PANAJI
In a move that is bound to stoke controversy, the Goa Women’s Commission on Tuesday directed the Kadamba Transport Corporation to take down the condom advertisements featuring actress Sunny Leone, which have been pasted on numerous KTC buses and have been in public view for over two weeks.
Commission’s chairperson Adv Vidhya Shet Tanavade confirmed that she has signed the directions to be issued to Kadamba Transport Corporation on the basis of a complaint filed by by Ranaragini, an NGO from Sankhali and wing of the ultra right Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.
“The Commission took cognizance of the complaint filed. Accordingly, I signed the directions on Tuesday evening at around 5.30 pm. The formal letter will be issued to KTC on Wednesday directing the authorities to take down the condom advertisement from Kadamba buses,” Shet Tanavade told The Goan.
Ranaragini said that the advertising campaign in public places objectifying the feminine gender, was proving embarrassing to women. “A different message is conveyed on account of this. This is a very ugly scene,” the petition signed by the organisation’s Neha Govekar had said.
“We have received complaints about this from many women. We, hereby, kindly request you to remove these pictures,” the petition said.
“We would like to bring to your kind notice the use of women’s pictures in contraceptive advertisements at public places. It has been observed that there is use of women’s picture in contraceptive ads at public places like the Kadamba Transport Corporation buses and elsewhere,” the petition added.
Incidentally, this is not the first time that Ranaragini has taken up cudgels against what it feels is obscene. Back in October 2011, the organisation, along with several prominent women’s NGOs had threatened the Mapusa Municipal Council and Deputy Collector of Bardez taluka that it would begin a public agitation if allegedly vulgar and indecent hoardings and advertisement boards at the Mapusa market place and along the roadside were not removed before the beginning of the Navratri Festival towards the end of September 2011.
Following this, the Deputy District Collector of Bardez held a meeting with officers of Mapusa Municipality and Mapusa police on this subject and issued orders to officers from Municipality and Police department to take action against the advertising boards displayed near Shri Bodgeshwar Temple on Mapusa-Panaji Highway.
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has in the past too opposed art shows as well as organised conventions in Goa for the creation of a Hindu Nation.
