Kindly read this article on Aids by Time before reading further. Are we paying the price for our super fast economic growth? Assuming that the numbers are flawed as suggested by the article, one of the following is true. Either the government has no time for social issues because it needs to fill its empty coffers or they don’t want to highlight the social problems fearing that it would falter our economic growth. As far I am concerned its the latter. I never read about the Child sex problems in Goa and Calcutta while I was in India, to date I still don’t know why we haven’t taken measures to use the database of such bastards that the developed nations maintain to ban them from entering our country.
My friend is the one who brought up this article. He asked "Why does the Indian Government not spend more on education and resources like condoms and free syringes?" As he is a Singaporean his assumptions that the Government should act on social issues and its initiatives reach people effectively, of which mostly succeed can be forgiven. As Indians we know that the same does not apply to our country and the size of the country and head count of its people makes doing the same a Himalayan Challenge. So if we wanted immediate action, it’s from the NGO's and few good people who take up social well-being as their sole agenda of life. But is education really the problem?
India of today is the best example of the Rich and Poor Divide. There are millions who are far educated make 50K a month living amongst the rest who make up the majority and don’t get to make that even within a year. Let’s take the educated, trendy, socially and economically aware lot - who is to say that they have not contributed to the current AIDS situation? If multiple sex partners is considered cool, it won’t help the cause will it? Among this crowd there are people who blame the society for their AIDs plight and want to spread it as an act of revenge, so there you go, counseling is more of a solution rather that mass education.
Next question was "Is it really so hard to speak to those who live in villages about sex?" Yes, its taboo, but the fact is that sex is something that the poor can find easily. Often its their only past time, women in the villages still don’t get to "put their foot down" and stand their ground, they are being married only for children and to take care of domestic duties. The concept of condoms will be frowned upon as children are considered to be "god’s gift", so anything that prevents that from happening is evil! You cant educate them by talking to them, as these people will only learn if it happens to them, even if the next door neighbour get AIDS, the person is most probably say the infected person must have angered the gods and would assume that the same thing wont happen to him/her.
Final Question, "What would it take to make such topics acceptable (apart from bollywood's and the media's increasing contribution)?" Bollywood's role is open to debate. Its no point that the Actors talk about it off screen, because that does not reach the masses. Its the stories and their roles on screen that influence the masses. Like the recent guideline to avoid smoking scenes in movies, stars should avoid stories that advocate wrong messages to the society. So what does it take? No constructive action can be expected from the masses, having said that, if something dramatic happens then they will heed. The closest successful example is Polio, even in the remote villages; they are aware of the disease and take vaccination. If you wonder why they are so receptive, because it does not take much from their part, just turn up and get vaccinated, so the only solution is to find a cure, something as simple as a vaccine.
My friend is the one who brought up this article. He asked "Why does the Indian Government not spend more on education and resources like condoms and free syringes?" As he is a Singaporean his assumptions that the Government should act on social issues and its initiatives reach people effectively, of which mostly succeed can be forgiven. As Indians we know that the same does not apply to our country and the size of the country and head count of its people makes doing the same a Himalayan Challenge. So if we wanted immediate action, it’s from the NGO's and few good people who take up social well-being as their sole agenda of life. But is education really the problem?
India of today is the best example of the Rich and Poor Divide. There are millions who are far educated make 50K a month living amongst the rest who make up the majority and don’t get to make that even within a year. Let’s take the educated, trendy, socially and economically aware lot - who is to say that they have not contributed to the current AIDS situation? If multiple sex partners is considered cool, it won’t help the cause will it? Among this crowd there are people who blame the society for their AIDs plight and want to spread it as an act of revenge, so there you go, counseling is more of a solution rather that mass education.
Next question was "Is it really so hard to speak to those who live in villages about sex?" Yes, its taboo, but the fact is that sex is something that the poor can find easily. Often its their only past time, women in the villages still don’t get to "put their foot down" and stand their ground, they are being married only for children and to take care of domestic duties. The concept of condoms will be frowned upon as children are considered to be "god’s gift", so anything that prevents that from happening is evil! You cant educate them by talking to them, as these people will only learn if it happens to them, even if the next door neighbour get AIDS, the person is most probably say the infected person must have angered the gods and would assume that the same thing wont happen to him/her.
Final Question, "What would it take to make such topics acceptable (apart from bollywood's and the media's increasing contribution)?" Bollywood's role is open to debate. Its no point that the Actors talk about it off screen, because that does not reach the masses. Its the stories and their roles on screen that influence the masses. Like the recent guideline to avoid smoking scenes in movies, stars should avoid stories that advocate wrong messages to the society. So what does it take? No constructive action can be expected from the masses, having said that, if something dramatic happens then they will heed. The closest successful example is Polio, even in the remote villages; they are aware of the disease and take vaccination. If you wonder why they are so receptive, because it does not take much from their part, just turn up and get vaccinated, so the only solution is to find a cure, something as simple as a vaccine.
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