AIDS prevention has a new ambassador in Kolkata - Bula-di
By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News NetworkThursday, March 3, 2005
In Kolkata AIDS prevention has a new mascot – Bula di.
Note: “di” is a Bengali suffix (short form of “didi”) which means elder sister.
Bula-di is a doll. You can see her in billboards around the city teaching about AIDS in no uncertain terms. She informs through simulated dialogs how drug abuse or blood transfusion could lead to AIDS, including the obvious ways. An admirable effort I must say.
What concerns me is that such prominently displayed billboards are viewable by everyone, including children. Physical and sexual abuse of children is a major offense in most countries, including India. What about visual abuse? What about subjecting children to simulated dialogs (as in these ads) which requires knowledge of sex to comprehend the meaning? With their inquisitive minds, with their friends as guides and some errant parents it doesn’t take much to add 2 and 2.
Is this collateral damage of impressionable minds appropriate?
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January 22, 2007: 1:17 am
So are you saying that “Buladi” would be able to prevent AIDS by teaching kids about sex? In fact she is trying to pollute the children for several years now. It doesn’t look like it is working. I personally think teaching young kids about sex through billboard advertisements should be considered visual molestation similar in category to showing young children pornographic material. As far as I know it is a serious criminal offence in many civilised nations around the world. Sex education, while good inetioned, has an age (of the recepient) and place. Public advertisements which can be viewed by everyone isn’t the right place for it. |
 Anirvan |
January 21, 2007: 12:20 pm
If indeed “parents are the best judges of sexual education timing for their children,” then we wouldn’t be suffering such a grave HIV/AIDS local and global public health crisis. HIV/AIDS thrives on shame, fear, and embarassment. The less we communicate, the faster the virus spreads. |
Angsuman Chakraborty