10 Adverts That Shocked The World

A poster from an anti-smoking campaign by Les Droits des Non-fumeurs which has caused outrage for its implied association that smoking is tantamount to sex slavery.


This poster of a grotesquely well developed child is part of a campaign by ad agency Serve, commissioned by the Family Violence Partnership in Milwaukee, to raise awareness about statutory rape. The tagline reads 'If you see a child as anything more, it's wrong.'

This bizarre advert appears to show a young woman getting intimate with a dog. It was designed to promote a new magazine for jetsetters 'Deutsch Magazine', although quite what the 'international lifestyle' it claims to promote consists of, one might wonder.

Dubbed 'Vaginads' by the media, the campaign for Tom Ford's menswear featured a series of close-ups of naked women with a cologne bottle covering their most intimate parts. Naturally, we couldn't publish such raunchy pictures, but you'll find a variation on the theme above.

Toyota is probably regretting its ad campaign for the virtuously eco-friendly Prius. The posters portray three immoral scenes - murder (above), prostitution and adultery- bearing the tagline 'Well, at least he drives a Prius'.

A South American beauty clinic called Xiomara Coronado Beauty Center launched this campaign featuring digitally enhanced images of Angelina Jolie and Paris Hilton, alleging that they'd look that wrinkly in years to come if they neglected their skincare routine.

M&C Saatchi is responsible for this campaign for the Australian Red Cross aimed at promoting blood donation. The gruesome image of a blood filled donation pot certainly provokes a reaction.

This Benetton advert features a photo of Aids sufferer and activist David Kirby and his family by Therese Frare (1990). The original picture, which won the World Press Photo Award, was published in black and white, but Benetton's advertisers decided they wanted to use a colour version to make it seem more shockingly like a real ad. The ad was designed to raise awareness of Aids and Kirby's family and Frare approved of the photos use. But it provoked a storm of criticism from other Aids activists who claimed the campaign was in some way a vindication of homosexuality.

Bearing the slogan 'Fair trial, my arse,' this Agent Provocateur advert bears a cheeky message. Having teamed up with human rights campaigners Reprieve, the sheer orange undies were part of a wider campaign against the illegal detention of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.

Fashion designer Kenneth Cole's 'We all have Aids' ad campaign caused ripples because the posters (see above) so closely resembled normal fashion ads. The tagline 'We're all potential carriers' refers not to the bag the model is brandishing, but to Aids.

NREGA Benefits 4.18 Lakh Manipur Households

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Jul 26 : At least 4,18,613 households were given employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) Act scheme which is popularly known as NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme in Manipur.

NREGA scheme was implemented here with funding pattern on sharing basis between Central and State Government at the ratio of 90:10 to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Since its introduction across the State in 2008, certain development works including 2,532 road connectivity works, 1119 drought proofing works, 1376 water conservation and harvesting works, 1035 land development works, 839 mirco-irrigation works besides 154 flood control works and 363 renovation of traditional water body or ‘pukhuri’ works have been completed.

Around 518 other works approved by the department were also completed during the said period, official sources said.

In order to complete the work load, a sum of Rs 43,570 lakh has been spent till the end of March this year. According to the annual report of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department, a total of 4,18,613 households were given employment since it’s actual introduction in the State’s remaining districts three years back.

With 76,859 job cards, Senapati district tops the chart in providing employment to households while Tamenglong has 24,618 households.

The Deputy Commissioner and District Programme Co-ordinator of NREGA Nidhi Kesarwani of Senapati district was awarded the prestigious ‘Excellence Award for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA 2008-09’ in February this year. Senapati district and 24 other districts were chosen for their unique performances from 618 districts of the country for the Excellence Award by a Central Expert Committee.

On July 23, the ongoing State Budget session passed a total of Rs 36,62,19,000 as demands for Grants for Rural Development and for the current financial year 2010-11 after a discussion attended by members from Ruling and Opposition benches.

Why India Needs Myanmar on its Side

By Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal

'China has made rapid advances into Myanmar.... Radars have been reported to have been erected on Myanmar's west coast to monitor Indian missile tests,' notes Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).

Senior General Than Shwe, Myanmar's head of State, is currently on his second visit to India in six years. He comes at a time the international community has initiated the first steps to gradually open up to Myanmar and elections are due in that country later this year.

Aung San Suu Kyi, perhaps the most famous prisoner in the world after Nelson Mandela, met Western diplomats in Yangon, including United States Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in November 2009. Speculation was rife at that time that sanctions would soon be lifted.

India's relations with Myanmar, a devoutly Buddhist country, have been traditionally close and friendly. Geographically, India and Myanmar share long land and maritime boundaries, including in the area of the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar islands where the two closest Indian and Myanmarese islands are barely 30 km apart.

It is not so well known that Myanmarese ports provide India the shortest approach route to several of India's north-eastern states.

The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed growing strategic engagement between India and Myanmar. According to the ministry of external affairs, relations with Myanmar have become truly multi-faceted, 'with cooperation in a range of developmental and other projects in the areas of roads, power, hydro-carbon, oil refinery, transmission lines, telecommunications and information technology.'

India's national interest lies in a strong and stable Myanmar that observes strict neutrality between India and China and cooperates with India in the common fight against the insurgencies raging in the border areas of both the countries.

For India, Myanmar is a bridge with Southeast Asia. In fact, it is a bridge between the countries comprising the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (where Myanmar has observer status) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The key drivers of the India-Myanmar strategic relationship are cooperation in counter-insurgency operations and the need for India to ensure that Myanmar is not driven into Chinese arms through Indian neglect of its security concerns and arms requirements.

Indian insurgent groups (NSCN, ULFA and the Manipur rebels among others) have been operating out of bases in the weakly controlled areas across the borders of the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram and Myanmarese rebels, primarily the Chins and the Arakanese, have often taken shelter on the Indian side.

It is in the interest of both countries to cooperate with each other to fight these insurgent groups in a coordinated manner.

In April-May 1995, during Operation Golden Bird, a joint operation, approximately 40 insurgents were been killed and a huge cache of arms was recovered.

Since then the two armies have been cooperating with each other for mutual benefit. In November 2001, the Myanmar army had raided several Manipuri rebel bases, rounded up almost 200 rebels and recovered 1,500 guns.

India-Myanmar cooperation is also essential to control narcotics trafficking and to curb the proliferation of small arms in the region.

China has made rapid advances into Myanmar and established close political, military and economic relations. Myanmar provides China the shortest land route access to the northern Indian Ocean.

China has signed a long-term agreement with Myanmar for the exploitation of its hydrocarbon reserves and for the transportation of oil and gas through a 1,100 km overland pipeline from Kyaukryu port in Myanmar to the border city of Ruili in Yunnan. This pipeline will reduce the distance by 1,200 km and make China less dependent on the Malacca Straits.

China is also developing Sittwe as a commercial port on the west coast. It is natural that Chinese naval activity in the Bay of Bengal will soon follow.

China has also been stepping up arms sales to Myanmar as other nations, including India, are loath to sell offensive military hardware to the country. China is reported to have told Myanmar to take artillery guns from North Korea in return for rice.

Radars have been reported to have been erected on Myanmar's west coast to monitor Indian missile tests. This is not a positive development, as it will further increase Myanmar's dependency on China.

However, indications from the military regime are that it does not want China to exercise undue influence in Myanmar's internal affairs.

Recent reports of Myanmar's quest for the acquisition of nuclear weapons from North Korea (with Chinese and Pakistani help), though uncorroborated, are of concern to India as nuclear weapons in the hands of yet another military regime would not be conducive to long-term strategic stability in South Asia.

If the news about Myanmar's nuclear ambitions is true, the international community must adopt all measures necessary to prevent the emergence of another nuclear weapon State in the region and India must help.

While India is concerned with the slow pace of progress on the issue of national reconciliation and the consequent delay in installing a democratically elected government in power in Yangon, the strategic scenario compels India to balance its security concerns with its support for the emergence of democratic rule.

It is only through close engagement that India can promote leverages with the ruling regime to nudge it gently towards national reconciliation.

India must also increase its economic footprint in Myanmar, particularly in areas that are contiguous to India.

The military regime is firmly entrenched in power -- the monks' agitation notwithstanding. Sanctions and other diplomatic pressures have not worked in the past and are unlikely to work in the future.

The fear psychosis of Myanmar's military junta is being exploited by China and this cannot be in the interest of either India or any of the other democracies of the free world.

It is important to end Myanmar's isolation and to allay its fears that the whole world is ganging up against it.

India and the other regional powers can play a positive role in the re-entry of Myanmar into the international mainstream so that it can be nudged towards becoming a strong and stable democracy that is also mature and responsible and willing to play by the rules and traditions governing international relations.

Perhaps multi-national talks, which include India, China, Japan, ASEAN and other stakeholders, would be the best way forward.

**Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd) is Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi.

Sex scandals in sports scary, Shameful: Mary Kom

New Delhi, Jul 26 : The sex scandals that have rocked hockey and weightlifting are "scary and shameful", says Khel Ratna awardee woman boxer M C Mary Kom, who feels male coaches should be kept away from female athletes at all times other then training.

Speaking to PTI, the 25-year-old four-time world champion said although she has never encountered sexual harassment in her sporting career, it remains an everyday reality for all the women in the country.

"Whatever has happened in hockey is shameful and scary. When I first read about it, I was shaken. This was unexpected and the thought which scares me most is that it might be happening in every sport including my own," the pin weight 46 kg boxer from Manipur said.

"It's just not sports, sexual harassment is a harsh everyday reality for any woman in India [ Images ]. Girls should be protected. Female athletes should be made to feel safe at camps and in training areas," she added.

Mary Kom said having women coaches at the helm can help but she has no issues with men either provided safeguards are in place to prevent harassment and exploitation.

"Ideally, women should be chief coaches when it comes to women's sports but I don't mind male coaches either as long as there is no problem," the mother of two said.

"I feel male coaches and female athletes should not mix beyond the training time. Male coaches should be lodged in separate hotels when they are with a women's team. At camps, they should be staying away from stadiums where women are lodged. This can surely help in preventing such disgraceful episodes," she suggested.

Mary Kom was among the boxers who in 2002 refused to train at a camp in Hisar after an intruder misbehaved with one of the campers and she said the incident highlights the threats a woman athlete faces.

"Safety comes first. Unless we feel secure, we can't be expected to give our 100 per cent. That was a scary incident and we put our foot down demanding security and we managed to get it," she recalled.

The diminutive boxer said federations should act quickly and fairly while dealing with incidents of sexual harassment as such episodes don't just scar the victim but her teammates as well.

"As a woman athlete, I felt ashamed when I first heard of the scandal in hockey and weightlifting. That's the impact such an episode has. It doesn't just kill the morale of the victim but also the other members of the team," she said.

"That is why, it is important that the Federations do their job and act promptly. They should ensure that the victim is not traumatised and justice is done quickly," she added.

Insurgency, Divorce Adding Orphans in Northeast India

Agartala, Jul 26 : Insurgency and fast mechanized life leading to divorce have been identified as the prime causes adding to the number of orphans in India's trouble-torn northeastern region.

This was divulged during a two day awareness workshop 'Adoption and Non-Institutional Care for Children' that concluded here Saturday.

"Insurgency is one of the main facts (cause) that is making children orphan or single parents," said Anamika Das, coordinator for Indian Council for Child Welfare.

Das, who came from Assam as resource person in the workshop added, "The rate of prospective adoptive parents is increasing and so Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has made some adoption centers so that people can easily and systematically adopt child, moreover these centres shall also help to stop child trafficking. Under the ICPS (integrated child protection scheme) in every district there shall be adoption centre or specialized adoption agencies (SAA)."

The department of the Social Welfare and Social Education of Tripura with sponsorship from CARA, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development organized the workshop.

Different adoption agencies, NGO's and government organization working with orphans participated and exchanged their views on the existing child adoption policies and its advantages and disadvantages.

Dr Dilip Das, a renowned gynecologist, viewed that at present with the easy availability of abortive medicines, cases of leftover children has reasonable come down.

However Dr Das intimidated that, "A new type of problem has come mainly due to the process of modernization and industrialization where both the family members are working and with the increasing number of divorce cases the children are the worst sufferer and often find themselves in orphanages."

The primary aim of the workshop was to sensitize different organizations and SAA about the existing rules of adoption and the ICPS which has be recently floated by the central government for easy
children repatriated from failed adoptions.

India which has one of the highest numbers of destitute child; often do not find suitable families for the children mainly due the licensed adoption agency or orphanage's ignorance on legal matters related to
child adoption.

Prospective adoptive foreign nationals and surrogate parents who want to adopt children from India frequently have to wait for long period and fight legal battles before they get custody of the child.

Recently a film, 'The Waiting City' was released based on the story of an Australian couple, wanting to adopt an Indian child. However, the delay in the process leads to complications in their relationship.

National Youth Women's boxing off to a Fine Start

New Delhi, Jul 26 : The sixth National Youth women's boxing championships had a great start and got a tremendous support from the people of Assam at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Guwahati.

The tournament, which will run from July 21 to July 25, is being organised by Assam Boxing Association. A total of 114 women pugilists from 22 states are participating in this prestigious event.

After the completion of the preliminaries, Assam and Manipur with 11 points each are at the top closely followed by Punjab with 11 points.

Five boxers from Assam have qualified into the semifinals while six from Manipur and Punjab. Other States like Haryana, Kerala, MP etc have less than 3 boxers in the semifinal line-up.

The performances of a few boxers such as Minu Basumatary of Assam and Monika Soun of Punjab have been outstanding in this championship so far. They have got great future ahead and will certainly don the national colors in the coming time.

Indian Boxing Federation is especially indebted to Mittal Champions Trust for having come forward to sponsor cash prizes for the women boxers.

All winners in preliminaries will be given Rs 500 for every bout won while the winners in quarterfinals will be given Rs 1000. Winners of the semifinals will get Rs 2000 and winners of finals will get Rs 3000.

The women boxers have an excellent chance of bringing medals for the country at Asian Games and Olympic Games due to their continuous exceptional performances.

Social Profiling: Root Cause to Racial Discrimination Faced by Northeasterners

(A Term Paper Presented in a Seminar on Sexual Abuse, Social Discrimination and Economic Exploitation organised by Vaiphei Christian Fellowship, Delhi at Murnika, New Delhi 24 July, 2010 Presented by Madhu Chandra)

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. - Martin Niemöller. First sexual abuse, social discrimination and economic exploitation happened to the people from Nagaland, I did not speak out because I was not a Naga. Then it happened to the people from Manipur, I did not speak out because I was not a Manipuri. Then it happened to the people from Mizoram, I did not speak out because I was not a Mizo. Then it happened to the people from Arunachal Pradesh, I did not speak out because I was not an Arunachalese. Then it happened to me, there was not one left to speak out for me. - anonymous response

Unprecedented Racial Discrimination
Delhi police, Delhi and Union Governments, civil societies and intellectuals refused to accept the racial discrimination faced by the people from North East India, who are working, studying and living in Delhi and National Capital Regions (NCR). Refusal and denial to accept the struggles faced by the people from North East India by the concerned government and police forces continued for last five years until the killing of 19-years-old Tangkhul girl from Manipur in last October at Murnika by IIT Ph. D. student.
Whole nation cried when Shilpa Shetty in Celebrity of Big Brother faced racial abuse at London in 2007 and Indians at Australia recently but kept silence spectator when it happened to its own people from North East India. Non-acceptance and denial of the racial discrimination faced by the people from North East India by the law enforcement agencies and government authorities is the additional form of racial discrimination.
Enough incidents had happened in last six years at Delhi and NCR, probably begun with heinous crime of gang rape of a girl from Mizoram in a moving car at Dhuala Kuan in 2005, whose verdict came after four years with 14 years of imprisonment.

North East Support Centre & Helpline established in 2008, conducted two pilot studies - one in 2008, based on media reporting on sexual abuse in national capital, where almost 50% cases were happened to the girls from North East India. Second pilot study conducted in 2009, reveals 86% of North East people living have said that they are facing racial discrimination in various forms like, sexual abuse, physical attacks, vulgar remarks, social profiling and economic exploitation. These are documented and reported in national news papers and national televisions, from which, law enforcement agencies and government machineries should have understood the plights faced by the people of North East India in Delhi and NCR.

Double blow of racial discrimination came when the law enforcement agency, particularly of Delhi police and NCR, refused, denied and delayed to entertain the cases filed by victims from North East India. If the police forces, would have avoided the social profiling in performing their duties, the issue of sexual abuse, racial discrimination and economic exploitation faced by the people from North East India would have, long time, prevented. Due to the discrimination by the law enforcement agencies, the plight of racial discrimination remained unprecedented till these days.

2009 went up with highest record of violence against the people from North East India in Delhi and NCR. Nothing to celebrate this year with just six cases so far because, the number crime in 2009 went up only after September. Anything could happen at any time because there still exist unprecedented violence against the people from North East India.
After much has happened, Delhi Police issued a "Zero Tolerance" policy in respect of crime against women including the violence faced by the people from North East India. Delhi police acted better at least in registering the complaints and yet to see their honesty in handling the cases to punish the perpetrators and give justice to the victims. A white paper must be given on how police has handled the cases pending in police stations on the cases related to the racial discrimination faced by the people from North East India.

Nature of Racial Discrimination Faced by North East People
It is sexual abuse, social profiling and economic exploitation. Whenever and wherever any attack happens to the people of North East India, it is deeply connection with gender-based discrimination, social connotation which affected the economic opportunities for the people of North East India in Delhi and NCR.
"Racial discrimination is treating people differently through a process of social division into categories not necessarily related to races." The plight faced by people from North East India has been in the form of social profiling. It is a crime as per Article 15 of Indian Constitution. "Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. (1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them."
Blacks suffered apartheid for years and whole world condemns it. UN has condemned India's caste system and termed it worse than racism. The Racism faced by North East India is definitely outcome of caste system. To fight racism, one can not ignore the apartheid of casteism existed among Indian societies.
Whenever sexual abuse and racial attack happens, the general public has social profiled the people from North East India on the bases of different culture, different look and different geographical background. Social profiling is against the ethos of India's acclaim of unity in diversity. Social profiling will distance the communities from one another.
Economic exploitation is one of the immediate effects suffer from racial discrimination, particularly to young working boys and girls from North East India. Two sisters who where sexually abused by twenty men in Gandhi Vihar in January, 2008 had to close her cyber café through which, she supported her brother and sister who were pursuing for further studies. She could not relocate and start her business any more in Delhi and had to pack and go back home. Like her, most of the victims suffer sexual abused in their offices had to quit from job.
What are the Root Causes?
Hundred times have been asked this question, in deed many attempted to put into our mouths to blame North East girls for their life style. Many civil societies and law enforcement agencies even said this, in stead of condemning the crime.
Social profiling the people from North East India is the main root causes of sexual abuse, social discrimination and economic exploitation. Social profiling has caused North East girls as vulnerable in the eyes of perpetrators.
The notion of social profiling - the opinion formed upon ones appearance, culture and levelling everyone equal with some opinions formed upon some experiences. Once a community is socially profiled, ones economic, social, educational and professional status does not matter and everyone is looked upon socially and racially with low image.
Next to social profiling is the mind-set of people on North East communities which has become a major cause of sexual abuse, social discrimination and economic exploitation. A mindset of social profiling is that the people from North East India are strangers, free culture, cheap and do anything one likes, you can get free. Social profiling is also seen in the attitudes of local police when they insult, deceive, ignore and deny the complaints and connived with perpetrators in many cases.
How do we handle this?
Never forget Niemoller's poem. Stand up when it happens to person next to you, irrespective of race, religion and region. It is your rights to fight when it happens to you, but never take the law into your hand. Stay connected with your student bodies, community leaders and churches, if you are a Christian because most of the North East communities have their own churches in Delhi.
Street sexual harassment may be casually referred to as eve teasing but it is a crime under sections 354 and section 509 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 354: Assault or criminal force used to outrage the modesty of a woman. Penalty of two years imprisonment and/or a fine.
Section 509: Words, gestures, sounds, exhibition of objects that intrude on the privacy and are intended to outrage the modesty of a woman. Penalty of one year of imprisonment and/or a fine.
If you have been harassed on the street and want to file a police complaint, you can go to the nearest police station and file a First Information Report (FIR). It is your right to file an FIR. If you need help, call one of women's helplines given in this booklet.
How to File First Information Report
FIR or First Information Report is the information about commission of an offence given to a police officer by the first informant. It initiates the criminal proceedings.

To file an FIR, one has to go to the police station within the jurisdiction of which the cause of action arose or the offence took place.

Every piece of information relating to the commission of offence is to be given to the officer in-charge of the police station. If it is given orally to the officer, he shall reduce it to writing and read it over to the informant to confirm and verify the details.

Every such information has to be signed by the informant after which it is required to be recorded by the officer in a book maintained for this purpose as prescribed by the State Government.

The informant is entitled to receive a copy of the FIR free of cost.

If the officer in-charge of the police station refuses to record the information, you can send the substance of such information, in writing and by post to the Superintendent of Police (SP) concerned. The SP is required to start the investigation himself or direct any other officer subordinate to him to start the investigation. NOTE: When you file a FIR, be very specific. Don't forget to take a copy of the FIR. One is not required by law to give an affidavit.
What You Can Do

Protest if you are harassed. Shout loudly at the harasser and attract the attention of others.

Speak up if you see someone else being harassed. Shout at the harasser and ask others around to protest as well.

Call police helpline, give details of the incident and place.

File a police complaint when you are harassed. Take help from friends, study leaders and community leaders.

Call NE Helpline, you will be guided and follow the instruction. For more information, please visit our website www.nehelpline.net. Madhu Chandra is a research scholar, human rights activist and missionary based at New Delhi, working as Public Relation Officer of All India Christian Council, Founder and Spokes Person of North East Support Centre & Helpline and National Secretary of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations.

Luxury buses gather dust

Guwahati, Jul 26 :  Just when it appeared that Guwahati city transport was getting ready for a makeover with this fleet of luxury buses meant for public conveyance, a new controversy has surfaced.

More than 200 buses purchased under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) are waiting to get a taste of the roads in Assam.

The employees of Assam State Transport Corporation  have filed a case against the government's decision of giving the buses away to the Guwahati municipality.

"In all other states, these buses are being run by state transport corporations but in Assam, the government gave them to municipality corporations, who don't even have the infrastructure to run buses. The buses are lying around because we have filed a case. It is the taxpayers' money, " said K Das, Secretary, Assam State Transport Corporation Workers Union.

Meanwhile, the vehicles have started  breaking down.  With only one caretaker around, petty theft of motor parts have begun already.

"If the buses are to be used, the tires and batteries will have to be replaced," added K Das.
In what appears as a clash between two government departments in Assam , Luxury city buses purchased under a central scheme are gathering dust.

The decision now lies with the court. While the court decides on which agency will finally drive these vehicles on the road , passengers will have to make do with the obsolete transport carriers.