Khushboo’s views on pre-marital sex ruffled more than just feathers. Sania Mirza’s take on the subject dented her darling sportstar status. But now that the prime minister has spoken, talking about sex is no longer taboo.
Manmohan Singh’s speech on World Aids Day — asking the nation to shed its inhibitions on sex — seems to have had its desired effect. The health department has decided to re-think its Aids-awareness programmes, the young crop of MPs have shown the ‘let’s talk about sex’ sermon the thumbs up, and the general public have branded the appeal a reflection of their sentiments.
“The prime minister is endorsing a practical approach with balanced thinking. Our awareness campaigns will surely be strengthened with the prime minister promoting safe sex,” health secretary Prasanna Hota told DNA. “We have been promoting ABC — abstinence, being faithful and condoms — while talking about Aids. But sex workers, migrant workers and infidelity are a reality.”
Even health and family welfare minister Anbumani Ramadoss, whose party, PMK, is alleged to have stoked the mob protests after Tamil star Khushboo voiced her opinions on pre-marital sex, echoed Hota. “The government will advocate safe sex. There will be more focus on condom promotion,” he said.
This year, the government has distributed 1,500 million condoms through social marketing and 500 million for free.
Even the young parliamentarians have cheered the prime minister’s initiative to take the lead and “stamp out the social stigmas related to sex and sexually transmitted diseases”.
South Mumbai MP Milind Deora said Singh’s statement highlighted the need to rid the “nation of inhibitions and propagate the idea of safe sex.”
“Aids is a fatal disease,” he said. “Having unsafe sex even once can infect a person for life. These are issues we need to address openly.”
Lauding the initiative taken by Singh, Congress MP Naveen Jindal said the speech chimed in well with the collective sentiments of the younger generation.
“It isn’t just about sex; the idea is to understand the educational value of the subject. That is the only solution.”
But would the PM’s views on sex give Tamil actor Khushboo’s liberal views on pre-marital sex, which caused an uproar in the conservative circles, a clean chit?
“Those are two different issues,” says Deora. “The PM’s statement is not revolutionary. It is just the need of the hour that he has spelt out.”
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