CHICAGO: It seems to have become a fad or fashion for a number of American and other foreign corporations to denigrate or degrade Hindu gods while marketing their consumer products.
The latest entry in the list is that of Leuven (Belgium) headquartered leading global brewer Anheuser-Bush InBev which had the audacity to brand one of its popular brands as “Brahma” beer, a very demeaning and highly inappropriate thing to do for any corporation, feel Indian Americans.
Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was bad as it hurt the devotees.
In Hinduism, Lord Brahma is deemed the Creator of Universe and pairs with Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva for sustaining the creation and removal of evil. “They are the great triad of Hindu deities. Linking Lord Brahma with an alcoholic beverage was very disrespectful, Zed, pointed out. Moreover, the sacredness attached to Lord Brahma did not go well with raunchy commercials and ads of “Brahma” beer,” Rajan Zed noted.
Nand Kapoor, former president of Association of Indians in America, said that “Hindus across the globe revere Lord Brahma who is meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines. Branding it for selling beer or any mercantile product would be deplored by all right minded Indians.”
Sohan Joshi, President of National Federation of Indian Associations, has joined others across USA in protesting this gesture of Anheuser-Bush. Sad part, pointed out Ashwin Patel of Seema Enterprise in St Louis, is that Hollywood celebrities Megan Fox and Jennifer Lopez have acted in “Brahma” beer commercials. “We pray to God to give them a good insight to help them understand that hurting religious sentiments of any community is most unwelcome,” he said
Anheuser-Bush InBev, which claims heritage dating back to 1366, produces 400 million hectoliters of over 200 beer brands. “Brahma” is claimed to be the ninth in the top beer brands worldwide and sixth biggest in the company after Bud LIght, Budweiser, Corona, Skol and Stella Artois. “Brahma”, the official beer of Brazilian football and available in over 30 countries, was created by Swiss immigrant Joseph Villager in Brazil in 1888. Carlos Brito and Kees J. Storm are CEO and Chairman respectively of Anheuser-Bush InBev, one of the world’s top five consumer product companies with revenue of about $40 billion.
Harish Rao
