Ravi Tandukar

For a split second, a thought crossed my mind, like a sudden brush of cold breeze, could ‘God’ be a brand exploited since ancient times, a psychological exploitation? Thinking about it made me really look into the underbelly of all our belief systems. So let us imagine for a moment a full fledged God industry, totally congruent with what we know as commercialism, marketing, capitalism, socialism, complete with different key players selling their own products, brands, merchandise, offers. Come to Jesus, he is the only one who can rescue you. No, its Shiva and Rama who can do that for you. so follow us! No, it is Allah or Buddha or Mary and so forth.  They all said that, and the humanity is spoilt for choice. They all have their products and offers lined up, well packaged and ready for distribution. They they have their ambassadors, their models, resellers, vendors, debt collectors, promotional events, all carrots and sticks in place better than any company or industry ever known to men. Honesty is taboo, boring and joke as in any commodity line. All of them claim to have same basic elements – humanity, kindness, honesty, truthfulness and so forth. But all the products have the key ingredients highly processed, adulterated, diluted and as a result, very little of that remains in the final version. Instead of shopping malls they have churches, temples, mosques and monasteries. All beautifully built and crafted with very high ceilings, artwork, paintings to attract the devotees, complete with a beautiful model in long white or yellow or vibrantly coloured robes, long beard, beautiful face to draw in the awed and believers. Who thought trade and commercialism are product of recent and modern capitalism? We had it embedded, alive and kicking into our societies from long time ago, an awakening. Not only they take care of your needs in this life, even the post mortem is planned and insured, you will go to the gates of hell or into the arms of your long bearded handsome saviour based on their own criteria. What could be more advanced? The only requirement is you have to close your eyes of wisdom, you have to ‘trust’ and ‘believe’ them. Its like buying from a high end supermarket, the product is so candidly presented, wrapped up in such unescapable attraction, you close down your eyes of common sense, you basically lose yourself, give in, surrender. You don’t want to open your eyes, they would forbid it! They will tell you you need to have a total and unquestioned belief, in other words, be dumb, can not question anything they preach. And you oblige, because you don’t have to think, you don’t have to lead. You only have to be a part of the herd and follow,  easy and delivered to you on a platter. No need to open your eyes and try to make your own path.

And they can be proper tools to advance other causes, increase your influence, territory, impose your culture onto others, ensalve entire countries and civilizations, like East India company did to Indian subcontinent, like the mercenaries did to Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia, Africa, South America, North America. It was never only the product that could satisfy masses’ search for belonging, fear and obsession, it was a crusade, a religious duty to spread words of your God and in the process trample whoever comes in the way, colonise and brutalize, all valid, in the names of heaven.Yet the brand is so attractive and the beauty of the God figure is so hypnotising, the same enslaved ones do not have any problem joining the fan club, and become fanatical supporters. In short, brainwashed with brand loyalty to the point they are oblivious to their brand ambassadors and promoters committing most heinous of crimes like child sexual abuse, promote killing of women for perceived minor of offences, or crushing of your own culture and language, roots. Who cares where the iPhone is made or who made it as long as I can have it!