Upset Hindus are urging Woodford (Northamptonshire, England) based Three Hills Brewing to apologize and withdraw its “Veda” (single hop India Pale Ale) beer; calling it highly inappropriate.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that inappropriate usage of Hindu scriptures or deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, stated that Vedas were revealed Sanskrit texts considered as eternal-uncreated-divine-direct transmission from Absolute. Vedas were foundation of Hinduism and included Rig-Veda, world’s oldest extant scripture.
Using Vedas to sell beer was highly insensitive and trivializing of the immensely revered body of sacred and serious knowledge, Rajan Zed pointed out.
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed noted.
Rajan Zed further said that Hindus were for free speech and expression as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees.
Mission of Three Hills Brewing is to “produce high quality experimental ales and unconventional lagers”. Its stockists include shops, online, pubs-bars and restaurants in London, Nottingham, Northampton, etc.