shradha Sharma, the founder of a popular company called YourStory. The incident happened at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi.
Ms. Sharma says she was “humiliated” by the hotel staff. They told her how to sit properly. This has started a big online discussion. People are arguing about hotel rules, personal comfort, and Indian culture.
What Happened at the Hotel?
The event took place at the House of Ming. This is a well-known, high-end Chinese restaurant inside the Taj Mahal Hotel. Shradha Sharma went there for a special dinner with her sister to celebrate Diwali.
During the meal, Ms. Sharma was sitting in her chair with her legs crossed. She later described this as a “regular padmasana style” (a common cross-legged yoga pose).
While she was eating, a restaurant manager came to her table. According to Ms. Sharma, the manager told her to “sit properly.” He said that another guest in the restaurant had complained about her sitting posture.
Ms. Sharma was shocked and upset. She felt the staff was rude. She said she felt “humiliated and insulted.”
In a video she posted online, Ms. Sharma became very emotional. “An ordinary person, who through hard work earns their own money, and comes to the Taj Hotel with their dignity… even today, in this country, they have to face humiliation,” she said in her post.
She asked what was wrong with her sitting position. “And what is my fault? Just this, that I sat down in a ‘regular padmasana style’? Is it my fault that the Taj is teaching me how to sit?”
More Than Just Sitting
The problem did not end with her sitting style. Ms. Sharma claims the manager also criticized her clothes and footwear.
She said the manager told her, “This is fine dining, and a lot of rich people come here. So, you should sit in a way.”
Ms. Sharma was wearing a traditional salwar kameez. On her feet, she had Kolhapuri chappals.
She alleges the manager suggested she should be wearing “closed shoes” instead of her chappals. This made her feel that the hotel staff was looking down on her.
“I am wearing Kolhapuri slippers. And what I wear, I bought it with my own hard work and came here,” she said. “But to come here and say that you sit with your feet down, this is wrong.”
Ms. Sharma felt she was being judged based on her appearance. She said it felt like a “class bias.” She believes the hotel staff thought she did not belong in such an expensive place.
She also mentioned her respect for Ratan Tata. The Tata Group owns the Taj Hotels. Mr. Tata’s group had also invested in her company, YourStory. This connection made the incident even more disappointing for her.
The Internet is Divided
After Ms. Sharma posted her video, it went viral. The internet exploded with opinions. People are strongly divided on the issue.
People Who Support Shradha Sharma
Many people agree with Ms. Sharma. They feel the hotel was wrong.
- They say the hotel’s rules are “classist.” They believe the staff judged her for not looking “rich.”
- Some call it a “colonial hangover.” They mean the hotel is following old rules from the British era, which look down on Indian culture and clothing (like salwar kameez and chappals).
- Many argue for personal comfort. They say a paying customer should be allowed to sit comfortably, as long as they are not disturbing anyone.
- One user wrote, “No one should ever face something like this. @TajMahalHotel, this isn’t just a mistake; it’s a serious failure.”
- Another said, “Padmasana isn’t the problem; the problem is the… mindset that still measures dignity by Western posture.”
People Who Support the Taj Hotel
On the other side, many people are defending the hotel’s actions. They believe Ms. Sharma was wrong.
- They talk about “fine dining etiquette.” They say expensive restaurants have specific rules of behavior.
- The biggest point is hygiene. Many users pointed out that putting feet or slippers on a chair is unhygienic. The same chair will be used by another guest.
- One user wrote, “Madam, the same seat that you have put your feet on will be used by another guest. This is not your home or drawing room. Have some civic sense.”
- Others say a private business has rules. They argue that the hotel has the right to set its own standards for decorum.
- Another user commented, “Shradha, There is a way to behave… at a 5-star hotel. Taj is a private entity and well within its right to enforce a well-defined protocol.”
A Bigger Debate
This incident is no longer just about one person. It has started a national conversation.
The main question is: Where do we draw the line?
When you go to a public place, what is more important? Is it your personal comfort and freedom? Or is it the public rules and the comfort of other guests?
People are also talking about Indian culture versus Western culture. Is sitting cross-legged an Indian way of sitting that should be accepted? Or is it bad manners in a formal restaurant?
The controversy shows a deep divide in how people think about class, rules, and tradition in modern India.
As of now, the Taj Hotel group has not given an official public statement about the incident. Ms. Sharma said in one report that the manager tried to give her free dessert after he saw she was upset, but she refused to take it. The debate online continues to grow.
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