Abortions versus Condom Ban

“1.6 crore abortions a year in India : 81 % at home : Study” is a headline in Times of India dt 12^th December, 2017 on its front page .Also on the front page of the Times of India , is  another headline   “No condom ad on tv from 6 am to 10 pm –Govt . “

The government seems to be in denial about sex. Even though our population keeps growing exponentially. One of the reason as pointed out by the study many people don’t know how to use condoms the right way. The study by IIPS, Institute in Mumbai also stated that nearly 50 % of pregnancies are unintended .This means that there is an urgent need for better contraceptive tools  like condoms & family planning methods as opined by Dr Chandra Shekhar, the main author of the study at IIPS.

The study revealed that nearly 1.6 crore abortions took place in India in 2015. Figures must have definitely risen by now in 2017 This is nearly 50 % more than the Government figures of 7 lakhs per year since last 15 years. The study discloses that one in 3 pregnancies in India leads to abortions .And the number of abortions carried out in public facilities  is nearly five times more than the Government figures .This is extremely alarming.

Government is in denial about abortion figures & now it seems to be in denial about sex as well. Since there is no sex, condoms will be not publicized from 6am  to 10 pm ? And the ban order seems to suggest that it had to be brought about ,as companies were telecasting graphic  adult content for advertising condoms which government claims is unsuitable for kids. Since , sex is adult activity, condoms are  advertised using adult themes. And moreover if such ads are stopped, more kids will be born as condoms are a choice for contraception.By stopping these ads in the suitable time slot, the choices to public for safe sex are being denied. Kids are the output of sex, not the input.

What the government fails to understand is that if abortions can reach such high figures , its because candom ads are so few & far in between, that their impact is grossly inappropriate ( pun intended ) .The advantage of using condoms against family planning methods are many . Condoms are one of the most easily used contraceptive tools.  Firstly, what condoms do is temporary  whereas many family planning methods are permanent .Though  some family planning methods are reversible as well  .Yet, temporary methods may require invasive procedures which many will rather not opt. Family planning methods require intervention of the doctor whereas condoms can be brought at pharmacy & other stores .The study revealed that 8 1 % abortions were carried out at home by methods like taking medicines which are available at the counters . Though this is extremely dangerous trend, it follows , that the Indian public would prefer using condoms rather than opt for family planning methods. This could be because in India, tradition & religion forbids the people from openly asking & going in for  condoms & much less family planning methods. That’s why, sex education is a must at schools. Our netas are against sex education. And so it follows that they are against condom education via the ads on tv.

 For women ,condom usage prevents unwanted pregnancies & hence, abortions which could be life threatening. For men & women both , wearing condoms prevents AIDs & other sexually transmitted diseases.  In fact, the population of those affected by HIV in India is third highest in the world.With so many advantages,  why should condom ads be banned ? Deodarant ads & even toothpaste ads look &  even sound like porn in action. And yet, such ads are viewed by all without any hesitation.  On second thoughts, the government seems to believe that each woman must give birth to more than two children as our netas have been screaming . Though, the general public may disagree  , yet what gets banned is what the government wants to ban. After all, did not the public vote for the government to come to power ? Hence,  the government can ban what it wants .After all in a democracy, government is by the people, of the people & for the people.

India has a huge young population  .Unemployment rates are high. Skill India has been unable to make significant dents into the problem of unemployment .And mobile phones & internet make porn easily available to the  youth including teens. The young are going to experiment with sex come what may. Its better that they have safe sex rather than sex which leads to dangerous health & social problems  .Safe sex is possible through condoms .The ads on condoms will make the youth aware of a tool which can provide safe sex. Absence of condom ads from 6 am to 10 pm on tv will defeat the purpose of safe sex. This is the time slot when the Indian population is watching the idiot box. Telecasting condom ads on tv from 10 pm to 6 am, will defeat the purposes for which condoms are being advertised.

Banning porn in this digital age is nearly impossible because of the internet. Hence, the mad step to ban condom ads. The results will be catastrophic as there will be a rise in unplanned pregnancies &  obviously ,abortions majority of them illegal.

Many young couples may want to wait for some time before they beget children And condoms fulfil this need ,as they are easy to use .This awareness about condoms is possible through advertisements . And stopping ads on condoms is like leaving couples with no option but to beget children even if they are not ready for kids.This will lead to social as also health problems. And an added risk  of rapid population growth.

Unintended pregnancies lead to another problem .Sometimes, the foetus may be underdeveloped or there could be some other health problem/s,And many times, such problems get detected so late in the pregnancy that legal abortion is impossible. And this leads to illegal abortions with its inherent risks.

As per  Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, in force at present in India, foetus can be aborted up to 12  weeks with approval of a doctor. Between 12-20 week foetus, approval of 2 doctors is needed .Foetus older than 20 week cannot be aborted as per the act.

Many women who approached courts to have their pregnancy terminated late(more than 20 weeks )  into the pregnancy had to return disappointed as the courts refused to grant permission to do so. Because that meant going against the Medical Termination Of Pregnancy Act. This act is now going to be amended to allow for termination of late pregnancy. Using condoms is a possibility that such pregnancies could have been avoided. And for that, condom ads need to be telecast and aired on tv s it has a wide reach in our nation.

The government has been promoting beti bachao , beti padhao programme. Condoms ensure safety for girls by preventing unwanted pregnancies & therefore abortions. As per WHO report 5 women die on an hourly basis in India during child birth.  Therefore condom  ban is  against beti bachao , beti padhao . Perhaps this has happened because one arm of the government has no idea what the other arm of the government is doing. Or maybe, the different arms of the government are working on cross purposes.

The government, in fact ,should go aggressively for condom drives to popularise condom usage That’s why the government should reverse the condom ban & instead promote condoms for safety .This is another way to save the daughters of India. 

Perils of overpopulation.

This post was published in Counter Currents on 19th July, 2017.

The Guardian,UK. had a  suggestion for the battle against climate change"Want to fight climate change.Have fewer children ." 

This was  known already & yet, since this has been extensively researched in a scientific fashion, this makes for a few headlines. And yet, will it make us, the humans ( ? ! )  any wiser ? Highly doubtful..We are  depleting natural resources at a faster pace than the speed with which they are  being  produced.And as population rises, because of copulating endlessly, extinction seems very near !

We  have got better at medical management. This means, that our average life spans have been rising, even in poor countries. Neo natal mortality rates have been falling worldwide. And yet, there are miles to travel, before population growth can stabilise. Many of us  humans think, that we are God's gift to the world. So , we insist, on giving birth to mini versions of ourselves who transform into  monsters like us, too soon & how ! And then, burden the earth further. The cumulative effect of so many  of our follies  is making it nearly impossible for other living things to simply  exist. In fact, the term rakshas or demons was coined for humans only. It appears to be so, as humans have no control whatsoever, on their greed to use up or rather waste each & every bounty of nature. This leaves the plants & animals helpless. That's why , we have floods, famines , etal. Wild animals come roaming around in urban & rural areas  Our actions of usurping all habitats for our selfish wants rather than needs, has led to this sorry state of affairs.

And yet, we seem remotely  interested in population control.Men particularly, Indian men , are notorious for avoiding    any device or method to rein in their raging libidos ! Because, they feel that adopting family planning methods ( temporary or permanent ) will reduce their virility.Though come to think of it, women in  India would be much safer, if that indeed would have been the case.   Women are forced to bear the burden of adopting temporary & permanent methods of planning families. This  reinforces, that the power to impregnate, without responsibility is an inherent, innate & inborn tendency of men. And this is on display, as rapes of females of all ages, have  been in the news,  almost on a daily basis !

Many   Indian women seem to opt for sterilization as the only family planning method. Nearly 68 % of 45 million women do not use any method of contraception. The rest, use traditional methods which are highly unpredictable.Though , many contaceptive methods are being added to increase choice, the switch has been slow.

In India , population growth seems to be slowing down. Despite this India will get more populous than China by 2024. Progress has been extremely sluggish as family planning is like the holy cow  especially with the present regime ( pun  intended) because of forced sterlisations during the Emergency.


It has been  stated, that seven million girls die every decade in India. This is  because, many times, the girl is killed in the womb itself .By some luck, if the girl child survives, she is neglected so much ,that she dies  in the first five years.Sex ratios in India have been falling in every State, in India,  except Kerela & Meghalaya. The discrimination is so rampant, that the second female child in a family is rare.

Educating girls & women has helped in slowing down population. This is true, even for states like Bihar & Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, a rise of 16 % in female literacy has reduced fertility rate by 1.1 over a ten year period from 2005-2006 to 2015-16.  Bihar has fared less better & yet, it shows that education is the key. Female literacy rose by 12% & consequently, fertility rate went down by 0.6.So girls need to be made literate so that they have control over their bodies & health. And this will transform into even lower fertility rates. All this, would lead to stablising of population.And even sex education needs to be imparted to prevent unwanted pregnancies ,etc.


Al Gore puts it so  succintly,"Population growth is straining the earth's resources to the breaking point , & educating girls is the single most important factor  in stabilising that.That, plus helpiong women gain political & economic power & safeguarding their reproductive rights."

This post was published on Women's Web on 29th July, 2017

The two child norm ? !

This blog post was published on Women's Web  on 16th July, 2016.

There was a small news item in the Times of India dated 3rd July, 2016.It related to Bhopal  .It read , " 3 peons breach MPs-2 child norm ,sacked." It stated that they were removed from service at Damoh District Court as the year long enquiry determined that they had more than two children.It went to to say that more peons would be facing similar cation soon.The two chiuld rule was added to MP Civil Service rules in 2000.One of the peons who has been sacked has alleged that similar rule for candidates for panchayat elections was cahnged in 2005 to favour netas. The sacked employee said that many government employees in MP would face similar action.

This news item  is very  revealing. It depicts what we have known all along.And  that is ,commoners like you, me & us have to follow all rules, by -rules ,orders, laws,etal .And our netas,even Panchayat level ones  & above ( which includes all ...MLAs, MPs ) who are our law makers can flout all of them . Ooops sorry,  get them amended, modified ,etc to suit themselves. After all , they make the law / s , orders, by laws, rules etc  .So its quite obvious that they must have  ( some ,in fact ) actually, all the advantage over aam aadmi.And this starts from Panchayat itself as we in India believe in grassroot democracy...sabka saath, , sabka vikas.


  Chandrababu Naidu has been reported to have said that rich should opt for more than one child .He has opined that children are"  future assets" of the country. And why should rich have more kids because , perhaps, he feels that State need not bother to look after children of rich kids. Kids of poor will have to survive on the mercies of the government.And government has no mercy to show anyway.

And then there is  BJP MP ,Sakshi Maharaj who opines that each & every Hindu women must give birth to a minimum number of four children.This is a must, to protect Hindu religion as per Sakshi Maharaj.

And this number of children each Hindu woman must have, was further raised to five by BJP West Bengal leader, Shyamal Goswami .This all makes it so very confusing.

This means  peons must observe two child norm.Panchayat members & obviously MLAs, MPs, need not follow two child norm. Rich people should have more than one child.Hindu women must beget four or five or better still , nine children ( to accomodate views of  Sakshi Maharaj as also  Shyamal Goswami ) .

Our leaders have been spurring people to have more kids.Family planning be damned. So while one State government has two child norm in service rules, the head of another State government goads people to have more offspring.This means government & legislature are at loggerheads.Or worse, one State goes by two child norm , another state says two child norm should give way.This means finally , federalism is here to stay. And each state that makes up India can do as it wants officially.

And if people want family planning , they must be in MP.If well to do people kids more than one, they must reside in Chandrababu Naidu's Seema   Andhra.And Hindu Women on a pan India basis must beget four & five & cumulatively nine children .One point that needs clarity is if Hindu women in Seema Andra is poor, can she beget more than one child ? And in MP, can a Hindu woman ( not a panchayat member nor an MLA nor an MP  )  give birth to more than two children ? And in such disputes which will arise, which court will have jurisdiction ? Maybe new judicial forums will be set up.And these extra kid s that are begot as a result of this confusion  will head these courts.Because, in India more than three crore cases were pending towards the end of December, 2014.Hence , these new cases arising out of such disputes would come up only much later .


Government advertises family planning by way of  , " Pehla bacha abhi nahi, do ke baad kabhi nahi " .It means, first child after a certain time & none after the second child.And then to confound & confuse, the leaders say that two kids is just the beginning and not the end.

And all this will leave the women very exhausted .These same kids will transform into terrible teens .Just surviving one is so tough & to withstand four, five and nine is just impossible.Changing religion and or sex would be the away out then !

And I just can't follow why women have to bear the brunt of producing kids who would protect Hindu religion.Where does that leave men ? Men should protest ( as they protest everytime women scale higher & newer heights )  that they want to play their roles in this security set up.So , they must delve into our scriptures & determine how even men can give birth This will put dreams of Sakshi Maharaj & Shyamal Goswami on the fast track ! And our nation on to  the winding road to nowhere.

This blog post was published on Countercurrents website  on 13th July, 2016.

Fit to bobbitize.

The recent gang rape, of a girl in a moving bus, in Delhi, has ignited a  debate for the way to punish such offenders.The alternatives are death sentence,life imprisonment ,chemical castration & bobbitization.

Death penalty is an option though not suitable.It is costly -death penalty is rarely given.When given,the accused will go to all lengths, to procure a lesser sentence.This will delay punishment, thereby putting pressure on our already clogged Judicial system.The accused will approach High court,then Supreme Court & the President, for pardon.All this time ,the accused will be in custody, on the taxpayer's money.It is a colossal waste, that a felon /s  as barbaric as a rapist/s will be ensconced in jails, while the victim /s has died or is suffering physically & mentally as also  being   socially ostracised..And for demanding death penalty,more investigations,more defence lawyers,more bureaucracy is needed.It is too expensive an affair.Moreover, after the final refusal of the Presidential pardon ,getting hold of a hangman, is another task which is getting difficult if not impossible.Payment to the hangman, is also an issue After the hanging ,handing over of the body to his family is another matter to be dealt with .And the death penalty is too simple, a punishment, for an inhuman crime such as rape.

Life imprisonment is a big NO.No such criminal /s who have raped should be imprisoned for a lifetime. It is unfair for citizens, that their hard earned money is used to pay up for the judicial custody of rapists till the rapists are alive & kicking ! Our courts have started specifying life terms to more than 14 years .This is again, a drain on our  Exchequer.  There is no guarantee, that life imprisonment will continue for lifetime of the rapist/s .The accused may be let off earlier for good behavior or  medical or other grounds..Studies have shown, that a  majority of rapists will rape again when they move back into society.Medically unfit accused have all the ability & fitness to violate women.Our jails are overcrowded & minimally guarded.The accused rapists may rape others in the jails itself.This will lead to greater problems.Moreover ,the rapists may escape custody & be free to commit crimes again.

Chemical castration is an option being favoured as it costs Rs 2000/ per injection.Chemical castration is a therapy in which drugs are administered via injections to reduce libido.Studies have shown that while 3 % of sex offenders who are chemically castrated, will repeat rape/s as against 97 % of sex offenders who are imprisoned will rape again. And chemical castration is cheap- it costs nearly Rs 2000/- per shot.The problem with this punishment is that this shot has to be repeatedly administered.How will that be done ? Either the offender/s have to be monitored perennially or the offenders must be lodged in jail.In that case,the therapy does not work out cheap.If the offender/s are let off after the initial shots,how to give them the next shot/s ? Our police force is very  hassled & more  involved in protecting VIPs.Moreover ,locating offender/s in a highly populous country such as ours is tedious & costly.It will be a time consuming affair .Within that time ,it is highly possible that the accused would again commit rapes & other sexual crimes.

Bobbitization is the ideal punishment.Bobbitization is doing away with the penis of the offender/s. If the organ refuses to exist,there can be no repeat offence by the offender/s.Bobbitization is cutting off the penis.This term Bobbitization  gained notoriety after a housewife ,Lorena Bobbit severed her husband's penis in a fit of rage, after years of infidelity, in 1993.This happened in Virginia ,USA.

Bobbitization is a fitting finale, to an act as cruel as rape.It is cheap -can be done by anybody.No special training is needed.So no question of selecting candidates for being employed for bobbitization. Many will offer their valuable  services with their precious time to perform such noble tasks ! Good samaritans will  get their own instruments as well. A simple instrument or weapon like knife can be utilised to achieve bobbitization. After bobbitization ,the offender/s can be let off - he cannot commit rape again.So the expense of lodging in jails,monitoring ,etc is done away with  The offender can be bobbitised with an instrument which need not be disinfected.This will deter him & prevent others from such inhuman crimes.Moreover ,if the resultant infection is severe enough ,death will naturally follow.There are more positives for bobbitisation. A little brutality, will go a long way, to prevent & deter rapes, as compared to the brutality of rape/s visited on the victims.Moreover ,an offender can be bobbitised anywhere-so no establishment costs ! How come nobody thought of it before Lorena Bobbit ?

In India,one rape happens every 54 minutes as per the State of World Population report. Bobbitization will prevent as also deter such rapes.So many unwanted pregnancies result from rapes & gangrapes. Bobbitization will ensure that such pregnancies will reduce.This will, in turn, stabilsie if not reduce our high growth rate.The severed penises can be utilised for medical research.This may lead to mind boggling discoveries   of  therapies to make male libido virtually non -existent !

Bobbitization serves a dual purpose- it will deter potential offenders as also prevent repetition of rapes.This is what any punishment must aim at. Hence bobbitization, is the only punishment for the sexual offenders.It is infinitely better than chemical castration,death penalty & life imprisonment even in economic terms.It will be akin  to  family planning, with a twist !