ZOLENGTHE

LETS TALK ABOUT SEX

Opposition to sex education is a case of misplaced morality

Anation with a population in excess of a billion is clearly not abstaining from sex. But India refuses to speak about the birds and bees openly. We’d rather refer to it obliquely and shroud the discourse in half-truths instead of discussing it as a matter of fact. When it comes to sex, hypocrisy rules in India. The opposition to the introduction of sex education in schools — starting the current academic session — comes from several quarters, united by a misplaced notion of morality.

The BJP and its brain, the RSS, claim that it is against Indian culture. The BJP is an indefatigable champion of India’s cultural ethos but it is not the only one. Its warped argument finds resonance in the protests of political parties across the spectrum and other self-appointed custodians of the nation’s social mores. The Karnataka government, led by JD(S), has opposed sex education on the ground that it is anti-social. Ditto governments in Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Former HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi, in his infinite wisdom, recently exhorted parents to withdraw their children from CBSE schools because the syllabus included lessons on sexual health. He is of the opinion that sex education will encourage sexual activity among youngsters and undermine the foundations of the great Indian family. If only he and his political ilk did not have the kind of say they have in shaping public policy, we could have ignored their ridiculous opinions. Thankfully, the minister for women and child development, Renuka Chowdhury, is willing to stick her neck out on this issue. In her somewhat edgy style, she has loudly spoken up in favour of sex education.

The argument that talking about sex is antithetical to Indian tradition is nonsense. Historical accounts and texts establish that sex was not taboo in Indian society; the advent of alien, especially Victorian, mores was largely responsible for reshaping our sensibilities about sex. A revision of our outlook is long overdue. HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies are on the rise, largely due to unsafe sexual behaviour. It is an inescapable fact of our times that Indian youth are becoming sexually aware and active at a much younger age than before. It is imperative that they are equipped to take responsibility for their reproductive health. To that end sex education, shorn of morality and informed by fact, must be easily accessible in schools. The longer we hang on to our outdated attitude towards sex, the dearer the price we will pay for coming generations.
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Source: Time of India Editorial (July 18, 2007)