The world’s second-most populous country—and third-biggest hub of AIDS patients on the planet—wants to restrict people’s exposure to condom commercials.
The government on Monday, December 11 issued an advisory asking TV channels not to air condom advertisements which could be “indecent and inappropriate for viewing by children” during the daytime.
In the advisory, the Smriti Irani-headed Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry said that condom ads should only be aired between 10pm and 6am to avoid exposure of such material to children and to ensure “strict adherence to the provisions contained in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994”.
The ministry cited rules 7(7) and 7(8) of the Cable Television Networks Rules that state that “no advertisement which endangers the safety of children or creates in them any interest in unhealthy practices or shows them begging or in an undignified or indecent manner shall be carried in the cable service” and “indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive or offensive themes or treatment shall be avoided in all advertisements”. Failure to comply with the advisory “will attract action,” the notification added.
So sensitizing teens and children on the use of Condoms endangers the safety of children and creates unhealthy practice? Clearly, the Ministry does not know how use of condoms helps.
We asked a couple of Guwahatians on what they thought of the ban. Here’s what they had to say:
Max, an advertising executive from the city said, “The government could not have taken a stupider decision. Do they think that by banning condom ads, they are preserving ‘innocence’? Clearly, they do not know that children are exposed to far more harmful and dangerous things on TV that spread violence and hate. Added to this, you also have access to the internet! Someone needs to get their head out of their a**.”
Another Guwahatian commenting anonymously said, “I feel like we are travelling 4-5 decades back in time where talking about condom was a taboo. It is children and young adults who are the most sexually active these days and they need to be sensitized that safe sex is extremely important.”
This isn’t the first time condom commercials have come under fire in the country. Various regulatory bodies and political leaders have in the past expressed their disapproval of such ads. The latest diktat only reaffirms India’s long-standing conservatism.
Earlier on World Aids day on December 1, G Plus also reported that over 5,500 people are living in Guwahati with AIDS.
With the age at which people have sex going down all the time, and the cultural attitudes to sex relaxing positively, many experts are of the view that while the nature of the advertisement can be debated upon, putting a ban on the advertisement is not the solution. Instead of regulating sex, focusing on sex education is the need of the hour.