Free Flowers By BigBasket on Onam Left This Bengaluru Woman Really Angry. Here’s Why

A small gesture on Onam by Bengaluru-based grocery company BigBasket left a resident furious. The company sent free orange and yellow marigold flowers with the grocery order. The woman, who goes by X (formerly known as Twitter) handle @malnadkoos, turned to the platform to question the addition of flowers to her grocery delivery. She even called the gesture by the company as “worse than conversion”, and asked if the company would “do the same for other festivals as well”.

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“So according to BigBasket, we should celebrate Onam! We like it or not is not up to us. It is up to them!” wrote the woman on X.

She criticised the gesture as “forceful”, and questioned whether the company would extend similar offers for other festivals, asking, “Will you do the same for other festivals?Varamahalakshmi? Dasara? Deepavali?”

She said that the company sending flowers on Onam is “worse than conversion”, stating, “Why give it for free for Onam? This is worse than conversion!”

X user @malnadkoos even shared a picture of two packets of flowers she received on Onam with her order. She also shared a screenshot from the app showing the flowers, worth Rs 28.25, as a freebie with her grocery purchase.

In the comments section of her post, she said that she is “fighting demographic changes” by calling out the company through her social media post. Her bio on the microblogging platform, when translated from Kannada to English, reads, “Our land is our rule, Kannada, Kannada-Karnataka-Kannadigas.”

After her post gained significant traction, social media users shared their opinions in the comments section. While some said she could have gifted free flowers to her neighbours or those celebrating Onam. Others suggested using them for decorating her home.

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“Give it to someone who is celebrating. Try spreading happiness for a change. All that noise for a free item,” said an individual.

Another added, “Hehe. How does it matter? They all are our festivals. I am sure you have exchanged gifts as part of Secret Santa program and that too very happily or celebrated Valentine’s/Thanksgiving. How is it that you were ok with them but not one of our own? Grow up!”

“I don’t personally celebrate Onam but I’ll still appreciate it. Flowers are such beautiful & useful things. @bigbasket_com please continue giving this on every festival,” expressed a third.

A fourth commented, “What’s the problem, use it for your regular puja. Or give it to your neighbour.”

“I don’t remember we getting any discounts or promotion on our Ugadi habba by these national level online stores in Karnataka,” wrote a fifth.

A sixth joined, “Something needs to be really wrong with the person to hate on flowers! Just because it says onam special, you really can’t see beyond it.”

“I know I wouldn’t complain about getting free stuff (just me?)…and flowers don’t really signify anything. You can use it for poojas or simply use it to decorate the house….it’s just flowers, right?” chimed in a seventh.