TV news channels and newspapers and magazines are nowadays busy in increasing their viewership/readership by highlighting shooting of Kingfisher calendar 2009 being published now for seventh year and known for ‘hot’ presentation of female-models in bikinis and semi-nude dresses with obscene poses full of vulgarity. It is indeed regretting that women are used (rather misused) as show-pieces for promotion of products and services by an Indian company that too owned by a Parliamentarian, going unnoticed by even National Women Commission. Kingfisher tactics to provide multiplied and maximum dose of intoxication to users of its liquor-products by gifting them such a ‘hot’ calendar to its customers should be effectively checked by Union Ministry for Women Welfare and National Women Commission by taking immediate steps to ban the much publicised calendar, and should issue necessary guidelines that women may not be misused as show-pieces for promotional activities.
India, where major religions including Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism do not allow such ugly show of female-bodies, should follow Islamic nations like Pakistan where even swim-suit rounds are not permitted in beauty contests. Afghanistan, even after freeing itself from Taliban regime, considered it appropriate to boycott the Afghan-born girl settled abroad for her participating in an international pageant with swim-suit round.
Madhu Agrawal
Delhi