India Post News Service
CHICAGO: The Association of Spanish Home Brewers (ACCE) has recalled the poster-carrying image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesh to promote its “IPA Day 2020” event to be held in Burgos (Spain) on September 19 2020 after a huge protest by Indians calling it “highly inappropriate”.
Manuel Jim, ACCE (Asociación de Cerveceros Caseros Españoles) Secretary, in an email to Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism who spearheaded the protest), wrote: We apologize, from the heart, for any inconvenience we may have caused. We never wanted to hurt any religious worship and we will recall all the IPA Day advertisements according to your indications. Of course, we will stop using this religious image from now to the future, and we will not use it again in any of our initiatives.
It was pointed out to the Brewery management that inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu symbols or deities or concepts or icons for commercial or other agenda was most disturbing as it hurt the devotees. In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
Brewer associations should not be in the business of religious appropriation, sacrilege, and ridiculing entire communities. It was deeply disrespectful of divine Hindu deity to be displayed on a poster promoting beer event with hops covering his head, beer mixing stirrer paddle in one hand and Erlenmeyer flask presumably carrying yeast starter in another hand; Zed had emphasized.
Non-profit ACCE, founded in 2009 and headquartered in La Palma (Murcia, Spain), is Spain’s national association of brewers united by “love of making beer at home”.
ACCE has reportedly proposed several beer related activities and contests at this “India Pale Ale Day 2020”, including a contest of selfie photographs.
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