Camels ‘ridicule’ masterji in Bisleri ad; teachers furious

A video grab of the Bisleri advertisement

Camels insulting teachers? One of their organisations seems to believe so, as it has taken an offence to Bisleri's advertisement and demanded an apology.

The Akhil Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) has written a letter to the manufacturer of bottled water, demanding the withdrawal of the commercial. According to the ABRSM, the ad has portrayed an inappropriate image of teachers. The ad shows a teacher taking a class in the desert and his students are a bunch of camels.

In its letter, the ABRSM states that the ad "shows a teacher humorously explaining to camels the concept of ‘contact-less' during the times of COVID-19. The ‘camel students' ridicule the teacher for not knowing the meaning of contactless"... [when] he dips a tumbler into an earthen pot for drinking water. "Camels then make fun of the teacher for not knowing about Bisleri. After this, the punch line of the ad - ‘samajdhar Bisleri peete hai' - further damages the image of the teacher. This is against the dignity of teachers who are considered as nation builders," stated the letter, which has also been sent to concerned regulatory bodies and the information and broadcast ministry.

Vaibhav Narawade, the general secretary of ABRSM, Maharashtra, said, "In a recent all-India meeting of all the affiliations in Maharashtra, it was decided to take a stand against the ad." The organisation is waiting for responses before deciding a future course of action, if required. Bisleri was unavailable for comment despite several calls and emails.