The Indian government refused the show of Dirty Picture, the most acclaimed film of Bollywood in 2011 on Indian television. The film, rated as top five of 2011 and top 10 of all time Indian films, won three national awards, besides many others. However, our government did not find the movie fit to be screened on Indian television.
Whilst I was reading the write up in this connection in different newspapers, I spotted an advertisement (see the scanned picture above)
The content of the advertisement is objectionable and should bother Indians, at least women activists of the country.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time such an advertisement has appeared in a national newspaper being published in our national language Hindi. Such publicity materials - claiming to enhance sexual pleasure, increase height and weight, get rid of various skin problems like white spots... the list is exhaustive, is routine for magazines and newspapers. And, no one raises any hue and cry.
Now the question is - does the government, which is once again (it has happened at several occasions in the past) playing the role of the moral police, not see these advertisements?
Does the government think that our children - whom we keep asking to read the newspapers to keep updated with what is happening around the world - are overlooking such advertisements?
Why there is no action or reaction on such objectionable publicity material?
Incidentally, the government has a law which talks about banning and strict action against such advertising - The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955.
Some salient features of the Act are...
• To control the advertisement of drugs in certain cases to prohibit the advertisement for certain purpose of remedies alleged to possess magic qualities and to provide for matters connected therewith.
• The Act defines drugs and registered medical practitioners besides defining magic remedy. According to Act, the magic remedy includes a talisman mantra kavacha, and any other charm of any kind which is alleged and possess miraculous powers for or in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation treatment or prevention of any disease in human beings or animals or for affecting or influencing in any way the structure or any organic function of human beings or animals.
• Unless prescribed by registered medical practitioners or after consultation with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, no person or company, shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any drug that is used for:
a) the miscarriage in woman,
b) maintenance or improvement of the capacity of human beings for sexual pleasures,
c) correction of menstrual disorder in women, and
d) the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease.
• No person or company will take part in advertisement which give false impression or makes a false claim for the drug or mislead the people. Whosoever contravenes any of the provision of this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment extended to six months or with fine, or with both for first time conviction. It may extend to one year imprisonment or with fine or with both on subsequent convictions.
• The schedule for diseases specified under the Act are: appenddicitis, atherosclerosis, blindness, blood poisoning, Bright’s disease, cancer, cataract, deafness, diabetes, brain diseases or disorder, uterus diseases, disorder of menstrual flow, disorders of nervous system, prostatic gland disorders, dropsy, epilepsy, female disease (in general), fever (in general), Fits, Forms and structure of the female breast, gall bladder stones, kidney stones, bladder stones, gangrene, glaucoma, goitre, heart diseases, high or low blood pressure, hydrocele, hysteria, infantile paralysis, insanity, leprosy, leucoderma, lock jaw, locomotor ataxia, lupus, nervous debility, obesity, paralysis, plague, pleurisy, pneumonia, rheumatism, ruptures, sexual impotence, small pox, stature of person , sterility of wome, trachoma, TB, tumours, typhoid fever, ulcers of GI tract, veneral diseases including, AIDS.
Read More at : The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955http://www.medindia.net/indian_health_act/the-drugs-and-magic-remedies-act-1955.htm#ixzz1sq2xl9Kp
Whilst I was reading the write up in this connection in different newspapers, I spotted an advertisement (see the scanned picture above)
The content of the advertisement is objectionable and should bother Indians, at least women activists of the country.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time such an advertisement has appeared in a national newspaper being published in our national language Hindi. Such publicity materials - claiming to enhance sexual pleasure, increase height and weight, get rid of various skin problems like white spots... the list is exhaustive, is routine for magazines and newspapers. And, no one raises any hue and cry.
Now the question is - does the government, which is once again (it has happened at several occasions in the past) playing the role of the moral police, not see these advertisements?
Does the government think that our children - whom we keep asking to read the newspapers to keep updated with what is happening around the world - are overlooking such advertisements?
Why there is no action or reaction on such objectionable publicity material?
Incidentally, the government has a law which talks about banning and strict action against such advertising - The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955.
Some salient features of the Act are...
• To control the advertisement of drugs in certain cases to prohibit the advertisement for certain purpose of remedies alleged to possess magic qualities and to provide for matters connected therewith.
• The Act defines drugs and registered medical practitioners besides defining magic remedy. According to Act, the magic remedy includes a talisman mantra kavacha, and any other charm of any kind which is alleged and possess miraculous powers for or in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation treatment or prevention of any disease in human beings or animals or for affecting or influencing in any way the structure or any organic function of human beings or animals.
• Unless prescribed by registered medical practitioners or after consultation with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, no person or company, shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any drug that is used for:
a) the miscarriage in woman,
b) maintenance or improvement of the capacity of human beings for sexual pleasures,
c) correction of menstrual disorder in women, and
d) the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease.
• No person or company will take part in advertisement which give false impression or makes a false claim for the drug or mislead the people. Whosoever contravenes any of the provision of this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment extended to six months or with fine, or with both for first time conviction. It may extend to one year imprisonment or with fine or with both on subsequent convictions.
• The schedule for diseases specified under the Act are: appenddicitis, atherosclerosis, blindness, blood poisoning, Bright’s disease, cancer, cataract, deafness, diabetes, brain diseases or disorder, uterus diseases, disorder of menstrual flow, disorders of nervous system, prostatic gland disorders, dropsy, epilepsy, female disease (in general), fever (in general), Fits, Forms and structure of the female breast, gall bladder stones, kidney stones, bladder stones, gangrene, glaucoma, goitre, heart diseases, high or low blood pressure, hydrocele, hysteria, infantile paralysis, insanity, leprosy, leucoderma, lock jaw, locomotor ataxia, lupus, nervous debility, obesity, paralysis, plague, pleurisy, pneumonia, rheumatism, ruptures, sexual impotence, small pox, stature of person , sterility of wome, trachoma, TB, tumours, typhoid fever, ulcers of GI tract, veneral diseases including, AIDS.
Read More at : The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955http://www.medindia.net/indian_health_act/the-drugs-and-magic-remedies-act-1955.htm#ixzz1sq2xl9Kp
