Ban on 'Balbir Pasha Ad Campaign'

[Guest guest]

PRESS RELEASE/ AIDS & Balbir Pasha

January 21, 2003

PHO WELCOMES THE DECISION TO BAN 'BALBIR PASHA CAMPAIGN':

Peoples' Health Organisation (India); which had filed a complaint at the State

Women's Commission and other statutory bodies, welcomes the Commission's

decision to ban the Balbir Pasha Campaign forthwith and favourable response from

the Population Services International, the perpetrator of the controversial

campaign. With Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, Prerana and several other NGOs, PHO has

been spearheading the movement against the 'Balbir Pasha' campaign; which

ended-up being an ill conceived, anti-woman and misinformation campaign.

Thanks to lackadaisical state machinery that even failed to act on the Home

Minister's assurance to the State Legislative Council on 21st December in Nagpur

to ban the campaign and tolerance of people at large, the plush Balbir Pasha

campaign with advertisement on billboards, in print and electronic continues

unabated in spite of poor contents and 'bad taste' for over two months. It lacks

sensitivity, wiser counsel and though projected to be an AIDS awareness effort

but contributed to denigrating the status of women; making it as if all

'healthy-looking women' are available for sex with men like 'Balbir Pasha'. The

current ad reads, 'Balbir Pasha sirf swastha dikhanewalon se sambandh rakhta

hai. Par dekhane se pata nahin chalta kise AIDS hai.' (Balbir Pasha has sex only

with healthy women. But, you cannot make out who has AIDS from the look).

While the State Commission for Women headed by Advocate Nirmala Samant

Prabhawalkar ruled at the first hearing on 14th January to wind-up the campaign

giving 4-days to PSI; Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj

ordered to stop the advertisements on the state-owned Television 'Door Darshan'.

What is surprising is from where did 27th January come in picture as a deadline

to stop the PSI campaign, when it should have been 18th January. Rejecting the

one-sided stand of PSI to exploit its big-budget campaign to show how

financial-interests prevails over sensitivity, even after the deadline, the

Commission has issued a fresh notice to halt the campaign by 22nd January

itself. Apropos to the PSI's stand that their so-called 'innovative' campaign

has generated awareness and support; several experts, NGO and women activists

present at the hearing on 14th January, equivocally demanded the ban and for

strong strategy to deal with such sexist campaigns. The commission is a

quasi-judicial body, established to protect the status and dignity of women

guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.

The Balbir Pasha campaign is as confusing as its perpetrator PSI is. Balbir

Pasha is shown to have multiple partners now; while earlier shown having

'Manjula' as a regular partner; once shown he has AIDS and then shown he doesn't

have; once shown as thoroughly irresponsible drunkard and then shown as

understanding! Previous advertisements read: Balbir Pasha ki Regular Sirf

Manjula Hai; par Manjula ke Kai Regular Hai. (Manjula is regular of Balbir

Pasha, but Manjula has many regulars); " Balbir Pasha Sharab ke Nashe mein Condom

Lagana Bhool Jata Hoga. Ek Baar bhi Condom na Lagaane se AIDS Ho Sakata Hai! "

(Balbir Pasha may have forgotten condom under the influence of alcohol); " Balbir

Pasha ko AIDS Hoga Kya? - Nahin. Kyonki wah ek Samazdar aur Jimmedar Insan Hai "

(Balibr Pasha is an unerstanding and responsible person). After mystery of

'Balbir Pasha' started un-folding, it became disgusting day by day, a dastardly

act to push the sale of a particular brand of condom, marketed by PSI.

It turned out to be an insensitive and immoral campaign, unexpected of from one

of most HIV-aware city. Joining the bandwagon, one Reshma Enterprise has made a

pornographic film " Balbir Pasha ko AIDS Ho Gaya, Kaise? ..AIDS and Blind Sex " ;

one NGO has played opportunist, by putting up banners saying: " Aao Milkar Hath

Bantaye; Balbir Pasha ko AIDS se Bachayen " , as if they have a Cure or Vaccine;

and even 'Amul' using it in its butter-promotion advertisements.

Dr.I.S.Gilada, Secretary General, PHO & Consultant in HIV/AIDS

Peoples Health Organisation (India)

Municipal School Building, J.J. Hospital Compd, Mumbai-400008

Tel.(22)-23719020 Telefax: 23864433 Web: www.aidsasia.info E-mail:

ihoaids@...