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From the Times of India
European Hindus protest offending whiskey ad
By Rashmee Roshan Lall/TNN
London : European Hindus have joined with their American counterparts to fight the so-called 'whiskey wars' against an American manufacturer's controversial attempt to advertise its tipple through images of Durga Devi astride a tiger , cradling numerous bottles of booze in her many hands .
The advertisment for Southern Confort whiskey , denounced as "blasphemous and sacreligious" by British Hindus , was first glimpsed at a discotheque in the Greek capital Ahtens .
Bimal Krishna Das of the UK's National Council of Hindu Temples ( NCHT ) told TOI on Monday that the whiskey manufacturer appeared to be "offending , insulting and denigrating Hindu culture , they are mocking Hinduism ."
The NCHT , which claims support from the umbrella Hindu American Foundation , has warned that it will launch large-scale protests if Southern Comfort does not respond to its appeal to withdraw the Durga adverts .
The NCHT , which represents 90 of the UK's 140 Hindu temples and by extension at least 75 per cent of Britain's estimated 600,000 Hindus , said it was time for Hindus around the world and the Indian government to stand up and be couted . "Many Hindus in north India revere Durga mata ," said Das , adding that Western manufacturers still appeared to ride roughshod over Hindu sentiment .
The NCHT complained that New Delhi has never supported Hindu campaigns against the succession of sacrilegious marketing impulses of big companies around the world . "Now ," said Das , "it was time for a change of stance ."
The Hindu 'whiskey wars' come just a year after the successful "bikini battle" waged by the NCHT and other European Hindu groups against designer Roberto Cavalli's religiously-enriched images on his swimwear and lingerie range .
Another from the Hindustan Times
After toon row , it's Hindu diety
Vijay Dutt
London , February 13
A disco bar in Greece has invited angry reactions from the Indian community by prominently displaying a poster of Goddess Dirga promoting a whisky barnd .
Large posters inside and outside the Balon Oriental Disco Bar in Athens depict the goddess carrying bottles of Southern Comfort Whisky . "The Indian community in Athens have been trying for the last three months to have the posters removed . But they have totally ignored us ," says Paramjit Singh , originally from Jalandhar , now settled in Greece .
The Hindu community in Britain is also gearing uo to join the campaign against the posters .
Biman Krishna Das , general secretary of the National Council of Hindu Temples ( UK ) , says letters have been sent to the manufacturers of Southern Comfort Whisky in Tennessee in America to withdraw and burn the offending posters .
"The poster is not only deeply offensive , but plasphemous in Hindu eyes ," says Das . "It has hurt the religious sentiments of both Hindus and Sikhs ."
"To portray the goddess in any context other than the most reverential one is totally unacceptable . If such a barrage of insluts to our ancient religion continues , I expect we will see organised , but peaceful , protests ," he says .
The protests will definitely be massive because the National Council of Hindu Temples ( UK ) is an umbrella body which links Hindu temples and works with them for the benefit of the Hindu community in Britain . "We will ensure a very peaceful , but forceful campaign ," sayd Das , adding that it would include a protest march in London .
This is not the first time Hindu deities have been used to promote products . There have been cases of manufacturers using them to promore products like shoes , commode seats , sandals , and cakes - angering the Hindu community .
Both are front page articles .
I just thought that it would be a nice contrast , compared to how certain other communities behave .
I think that this is disgusting . I can understand someone doing a politically motivated cartoon with some point - but this is just crass .
I support the right of the manufacturers to make and use such images . I would also be one of the people protesting against such use ( as Voltaire said "I may disagree with what you say , but will defend to the death your right to say it " ) . I'd also like to support the right of Hindus to make and display pictures of naked Jesus drinking , with a number of naked and loose-looking women , doing disgusting things .
That is , I support the right of others to insult Hindus and their gods , and also of the Hindus to retaliate with further insults to the other's God , all being done peacefully . Free speech is something I like - it allows everyone to hit at each other . If others can insult Hinduism , they should not moan when we do the same to them .
European Hindus protest offending whiskey ad
By Rashmee Roshan Lall/TNN
London : European Hindus have joined with their American counterparts to fight the so-called 'whiskey wars' against an American manufacturer's controversial attempt to advertise its tipple through images of Durga Devi astride a tiger , cradling numerous bottles of booze in her many hands .
The advertisment for Southern Confort whiskey , denounced as "blasphemous and sacreligious" by British Hindus , was first glimpsed at a discotheque in the Greek capital Ahtens .
Bimal Krishna Das of the UK's National Council of Hindu Temples ( NCHT ) told TOI on Monday that the whiskey manufacturer appeared to be "offending , insulting and denigrating Hindu culture , they are mocking Hinduism ."
The NCHT , which claims support from the umbrella Hindu American Foundation , has warned that it will launch large-scale protests if Southern Comfort does not respond to its appeal to withdraw the Durga adverts .
The NCHT , which represents 90 of the UK's 140 Hindu temples and by extension at least 75 per cent of Britain's estimated 600,000 Hindus , said it was time for Hindus around the world and the Indian government to stand up and be couted . "Many Hindus in north India revere Durga mata ," said Das , adding that Western manufacturers still appeared to ride roughshod over Hindu sentiment .
The NCHT complained that New Delhi has never supported Hindu campaigns against the succession of sacrilegious marketing impulses of big companies around the world . "Now ," said Das , "it was time for a change of stance ."
The Hindu 'whiskey wars' come just a year after the successful "bikini battle" waged by the NCHT and other European Hindu groups against designer Roberto Cavalli's religiously-enriched images on his swimwear and lingerie range .
After toon row , it's Hindu diety
Vijay Dutt
London , February 13
A disco bar in Greece has invited angry reactions from the Indian community by prominently displaying a poster of Goddess Dirga promoting a whisky barnd .
Large posters inside and outside the Balon Oriental Disco Bar in Athens depict the goddess carrying bottles of Southern Comfort Whisky . "The Indian community in Athens have been trying for the last three months to have the posters removed . But they have totally ignored us ," says Paramjit Singh , originally from Jalandhar , now settled in Greece .
The Hindu community in Britain is also gearing uo to join the campaign against the posters .
Biman Krishna Das , general secretary of the National Council of Hindu Temples ( UK ) , says letters have been sent to the manufacturers of Southern Comfort Whisky in Tennessee in America to withdraw and burn the offending posters .
"The poster is not only deeply offensive , but plasphemous in Hindu eyes ," says Das . "It has hurt the religious sentiments of both Hindus and Sikhs ."
"To portray the goddess in any context other than the most reverential one is totally unacceptable . If such a barrage of insluts to our ancient religion continues , I expect we will see organised , but peaceful , protests ," he says .
The protests will definitely be massive because the National Council of Hindu Temples ( UK ) is an umbrella body which links Hindu temples and works with them for the benefit of the Hindu community in Britain . "We will ensure a very peaceful , but forceful campaign ," sayd Das , adding that it would include a protest march in London .
This is not the first time Hindu deities have been used to promote products . There have been cases of manufacturers using them to promore products like shoes , commode seats , sandals , and cakes - angering the Hindu community .
I just thought that it would be a nice contrast , compared to how certain other communities behave .
I think that this is disgusting . I can understand someone doing a politically motivated cartoon with some point - but this is just crass .
I support the right of the manufacturers to make and use such images . I would also be one of the people protesting against such use ( as Voltaire said "I may disagree with what you say , but will defend to the death your right to say it " ) . I'd also like to support the right of Hindus to make and display pictures of naked Jesus drinking , with a number of naked and loose-looking women , doing disgusting things .
That is , I support the right of others to insult Hindus and their gods , and also of the Hindus to retaliate with further insults to the other's God , all being done peacefully . Free speech is something I like - it allows everyone to hit at each other . If others can insult Hinduism , they should not moan when we do the same to them .
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