Hypocrisy of Indian Health Minister

The Indian Health Minister Mr. Ramdoss has been over the last 6 months or so pushing hard on film actors for a complete ban on showing alcohol and tobacco consumption in Indian films. Apparently, Mr. Minister has reasoning that young people get affected by what is shown in the films. It appears that our Minister is way out of touch with ground realities. There is a common fallacy that showing such acts including violence in the film will have the youngsters follow them and finally succumb to the ill effects of such vice. However, if Mr. Ramdoss has a genuine desire for the well being of the younger generations then he must push for a legislation and enact laws that will make the consumption of alcohol and tobacco illegal.

Actors are professionals. They portray a character and may be just drinking colored water or soda etc to mimic the color of alcohol. They might just inhale some smoke in the mouth and exhale while playing the character. Why to point out to actors and restrict their ability to portray the characters. Most films reflect the state of affairs of the society. It is very unfair to ask the actors not to show such things when it is a fact that leaders goes to the alcohol and tobacco industries to get the funds to fight elections to get inside the hallowed walls of parliament or state assemblies every 5 years.

Why Mr. Ramdoss does not ask for alcohol and tobacco audits from political parties? Why he does not help to enact laws that will make it mandatory for the politicians to declare their alcohol and tobacco consumption / relationship with these industries under the oath? Why Mr. Minister does not enact law to ban the consumption of pan masala in Govt. offices? It’s a nightmare to see the effect of paan and paan masala when you take a flight of stares in most of the central and state govt. offices.

Asking the actors to stop showing any alcohol / tobacco consumption in the films while allowing the politicians to keep getting the donation from such industries at best can be termed as sheer Hypocrisy, Mr.Minsiter. If you have even an iota of being successful in curbing this menace then a few things that needs to be done are

1. bring extremely tough laws
2. punitive measures must be deterrent
3. raise the awareness at the kindergaden and primary school levels
4. schools to sensitize and educate students against ill effects
5. parents have to be role model for their kids
6. politicians have to be role models for the citizens
7. employer need to screen prospective employee against such use
8. All public places must be at once declared an alcohol and tobacco free zone
9. Police must get appropriate empowerment to prosecute who breaks the law

Think of countries like US where the politicians are getting together to enact laws that ban smoking even at homes. What the heck, think of China as to how the Govt. there are pushing to make it smoke free country because of the upcoming Olympics. It is only with a good measure of anti alcohol / tobacco/paan/paan-masala laws and very effective and sustained campaign to raise the awareness of ill effects of such products including the politicians and the political parties leading from the front will eventually have any impact on reducing or eliminating alcohol and tobacco consumption in India.

Till that time stop being hypocrite and allow the actors to portray the reality of the society through films.