Gandhi-Bot Beer, USA: Why is Gandhiji’s name dragged into many controversies?
For no reasons Gandhiji’s name is dragged by the Indian politicians when discussing serious social issues. The recent unwanted remark on Godse Gabdhiji’s assassin by actor Kamal Hassan was in bad taste. Likewise, several years ago an American Brewery was popularizing its highly hoped beer called Gandhi-Bot.
Gandhiji happened to be a simple and modest man against non-violence and alcoholic drinks. Never had he lost sight of honesty and integrity in political life and morality in social life. Unfortunately, he became a center of controversies that were thrust upon him. That he came out unscathed is a different story. During election times, his name is more often than not is linked to some topics that become subjects of discussion across the Indian states. About 4 years ago in the USA and in India, Gandhiji became a subject of serious debate for altogether different reasons. Can you believe that a brewery on the US east coast created a branded beer and named it after ‘Gandhi called Gandhi-Bot’? Gandhiji was not new to controversies because he never created them.
In the political arena in India, almost every month or two Mahatma Gandhi’s name is dragged by our politicians regarding matters related to people’s welfare and governance and we have a fracas over them. During the recent election campaign for the Parliament in May this year, party leader Kamal Hassan (Makkal Needhi Mayyam) and a Tamil matinee idol dragged the name of Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse and tagged him as the ‘first Hindu terrorist’. This created a storm among level-headed politicians across India as there was not a modicum of truth in it. Godse committed murder, then surrendered to the police and finally was put to death by the court. Godse was neither a human bomb nor had he had any criminal records to prove that he was a terrorist.
When talking about the creation of Pakistan, majority of people of the nation did not like it. A large section of people put the blame on Gandhi who was soft on Indian Muslims and the adamant leader Mohd. Ali Jinnah who became a puppet in the hands of the British and created Pakistan. Gandhi supported and eventually got the whole country divided into two. Gandhiji created another storm when Pakistan govt. under Jinnah demanded additional sum from the Indian Govt, led by Nehru. Jinnah wanted 50 thousand crore rupees (?) from India for Pakistan’s development (I’m not sure about the exact figure).
Gandhiji strongly advised Nehru to provide additional sum to help Pakistan tide over the financial glitches in the initial stages. Gandhiji was not even a member of the cabinet.
Gandhiji’s advice in this regard was not very much appreciated by many politicians as the British Govt. before leaving India for good, looted every thing and kept the coffers almost empty. With crumbs in the Indian treasury, the responsibility fell on the new Indian govt. to take care of the weak economy, refugees’ problems from Pakistan and vast emaciated Indian population. During partition of India, when refugees from Pakistan were not allowed to stay in the Mosques in Delhi or elsewhere, again he became a controversial person as there was no reaction coming from him. Perhaps he might have become mute and tongued-tied over the spate of violent political situations created by partition and also during the freedom struggles.
Again, recently when the central govt.. was talking about the three language policy, mention was made by a large section of people that Gandhi wanted Hindi to be our national language because majority of Indians speak that language.
The above references to Gandhiji remind me of a funny, but serious subject related to him. There are countless names in this world as there are stars in the sky and it is a strange thing that the Woodbridge (Connecticut, USA) based New England Brewing Company chose the name of Mohan Das Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), the apostle of non-violence to name its new variety of brew called Gandhi Beer. This highly hopped beer had been on the market for roughly 5 years when Gandhiji’s image on the beer-can was noticed by some Indians.
The company went ahead and came up with a different sales pitch for the new product to get the attention of the beer-lovers. The company’s website promoted it as “fully vegetarian” and “an ideal aid for self-purification and the seeking of truth and love’’. Website further stated: “Gandhi-Bot is an intensely hopped double India pale ale with a blend of three varieties of American.’’
Consequently, the small Hartford, CT brewing company saw their sale of beer going upwardly. It is nice to recall, in the early colonial rule in India in the early 19th century, the British Bobs had difficulty in getting beer from England to wet their dry mouth in a tropical place. Part of the reason was long sea journey from England and beer’s poor shelf life. Then highly hopped beer India Pale Ale was introduced for the British India which quenched their heart an soul in the midst of hot summer days and monsoon rains. Later English Ale became popular across the globe.
It was only after a long time toward the end of 2014, when the Indians (from the subcontinent) saw the beer carrying the computerized image of Gandhiji, they were aghast and upset. Like Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that ‘peace icon Mahatma Gandhi abhorred drinking, many Indian protested against naming the beer after him and carrying his weird image. Several people from India and the US wrote to the brewing company to change the name as it it hurts the sentiments and legacy of a man who struggled hard in the Indian freedom movements and who was against drinking alcohol. The Beer can shows Gandhi’s sketch with one hand raised as if he was blessing the drinker. He was assassinated in January 1948, months after India got the independence and was jailed on many occasions by the British India Govt.
Associating Gandhiji with an alcoholic brew was trivializing his loft principles and philosophy in order to give wide publicity to a new variety of beer. It exposes the greed of competing companies to have an edge over the other brands. The company, which is one among the 20 reputed breweries, is a craft brewery that began operation in 2003. Considered as the only second craft brewery on the entire East Coast to have its beer for sale in cans, and “bring passion for flavor”. The company’s founder/owner was Rob Leonard and the man who created Gandhi-Bot beer was one Matt Westfall, a head brewer. They never thought that their popular vegetarian beer would face rough headwinds. At last, the company withdrew the name and was contemplating to give a different, but appealing name. The debate began with a filed a petition in a court in Hyderabad (now in Telengana), alleging that carrying Gandhi’s image on alcohol cans was “condemnable” and punishable under Indian laws — -under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and 124-A of IPC (related to us inflammatory words, signs or visible representation).
The following famous people were fond of beer, how come the American brewery chose Gandhi’s name over them ?
“For a quart of Ale is a dish for a king” … …William Shakespeare
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”………..Abraham Lincoln.
“Most people hate the taste of beer — to begin with. It is, however, a prejudice.”…………………………Winston Churchhill.
Perhaps Gandhi-bot beer might have touched the heart and soul of the drinkers.
Ref:
https://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-us-brewery-agrees-to-rename-gandhi-bot-beer-2055448
https://www.thehasindia.com/posts/index/NRI/2015-01-06/Gandhi-beer-upsets-Indo-Americans-in-Connecticut/124574
“https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30677661
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30677661
Originally published at http://navrangindia.blogspot.com. (Images added, etc:23 June 2020)
