Chandigarh's Condom Bar shuts shop

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Chandigarh's Condom Bar shuts shop

IANS, Tuesday March 30, 2010, Chandigarh

What was probably India's only Condom Bar has shut shop after it fell victim to

official prudishness. The concept had generated international curiosity.

The bar, located in the Kalagram complex on the busy Chandigarh-Panchkula

highway, was inaugurated by a woman AIDS patient in May 2007. It was launched

with a lot of hype by the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development

Corporation (CITCO), a semi-government corporation.

In less than three years after it made national and international headlines for

the unique concept, the condom theme has been dumped by CITCO officials, though

the bar drinking area continues at the Kalagram complex.

Instead of condoms, the theme will now be a village.

" We are changing the concept of the bar to a village theme. The earlier bar

continues to be there but the condom concept is being replaced. The requirement

arose after a crafts fair was organised at Kalagram recently, " CITCO managing

director D.K. Tiwari told IANS.

Sources in CITCO, however, revealed that the management and the Chandigarh

administration officials were " too embarassed " with the condom theme and hence

got it removed.

The bar was the brainchild of senior Punjab-cadre IAS officer Jasbir Singh Bir,

who was then managing director of CITCO. When it was launched, it was decorated

with real condoms in different colours and varieties dotting the wall amid the

liquor bottles. Now, the condoms at the bar have been removed along with all

souvenirs that were initially put up to go with the condom theme.

An upset Bir told IANS: " I feel sad that the unique condom concept has been

taken off. This is a regressive step. When the condom bar opened, we had

enquiries from all over the world as other countries and local authorities

wanted to replicate the concept in their cities. The concept was appreciated by

the union health ministry, UN organizations and international media. "

Besides having souvenirs like cups, T-shirts and caps highlighting the use of

condoms and safe sex, the bar even had a counter that offered free condoms. Even

female condoms were freely offered at the bar.

When it was being opened, several senior officers of the Chandigarh

administration, had reportedly tried to scuttle the condom bar concept. None of

the top officials came for the inaugugation.

Pooja Thakur, a woman in her late 20s with AIDS, had her moment of being a

celebrity when she inaugurated the country's first condom bar in May 2007.

Thakur, who has two sons, one of whom is HIV positive, had discovered she has

AIDS when her husband died in 2005 due to the disease.

" We at CITCO thought this was one social cause that we could be attached with.

There were some apprehensions earlier, but the whole concept came out

beautifully, " Bir said.

The Condom Bar hit a high within four months of its launch. Liquor sales

combined with distribution of free condoms were on the rise - making it a

successful venture despite initial apprehensions. People coming to the bar

started picking the free condoms, and even the paid condoms. Though not in big

numbers, female condoms were also being taken away from the bar by women.

While 465 condoms, including six female condoms, were picked up by people

visiting the place in the first month (May 2007), the figure rose to 873 in

June, nearly doubled to 1,394 in July and hit a high of about 2,200 in August

that year.

A condom vending machine was also installed in the washroom of the condom bar

for paid pickings. Sales at the bar increased too after the condom bar opened.

However, CITCO did not pay much attention to the condom bar after Bir was

transferred from his post of managing director in 2008. The vending machine

would rarely have condoms nor were free condoms available.

CITCO is a semi-government corporation to promote tourism in the union territory

of Chandigarh. It runs three of the biggest hotels in the city - Mountview

(5-star), Shivalikview and Parkview - besides some of the other prime eateries

at the Sukhna Lake, Leisure Valley and Kalagram complex.

http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/chandigarhs-condom-bar-shuts-shop-18750.php