Lenskart releases new style guide after ‘bindi banned, hijab allowed’ row. What it says

Eyewear retailer Lenskart has released an updated style guide for in-store employees after an older version—banning bindis and kalawas but allowing hijabs—caused an uproar online. In a statement posted on social media yesterday, Lenskart shared the link to its new style guide while writing: “These guidelines explicitly and unambiguously welcome every symbol of faith and culture our team members carry – bindi, tilak, sindoor, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, hijab, turban, and more. Not as exceptions. As who we are.”Peyush Bansal, founder and CEO of Lenskart, had earlier clarified on the bindi-hijab row.What was the Lenskart row?Last week, a style guide issued Lenskart created a controversy online over religious discrimination claims — the guide allowed in-store employees to wear a hijab or a turban, but banned bindi, tilak and religious threads.A hijab is a headscarf worn Muslim women. Bindis are typically worn Hindu women. (Also read: Lenskart under fire for ‘hijab allowed, bindi banned’ rule; Peyush Bansal reacts)The guide drew widespread condemnation online for religious bias, prompting Lenskart founder and CEO Peyush Bansal to disown the document as an older version that does not reflect the company’s current stance.Bansal also apologized for the “confusion” caused the document. He clarified that his company policy has “no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak.”The updated style guideOn April 18, Lenskart released a new style guide and shared its link on X in the interest of transparency.“We have heard you. Clearly and openly. Over the past few days, our community and customers have spoken – and we have lened,” the company acknowledged. “Today, we are standardizing our In-Store Style Guide and sharing it publicly and transparently,” it added.The trimmed-down style guide for Lenskart employees has much the same guidelines when it comes to looking neat and clean — with some notable exceptions.While the earlier version banned bindis, this version greenlights “Religious, cultural or family marks (such as bindi, tilak, sindoor or any other)”.Religious threads (kalawa) were also banned in the older Lenksart style guide. This one, however, allows “Cultural or religious items like sacred threads, bangles, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada or any other.” Employees who wish to wear a hijab can still do so.How the internet reactedSharing the link to the style guide, Lenskart wrote: “If any version of our workplace communication caused hurt or made any of our team members feel that their faith was unwelcome here, we are deeply sorry. That is not who Lenskart is, and it is not who we will ever be.”It emphasized its Indian roots writing, “Lenskart was built in Bharat, Indians, for Indians. Our 2400+ stores are run people who bring their beliefs, their traditions, their identity to work every day. That is not something we will ever ask anyone to leave at the door.”However, the post still drew some backlash online, with some people accusing the eyewear retailer of not issuing a proper apology.(Also read: TCS suspends Nashik employees: A timeline of sexual harassment, religious conversion case)“Still no clear, direct apologies and acceptance of make. Literally just explaining how they are correcting their make. It would have been good to start your post accepting that you made a big make and won’t let it happen again. Too little too late,” wrote one X user.“Where is the apology from founder for misleading people from truth. And Apology for having this policy in the first place, as being widely reported in SM with some alleged evidences backing the claim of such policy,” another asked.