More Anti-Sex Education statements by the Former Union Minister

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Please see this alarming article- Former Human Resource Development

minister Murli Manohar Joshi is speaking out against sex education in

India. The CSBE program, as far as I know, is for secondary schools,

(http://www.cbse.nic.in/aep.htm) so clearly Joshi is falsely trying to

drum up outrage by stating that " educating children from 5 to 14 years

of age about sex [is] wrong. "

Even if it were educating 5-14 year olds, a significant portion of

them will end up as child brides anyway. What type of sex education

will these girls receive?

(Sent by Himakshi Piplani, National Focal Point for India, Global

Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS).

Former HRD minister feels sex education corrupts kids

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, July 15, 2007

http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=def48d21-148b-4202-b1d\

7-819f5ea735d5 & & Headline=Former+HRD+minister+feels+sex+education+corrupts+kids

Development minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Saturday exhorted parents

to withdraw their children from CBSE schools, where sex education was

being taught.

He also called for a national campaign to close down CBSE, if the

government fails to withdraw its Adolescence Education Programme.

At a rally organised against sex education by the Siksha Bachao

Andolan Samiti on Saturday, Joshi said educating children from 5 to 14

years of age about sex was wrong and it was necessary to stop it.

He viewed that sex education will transform student teacher relation

into that of a man and a woman. " I think the government wants to

import the western culture of sexual relation between student relation

to India, " he said.

In this context, he said, parents should meet teachers and principals

and tell them: " Agar sex education bandh nahi kiya, to na tum rahoge

nahin tumara school (If you don't stop teaching sex education neither

will you remain nor will your school) " .

He said introduction of sex education was what multinationals did to

create the desire for sex among teenagers to sell their products. " It

is not sex education. It is education to sell condoms, " he alleged.

He cited the recent controversy over India's HIV/AIDS figures falling

from 57 lakh to 27 lakh. " These companies were behind the inflated

figures, " he said. All speakers agreed with his point.

Joshi also feared that the HRD ministry's sex education programme was

aimed at breaking India's family system and its ethos.

" I don't know what Human Resource Development minister (read Arjun

Singh) wants to do to this country. No religion will allow this. Not

even Marxist. Only an anarchist can do that, " he alleged. He added

that there was no need for a separate curriculum on sex education

because " there is enough knowledge on sex and reproductive body

functions in Biology taught in schools " .

Finding leaders from religious groups like Jamiat-Islami-Hind and

leaders from Church at podium, Joshi called for a national alliance of

all religious groups for a campaign to stop introduction of sex

education.

" Even in Parliament, I found leaders cutting across political parties

objecting to sex education programme, " he said, while asking the

samiti to form a national level committee for the campaign.

The samiti has already written to teachers in Delhi stating that

teaching sex education can land them in trouble.

The parents can book them for outraging the modesty of a woman or

dishonouring a person carrying punishment upto two years, says a

letter written by Dina Nath Batra, national convenor of the samiti.

----------

Joya Banerjee | Program Coordinator | Global Youth Coalition on

HIV/AIDS | www.youthaidscoalition.org

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

It is very pathetic to hear that political leaders and so called

literate and wise people are against sex education. Sex education in

school is the moment of need as global surviellence and research

already proved that young people and adolescent specially adolescent

girls are vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases as well as HIV

due to biological reason and their social vulnerability.

We can not oppose the reality about young people's growing

preference for premarital sex. It is confirmed by various studies in

different states of India. In this context we can only empower this

group of people with enough knowledge about safer sex to save them

from HIV/STI transmission and consequently save India from growing

HIV epidemic.

Concerning sex education, there is no need that we follow western

culture or follow their syllabus. We should develop the syllabus

based on our need and cultural standards. Sex education does not

mean it will give only safe sex optiosn it should cover biology of

sex organs, reproductive system and their function, basics about

HIV/STI and how they transmit which are the needs of young people to

know in their age irrespective of science, commerce or art divisions

in schools.

Along with sex education we can also endorse the significance of

chastity and virginity or one husband and one wife culture of our

society.

Young people, to meet their query regarding sex and related subject

used to take help from their friends, magazines, Internet and from

various unauthorized websites. This is better if they get their

required information from an authentic source.

I would like to request the concerning people to give proper

attention for appropriate execution of culturally appropriate sex

education program in every school in every states in India in spite

of wolf crying of political leaders to increase their cheap

popularity.

Dr. Lipi Dhar MBBS; DFW & CH (Delhi) PG Dip in PH (Aus;distinction)MPH (Aus)

e-mail: drlipidhar@...