

The Killer Sex

The Killer Sex

By

### Dr. Javed Jamil

### &

### Adrienne Hughes

Mission publications

MISSION PUBLICATIONS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or translated or transmuted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

THE KILLER SEX

Author Dr. Javed Jamil & Adrienne Hughes

Edition First

Year of Publication 2004

Publishers

Mission publications,

A-284, Sarita Vihar

New Delhi - 110076

Phones: 91-11-29949212, 91-8130340339

US Office: Adrienne Hughes

P.O. Box 8353, Levelland, Texas 79338, USA

E mail: doctorforu123@yahoo.com; ahughesfam@aol.com

To family

the pivot of social organisation

Table of Contents

Authorspeak-1

Authorspeak-2

Chapter 1 The Devil Emerges

Chapter 2 The Premises Changed

Chapter 3 The Land Levelled

Chapter 4 The Environment Vitiated

Chapter 5 Fragrance Marketed

Chapter 6 Orchard Demolished

Chapter 7 Flowers Defoliated

Chapter 8 Buds Nipped

Chapter 9 Garden Devastated

Chapter 10 Challenges Challenged

Chapter 11 From the Diary of a Twig

Chapter 12 Let's Revive the Garden

Chapter 13 At Last Let's Make the Beginning

Authors

#  Authorspeak-1

God created the world. But instead of making it the permanent abode for a few, He made it a temporary halt for many. He created life and death. Death necessitated the birth. The creator of the Universe designed a unique method that would successfully meet the requirement of the continuation of the species and the change of the generation. And as Kind and Compassionate He was, His method of creation would not be an unsavoury burden on the living beings; it would indeed become a source of unparalleled delight. He created what are known as two sexes, opposite, yet complementary to each other. In each one's sight, the other is more charming, attractive and pleasant than its own. And the two sexes combine together not only to reproduce but also to enjoy the precious gift of God. But God is not just Compassionate; He is also supremely Wise, Sagacious and Authoritative. Had the joy of mating been less, qualitatively or quantitatively, than the responsibilities that would follow, the two sexes would have perhaps hardly loved to love. But the rapture of love is too compelling, too tempting and too ecstatic to resist. When a man and a woman, in anticipation of union, come face to face, the waves reflected from their bodies bring sheer pleasure to their existence. When the odours emanating from their bodies intermingle, their emotions start dancing to the melodious tune of love. When their bodies touch, they rapturously submerge into one another. This ecstatic union creates life. And sex has everything that the word 'life' can mean. Sex and life were created to be and are inseparable. However, this most outstanding, beautiful and wonderful relationship would sustain its sublimity only if sex followed the limitations set by God, not out of His wish to regulate actions, but necessitated by the probable adverse effects. As soon as man started bulldozing these boundaries, sex and life began to fall out. The more the boundaries got demolished the more the distance between them grew. The greater they distanced themselves from one another the closer the death came. Alas! Sex has now become as much a friend of death as it has been of life. Thanks to the global merchants of sex—better call them the global merchants of death and destruction—sex has become the drug more than the food. It can now be regarded as arguably the biggest tormentor of humanity. It kills individuals, devastates family peace and desecrates social order. The Killer Sex unveils the designs of the forces of economic fundamentalism and their insatiable hunger for the moolah, which has transformed sex from an agent of life to an instrument of business.

In accomplishing this task, I have received huge support from several friends and relatives. I had been planning to write this book for about two years. But the immediate impetus was provided by a dear friend of mine, Ms Adrienne Hughes of the United States whom I happened to meet in an Internet chat room. She was immensely excited when she read the theme of the work and offered her assistance. On my request, she collected the data required for the work with an utmost urgency. I was left with no option but to embark upon the project without delay. She also gathered real life accounts from some of those who had been directly or indirectly the victims of the modern sexuality and rearranged and edited them in the form of "From the diary of a twig". Even to my surprise, and this was largely the result of the inspiration she proved to be, that the first draft of the work was completed within a period of about two months. Though most of the words in the book have been mine but I felt her catalytic presence beside me when I penned each of those words.

I owe my thanks to my friend Mr. Jalal Umar who not only performed the tedious task of proof reading the text but also gave several invaluable suggestions. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my wife, Dr. Iffat Masood Javed and my sons Abuzar and Ali whose moral support and patience with me have been a shining lamp for the work without which it would never have come into being. And I will fail in my duty if I do not express my gratitude to my parents, in-laws, brothers and sisters and friends whose prayers have always been acting as an umbrella for my safe existence.

I do hope The Killer Sex would prove to be an important milestone on the road to the ultimate goal of the revival of sex that has an unbreakable relationship with love. Sex must cease to be the darkness of death; and must regain as soon as possible its unique status as the light of life.

Dr. Javed Jamil

Director, Program for Ethical, Academic &

Cultural Enterprises (PEACE), Saharanpur, India

10 November, 2003

#  Authorspeak-2

Amidst the anger most of us were feeling with the events of September 11th, I had the privilege of meeting a dignified scholar, Dr. Javed Jamil. At the time, I was going through changes in my life, which were a bit too much for me to handle. Writing has always been therapeutic to me; therefore, assisting in Killer Sex brought about a healing that was much needed.

I am the United Way co-ordinator in my area. United Way of America distributes funds to different non-profit organisations such as rape crises centres, The Boys and Girls clubs (which provides after-school tutoring and activities free of charge to the school-age children), the American Red Cross, etc. Being a single mother and working full time, I was not able to donate time to the United Way that it deserved. However, in assisting Dr. Jamil, I have become an advocate to a cause that is highly important to me. With the release of The Killer Sex, my hopes are that one less family parts ways due to some meaningless affair, that one less teenager becomes pregnant before she lives out her dreams, and that one less child has to suffer at the hands of an adult.

To my daughters –

the music within your laughter makes it all

worthwhile.

My friends and family in the U.S., India, and Middle East –

you smiled for me when smiling wasn't easy.

Dr. Mike Felker –

for not changing my writing.

Suhail –

for staying.

Arundhati Roy –

for writing The God of Small Things.

Dr. Javed Jamil –

your trust and patience were far beyond anything

imaginable -- I am forever in debt to you.

Adrienne Hughes

Levelland, US

November 3, 2003

  1. #  The Devil Emerges

_It was a wonderful Garden raised above from the land—lush green, spreading and fructiferous. The environment was pure; pollution was conspicuous by its absence. Flowers, trees, stems, buds, leaves and fruits -- all were living merrily. The harmony was absolute all around. The flowers never withered there; their purifying fragrance rode the prancing wind with the grace of a knight. The leaves incessantly danced to the whistling of the wind. The grass spread like a carpet to welcome one and all. Peace was ubiquitous embracing the whole of the Garden without a semblance of partisanship. Among its residents were also Adam and Eve whose innocent love knew no bounds. They enjoyed every bit of their life together. Together they roamed in the Garden, together they ate and drank, and together they rested under the long dark shadows of trees. The whole of the Garden had been summoned to fulfil their wishes. With the exception of one Tree that they were not permitted to approach. They believed that the peace of the Garden would be eternal for them. But it was destined not to be. From somewhere in the darkness of the bushes, the Devil surfaced. Jealous of the harmonious creation of God and envious of man, whom He had chosen as His viceroy in preference to the Devil, he planned a mischief. He whispered to Adam and Eve that the Prohibited Tree was forbidden for no great purpose; if they touched it, the bliss they were living in would become eternal and they would lord over the Garden forever. Innocent and ingenuous as they were, not mindful of the art of treachery, ingeniousness and deception that the Devil mastered, they took him at his word. The result was what the Devil anticipated. And as soon as they trespassed, their anatomy became public. The Devil had perhaps also hoped they would be ecstatic at this display of their hidden treasures. And this would help him to preside over the devastation of the harmony that the Garden boasted of. He dreamt of victory over God. But God would not let the Garden be dismantled. Adam and Eve soon realised their folly in succumbing to the temptation. Instead of following the course the Devil had chosen for them, they sought forgiveness from their Lord and pleaded Him to guide them to the Divine Course. God saved them from total disgrace but asked them to prove their credentials as His true servants once again in a new environment. This time they would not have the privilege of entering a Garden readied for their welcome but would have to cultivate one through their own efforts. God promised them all kinds of assistance but also sounded a caveat. He warned them in categorical terms that the Devil would leave no stone unturned in surfacing again in a big way to challenge them. Adam and Eve started the work and those that followed their footsteps continued to laboriously cultivate the garden. Despite many of their fellow beings acquiescing to the dictates of the Devil, they sustained their efforts. A garden was ready again. Nice and beautiful. But not as wonderful as the first one was. Its flowers had hardly begun to spread their fragrance that the Devil resurfaced. He chose the lascivious among the inmates as his viceroys just as the God had chosen Adam and other Prophets. He used their brains to show others the dreams of a garden that would be far more luxurious, attractive and blissful than what it was at that moment. And this time the Devil seems to have hit the jackpot. He has succeeded in dismantling the garden in a unique way. The uniqueness about his success is that the inner destruction of the garden has been enveloped in a superficial prosperity. Superficial beauty is for everyone to see but only a few has the eyes to see what lies in. This advent of the Devil has been in the form of what I call '_ _economic fundamentalism_ _'._

During the last few decades, " _fundamentalism_ " has perhaps been one of the most frequently used terms in the world media, having been generally used in relation to religion usually referred to as religious fundamentalism. The term seems to have been first used in 1920s in the US to describe the ideological proclivities of a group of churches that claimed to defend the premises of orthodox Christianity. Interestingly, the opposing groups were referred to as liberals or modernists. The modernists severely criticised the church for wrapping itself in an outworn theology and ignoring modern developments. The roots of Christian fundamentalism are to be found in the Millennium Movement of 1830s when the Christians of the United States had grown in excitement over the expectation of reappearance of Jesus Christ. They believed that the Second Advent of Christ would be the beginning of one thousand years of total peace. Then in 1950s, the term " _modern fundamentalism_ " came into usage in relation to the anti-Communist movement.

In the recent past, "religious fundamentalism" has been used by West for Islamic revivalists in West Asia who have been engaged in popular campaigns against Western influences in the region. Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, Yasser Arafat of Palestine, Col. Ghaddafi of Libya, Gen. Zia of Pakistan, Taliban in Afghanistan, the Islamic political parties in Algeria and Turkey, the pro-Islamic elements in Egypt - all have been spurned time and again as ' _Islamic fundamentalists_.' The most recent to join the list has of course been the al-Qaida headed by Osama ben Laden who allegedly masterminded the devastating attack on the twin towers in New York on September 11, 2000. In India, it has been used to describe all those movements and campaigns that have been inspired by religious beliefs or communal sentiments.

In terms of purely literal connotations, " _fundamentalism_ " denotes nothing more than strict adherence to and endeavours to propagate, often by undesirable means, a specific set of ideas; those that follow the ideology are called " _fundamentalists_ ". It follows that it would be uniquely unfair to limit this term to the 'fundamentalism' in the field of religion. Fundamentalism can be found without any difficulty in several other fields, especially politics and economics. The politicians who pursue their political aims through fair or unfair and moral or immoral means, and tend to misuse every single opportunity for their own elevation, irrespective of the adverse effects of their actions on others, may be called political fundamentalists. Needless to say that political fundamentalism pervades the current world. Similarly, those persons or organisations whose solitary aim is to garner economic benefits by adopting all fair and unfair means may be called ' _economic fundamentalists_ ' and their ideology ' _Economic fundamentalism_ '.

Wealth has a central position in economics. But economic fundamentalism tends to regard it as the most, not just one of the most, essential requirements of life. The business community has, throughout the world and for ages, always cared little for anything but its own economic interests. But the businessmen of the past made only individual efforts in that direction and they had little influence over the happenings in their surroundings. They were the cranes that would use their cunning eyes to capture the prey when it came close to them and not leopards that would roar their way through the forest in search of their preys. They did not have any say in political and administrative affairs; the law of the land safeguarded the interests of the common people, or the interests of rulers. During the last few centuries, especially in the wake of Industrial Revolution, businessmen have organised themselves into an aggressive, domineering, dextrous, ingenious and inexorable class. It has, wrongfully or rightfully but successfully, mastered all the new information, techniques and opportunities available to it for the protection and expansion of its interests. This is where economic fundamentalism begins to emerge. Now, businessmen, unlike in the past, are no more weak and submissive. They are not cranes any more but leopards that want to rule and roar. They have not only learned to assert themselves but have perfected the skill to push their plans defying all obstacles that may come in their way. Not any longer are they bootlickers of the rulers that they used to be; they have now mastered the art of manoeuvring them into submission. From the sycophants that they used to be they have now positioned themselves in a way that the rulers and administrators even often become their sycophants. Not any more are they silent followers of the rule of law; they have become articulate votaries of such modification in the law and the legal system as better suit their interests. They have ceased to be introverts seeking comfort in solitude; they now socialise in a way that gives them a plateau of eminence in society and of course the economic monopoly. Still, they sacrifice moles for gaining mountains in return. It is this assertive, aggressive, cunning, provident and ruthlessly selfish approach towards economics that breeds what I have termed Economic Fundamentalism.

Economics is surely one of the essential constituents of human life. Without money, one cannot survive; we need coins for food, drinks, clothes, house, treatment, entertainment, marriage, bringing up of children, their education; even for funeral. But the problems arise when money is assumed to be the only essential of life. Economics is the stomach that supplies food for the body. It cannot and must not become the heart and brain. For a wholesome living, good relations among members of family, and of society, proper spiritual and moral development and proper environment are also needed. Love for money is nice as far as it does not disturb mental, family and social peace. But as soon as it transforms into lust encroaching upon others' spheres, it becomes a curse. When the lust for making money becomes organised, its effects on society are bound to be devastating. And when this organisation turns global and uses highly advanced information and technology available to it, mankind faces imminent ruin.

It can be seen that economic fundamentalism is becoming increasingly aggressive with every passing day. What has facilitated its stupendous growth is the outstanding ability of its generals to deal with the hurdles coming in their way. The truth is that they have been marching towards their ultimate destination without facing any appreciable resistance. They studied and recognised all the possible sources of obstruction well in advance, and prepared a meticulous plan to thwart them. All possible weapons were and are being employed for this purpose: persuasion, advertising, misinformation, defamation, bribing, manoeuvring and use of power. The ballistic missiles of their money-power have proved to be too destructive for the resistant elements to withstand. Through persuasion or threats, they are either overpowered or purchased. The opposing forces have failed owing not only to the lack of resources but also to the glaring deficiency of will and spirit. What further paralysed them is innumerable divisions in their ranks, based on religion, region, race, ideology and language. The economic fundamentalists have used this lassitude to gain on them; they are now, virtually, the rulers of the world. Their trumpet blows everywhere — from the north to the south and from the west to the east. There is little evidence in sight to foretell that their dominion will shrink to any remarkable extent in the foreseeable future. Whatever few areas or fields have till now remained beyond their reach will soon be ransacked by their visible or invisible forces. How long they will be able to retain their hold, only time will tell. But presently, no signs of the emergence of a messiah or mahdi are visible.

Thus, the rise and growth of economic fundamentalism has been, from historical standards, rather rapid taking hardly a few centuries. The think-tank of the world of economic fundamentalism has taken innumerable steps to strengthen their hold. They have sacrificed the goddess of justice before the eyes of the Statue of Liberty. They have transformed through political manoeuvres the state into their estate. They have incessantly and relentlessly been trying to organise a grand farewell for religion. They have captivated the people's imagination through the media. They have got the attire of society redesigned so that it looks gorgeous and inviting to their eyes. They have industrialised sex, in which they have discovered the hen that always lays golden eggs. They have relocated the entire educational set-up on the Wall Street. They have monopolised the tree of economy whose fruits and shadows are only theirs; others can only admire its beauty from a safe distance. They have taken science and technology as their mistresses who are always keen to offer their glorious best to them. They have nipped all the challenges in the buds by masterminding popular movements. They have lynched the 'civilisation', which has been given a new incarnation; and now Bohemians are called civilised. Last but not the least, they have been busy colonising the good earth in the name of globalisation.

This does not mean however that whatever the economic fundamentalists sought to do or undo was all misplaced. Nor does it mean that the economic fundamentalists are solely responsible for all the wrongs perpetrated on mankind. What is true nevertheless is that they have always striven to support those ideas and movements that would become uranium for their commercial nukes. Sometimes, they would themselves spearhead a particular campaign. More often, they would financially back such activities as suited their strategies. At other times, they would make overt or covert efforts to contain, dilute or minimise the damages to their interests consequent on the popularisation of certain ideas or customs. Many a time they might have pursued or backed a good cause; but they have invariably been selective in their support, calculating its positive or negative impact on their business prospects. It is this preferential and partisan attitude that has to be denounced and renounced, if the world has to be saved from the impending doom.

In the coming chapters of this book, I will concentrate mainly on the use of sex and sexuality as tools of business. The preparations and dress-rehearsals at the legal, social and scientific level, various measures taken to promote sex trade and use of beauty for other industries and the impact of the so-called Sexual Revolution on individual's health, family peace and social order will be examined in some detail. Finally, an attempt will be made to find a way out of the deluge that has engulfed the world with the ferocity unsurpassed in the human history.

#  The Premises Changed

Love is the fragrance that pervades everywhere. It exhilarates the individual, the house and the atmosphere all around us. This fragrance is a harmonious blend of the oils of care, responsibility and passion. The devil sensed that if the oil of passion was extracted from it and purified while the rest was abandoned, it could be converted into a highly inflammable sexoil. His long experience with human desires had convinced him that this fuel had an unlimited energy to drive his Superexpress of business with a speed never achieved before. However, before the Devil's Superexpress got ready to be fuelled with the sexoil and begin its scintillating journey, railway-track was to be put in place to ensure a smooth drive. The Garden had to pave way for the new track to run through its land.

The early economic fundamentalists had several impediments and obstacles in their path towards glory. They knew that for hosts of the activities required for the protection and promotion of large-scale business, the contemporary laws had become almost a liability rather than an asset. Till the beginning of the nineteenth century, the whole world had almost similar laws. Roman, Jewish, Islamic and all other legal systems that were in vogue in different parts of the earth, rested on capital punishment, which was based on the principle of the right to seek revenge. The concept of eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear and soul for soul formed the foundation of almost all the constitutions. Right to revenge was the bitter pill that would safeguard the health of society. Crimes like murder, robbery and treason were unfailingly punished with death. The same punishment was often awarded to those found guilty of spreading chaos in the land. Death sentence (by beheading or hanging) was the rule rather than an exception for all serious crimes. Adultery and rapes too were punishable with death sentence; the convicts were either beheaded in full public view or were stoned to death. Lesser sexual misdemeanours invited lashes. The threat of sword or lashes would largely keep the demon of lust underground. Theft and bribery led to the chopping off of one hand from the wrist. The process of trial was incredibly quick; the cases were usually decided within a few days. The magistrate was usually helped in arriving at his decision and pronouncement of the punishment by the jurists of the land. Appeals were entertained only in exceptional cases. The result was that the isolated crimes like murder, rape, robbery, adultery, etc., were uncommon. The victims of these crimes usually remained satisfied with the sentence meted out to the offenders. This would compensate, to a considerable extent, for the grief and anger they were stricken with. They did not have to resort to extralegal ways to quench the thirst of their injured sentiments. People normally remained in peace except where the rulers themselves flouted the law of the land, or when civil wars broke out. Such examples, where the rulers did not care for the life and honour of their subjects, are aplenty in human history; but the instances of the rulers justly treating the ruled are also numerous.

The supremacy of the law in the land and the severity of punishment would prevent the economic fundamentalists from developing a nexus with criminals, which was necessary for the rapid expansion of their empire. The recognition by the law of certain practices like adultery, gambling and drinking as crimes would make it impossible for them to commercialise human susceptibilities for instant enjoyment. A sea change was therefore required in the whole legal system so that it became business-friendly. Several legal theories were put forward in the eighteenth and the nineteenth century; out of these, the ones liked by the industrialists gained currency. The fact that the development of legal system in West has been related to the new developments in the economic field is substantiated even by the observations made by a number of legal pundits. Thus the Encyclopaedia Britannica says. "....these realisms (of Kant, Stammler, Kohler & Hagel), despite their formal or philosophical antagonism to rationalism and natural law thinking, seem to have reinforced in the age of Industrial Revolution the Individualist and libertarian trends that natural law had built up successively against medieval church and empire, the shackles of medieval social, political, and economic organisations, and, the 8th century despotism". It was this individualist trend that was supported by Kant when he described man as a free agent whose actions must be determined by aims of his own choice. Sir Henry Maine of England saw "changes in substantive laws and in the machinery and modes of legal enforcement and growth as moving in pace with certain recognisable stages in social growth from the primitive, semiorganised society to the mature, complex, commercial and industrial societies of Europe". The laws related to economic rights were modified. Karl Renner in 1929 was concerned that the legal conception of ownership, with the energy of new economic system, alienated through the laws of property and contract into private hands the great portion of what should have been in the hands of the public. White, in the 20th century, was frank enough to identify the approach to history as not merely the chronicles of the battles and monarchs but rather as a product of underlying economic forces. The sociological school of law continued to develop in the 20th century and it was mainly responsible for the growth of a legal system that seemed to be perfect in appearance but had in fact paralysed the justice. Someone rightly quipped that the sociological school was like a big orchestra constantly tuning its instrument but never actually playing it. The laws were also changed in order to take full control of the labour process. Henry Bravernan Says : "That this was not understood from the beginning is attested by the fact that guild and apprenticeship rules and the legal restraints common to feudal and guild modes of productions all persisted for a period and had to be gradually stripped away as the capitalist consolidated his puissance in society and demolished the judicial features of pre-capitalist social transformations. It was pretty for this reason that early manufacturing tended to gravitate to new towns, which were free of guild and feudal regulations and traditions. In time however, law and custom were reshaped to reflect the predominance of the "free" contract between buyer and seller under which the capitalist gained the virtually unrestricted power to determine the technical modes of labour." These changes also helped them in a great way in transforming sex from a private affair between spouses to a form of "work" that can be performed publicly with the sanction of the law and society. Prostitutes would no longer remain prostitutes, a derogatory term denoting an illegal and immoral activity, but would become "sexual workers" who would slowly but certainly gain respectability. They would be at liberty to join a well-organised trade based on the simple contract between a buyer and a seller of scores of sexual services. If some persons want to make a living from services involving their beauty and person, and there is a huge potential for such trading, why should this not be given an opportunity to develop? The emphasis obviously was on free contract between two willing parties rather than on hazards that it might lead to.

The industrialists had already decided that the laws of punishment would have to be softened in letter and spirit, as well as in application. However, a plan had to be charted so that a successful onslaught against capital punishment could be launched. The line of the arguments was conceptualised in detail and the elements that would assist in that battle were short-listed. The campaign began. Capital punishment was labelled as "inhuman", unworthy of continuation in the "developing world". The argument that was most vehemently put forward was that society had no right to take the life of a human being whatever the nature and severity of his crime; even if he had put to death another human being; even if he had irreparably outraged a woman's modesty. But because there was still a forceful, often belligerent, advocacy by a sizeable segment of society in favour of the continuation of death sentence, at least in cases of murder, the argument was restructured a little: death sentence could be given but only in rare cases. These rare cases included murders that were cruel beyond tolerance. Death sentence for sexual offences became obsolete. Hanging started losing popularity in one country after the other. The amazing scientific and technological achievements of Western world and its recurring political and military triumphs had amazed the people all over the world, and they looked with positive interest for any theories that had origin in West. The campaign against capital punishment gained momentum. This rose to great heights in the twentieth century. The states began to amend their constitutions in order to abolish death sentence. Hanging and beheading of murderers and adulterers became rarer with the advance of time. Death sentence in "rare" cases soon gave way to that only in ''rarest of rare cases''.

Another missile targeted against death sentence was the argument that there always remained a possibility of an innocent being sent to the gallows owing to false evidence having been produced in the court of law or a wrong verdict given by the presiding judge. A humanist colour was given by the logic that ten murderers could be freed but one innocent could not be hanged. The seemingly compassionate argument won a great number of converts among the intellectuals with whom it had become almost a habit to dismiss whatever belonged to the past. The newer trends have always moved the philosophically inclined, and capital punishment became a popular hunting ground for writers, thinkers and reformists. The movement was so astutely organised and so laboriously sustained that people developed greater sympathy for the offenders than for the offended. There were always efforts, overt or covert, to save the lives of criminals; but nobody had tears for the amount of pain and anguish, which the victims of murder or rape might have been subjected to. And nobody had any time for the travails of the grief-stricken family that lost its sole bread-earner or one of its heirs or for the one that had one's daughter or sister outraged. None had time to think about their future. Nobody had the heart to feel their traumatised sentiments and assuage them. In some legal systems, like Islam, the heirs of the deceased had the satisfaction of deciding the fate of their detractors. The duty of the judicature was merely to decide whether the evidence against the accused was conclusive. The judge would then pronounce the maximum permissible punishment for that crime. The heirs still had the right to refuse the appeals of mercy and let him be hanged or to pardon him in return or not of any compensation they asked for. The new legal developments either completely seized or diluted all the rights of the offended party. Instead the culprits were bestowed upon ever-increasing rights and time and space for their successful defence in the court of law. If at all the orchestra of the law played, it would sing paeans for the vulture not the prey.

The relative mildness of punishment coupled with progressively lengthening procedures in trial before the pronouncement of the final verdict had presumable effects. The rate of murders, rapes, sexual assaults and other crimes began to show an upward trend. It continues unabated till now in almost all those countries that have followed Western legal system; for the criminals have a remarkably reduced fear of being caught and virtually none for their being executed if their crime is established in the court. Furthermore, they have the advantage of using the latest technologies and advanced weapons, which make it simpler and easier for them to pounce upon their victims without leaving a trace of evidence. If somehow suspected and charged with murder or for sexual assault, they have multiple ways to save themselves from the gallows or any other severe punishment. They have at their disposal the services of competent lawyers who have mastered the art of subverting evidences and producing astonishing, mostly fallacious, arguments. If required, they would bribe the police officers, medical experts or judges. Most of the criminals are professionals who kill others not out of personal enmity but for their money-masters. They have therefore no dearth of money required for successful combat in the court. Rapes too are committed with impunity. If ultimately convicted, the most likely course of event is that they would go to the prison for a few years. As soon as they are freed, they would waste no time in rejoining the profession. This time however, they would take greater precautions and money to hit the given target.

The more the organised business got grounded the more criminals were spawned. The procedures of trial have continued to become technically superior but the effectiveness of judicial system in lowering the rate of crime has drastically diminished. With the overwhelming involvement of money, the legal profession has become increasingly popular. The advocates have become pettifoggers eager to serve their clients who offer them huge sums as fees rather than assist the cause and course of justice. The ethical code of the profession has unequivocally laid down the principle that the lawyer's obligation is to look after the interests of his client, and it is the duty of the court to arrive at the truth. The advocates have therefore in effect become the white-collared, legally recognised agents of the offenders of law. They have become bullet-proof jackets for the criminals against the guns of the law. They use all possible means including their golden tongue to subvert justice. The judges have been left with no direct method to come to a reasonable and just conclusion. They have no option but to rely on the evidences and arguments presented by the contending lawyers. The advocacy has been reduced to a foul play of words and logic. And yet, it is presumed that the net effect of the falsehood of the two contending parties of lawyers would unfold the truth. What a travesty of judicial reasoning! The net effect in reality is that the malefactors are having a hey-day; the lawyers are growing in riches; the weak including women and children, the poor and the oppressed are suffering.

The magnanimity of the law for the criminals did not stop here. The modernised legal system had almost guaranteed that they would not be guillotined, whatever the nature and severity of their crime. The procedural wrangles and the brilliance of lawyers, assisted by the free flow of cash and kind, had considerably brightened the prospects of their protection against conviction. But these were not enough for their satisfaction. The fear of imprisonment still loomed large over them. The hardships of prisons were not acceptable to killers, rapists and robbers. Their masters then exhorted "humanists" to campaign for improvement in the conditions of prisons. It was argued that the jails should not merely be places of punishment; the prisoners had the right to live a decent life, and endeavours ought to be made to 'reform' them. As a result, the prisoners today, in many countries, enjoy a life better than do a large segment of people. Prisons have become community centres with all the modern facilities. The residents are supplied with much better food, from the point of view of their nutritional value and deliciousness, and have more facilities of entertainment than the ordinary, impoverished masses. Moreover, they engage themselves in prisons in all such activities including sexual pleasures, as they like. Homosexuality in prisons is extremely common. In the absence of women around, at least this much favour they deserve. Don't they?

What has been the impact of these modernist reforms in the legal system? People all over the world, with the only exception of some hard-core Islamic and communist countries, live under a constant danger of being murdered, beaten, robbed, sexually assaulted and kidnapped. The people in fact feel hardly any shock or consternation now at the news of ghastly murders and rapes. These have become quotidian in occurrence and the minds have become conditioned to ignore them. The "experts" and "analysts" work hard to investigate and manufacture a myriad of causes for the decline in law and order and revel in presenting numerous complex and often incomprehensible solutions. They would deliberately avoid pinpointing the real culprit: the inefficient law. They would elucidate that the crimes were natural by-products of technical and industrial development, and would take great pains in establishing that the crime and corruption were 'global phenomena'; these were 'necessary evils' that the modern and developing world must learn to live with. The remedies suggested would include advising the people to take precautionary security measures and advising the administration to have sophisticated weapons and detective and monitoring systems. They conveniently forget that the criminals are extremely competent and vigilant competitors; they possess equally sophisticated weapons and systems, and do also know ways to tame the ministers, administrative officials and police officers. Whatever marks could have been left behind them during the course of crime are often promptly effaced by the ever-obliging police.

The paralysis of legal system led not only to the transformation of individuals in an increasing number into criminals of different sorts; soon, crime itself became a business and witnessed the emergence of 'organised crime.' Disenchantment for the legal system resulted in society favouring private rather than legal justice. A secret society of criminals entrenched itself in Sicily and spread terror far and wide. This organisation, called Mafia, controlled several illegal activities including gambling and narcotics, and became especially active in the US. A Great number of similar mafias are presently operating all over the world. Some of them have grown in such strength that the governments, even if they desire, have no guts to destroy them. Mafia are now engaged in wide range of commercial pursuits, from the smuggling of gold, diamond and narcotics to the rapidly proliferating sex-market, the sales and purchases of land, hotel industry, gambling and the sales of deadly weapons. Their liaisons with the politicians and the police are well known.

Apart from a victorious assault on capital punishment and maiming of the criminal laws, numerous other modifications have been made in the letter and spirit of the constitutions. These include an exaggerated emphasis on fundamental rights vis-à-vis fundamental duties and absolute denial of place to fundamental prohibitions, imparting a highly partisan definition to "human rights", popularisation of several crimes as "necessary" evils, giving undue privileges in the name of industrialisation and economic development to the magnates and stress on certain rights of dubious nature in the name of personal freedom and equality. The laws related to sex and sexuality underwent massive transformation. Evil practices including sex outside marriage, homosexuality and nudity were given legal vanguard. Sex trade was either given explicit legal sanction, or legal offshoots were developed to use "entertainment" as cover for sexual services. Marriage system was weakened through several steps. Legal "reforms" were pushed to help the cause of girlfriends and unwed mothers, which in reality meant the cause of boyfriends and unmarried fathers. All these will be discussed in detail in the coming chapters.

#  The Land Levelled

The track to carry the Devil's Superexpress of Business fuelled by the sexoil had started spreading its network in the premises of the Garden. The inhabitants looked delighted to see that a grandiose and picturesque web of railway-tracks was garnishing its landscape. They considered this development as a landmark that would signal new fortunes for them. Little did they realise that the tracks would bring to them much less than what they would take away from them.

With successes in "reforming" law, economic fundamentalism overcame some of the major stumbling blocks. The road was open for the inception of animated endeavours to 'transform' social values. This was to be done in a way that would pave the way for the commercialisation of the objects and desires having market potential.

The dominance of religious and idealistic convictions all over the world meant that the people in general had respect for their duties. Anyone devoted to duties in life would be showered upon with plaudits. In contrast, one lacking in probity would earn an infectious contempt. Consequently, it was not easy for a person to be licentious. Not only did the law haunt him, he was also threatened by the masses. The elite, particularly the members of the ruling class, sometimes succumbed to their baser instincts; but the common people generally led a chaste life. Sinners, even if their sins were unknown to others, would sooner or later crumble under the weight of their conscience, and would revert to a cleaner punctilio. If the ruler of the area happened to be a man of upright character, society would become purer; if his own integrity was dubious, he would still take extraordinary precautions so that his image did not get sullied, at least, in the eyes of his subjects. This almost always meant that the level of depravity, with all its ups and downs, remained on the lower side. The business was usually limited to selling and purchasing of food items and goods of essential use. The emerging class of merchants and producers in the 19th and 20th century considered these conditions incompatible with their fundamentalist economic ideas. They believed that unless the social values were drastically reshaped, the prospects of their rise would continue to be ominously bleak. They had already taken the legal system as slave who had begun to serve its masters remarkably well. The stage was now set for them to bulldoze the long-cherished social values. The 'long-cherished' would now become the 'old-fashioned' worthy of being dumped in the dustbin of history.

The biggest challenge to the advance of economic fundamentalism was an "undue" emphasis in society on duties and prohibitions. The equilibrium between rights, duties and prohibitions helped in keeping susceptibilities of human beings to the worldly desires under check. The inspector of conscience and the commissioner of social conduct were the biggest foes of the emerging corporate world. The target customer of the big business was not an honest, less-worldly, God-fearing idealist whose prefer-ences for self were no more pronounced than for others. The idealists in society outnumbered them and would not let them spread their tentacles wide and across. Their dominating presence indicated that any attempts to suppress egalitarianism would be met with stiff opposition. The backbone of their resistance therefore was to be broken. The architects of the Industrial revolution contemplated that human desires were too strong to be resisted by the common men. But it was an onerous task to convince the idealists. Human desires were mines of gold that must be dug at the earliest. It was felt that the ideologists must be challenged with a weapon similar to theirs. This, they contrived, would ultimately disarm them. Consequent on the debate that was to be stormy, lengthy and extensive, they would win greater number of admirers with every passing day. They were pretty confident of their ultimate triumph, which they believed would come sooner than later, for their opponents lacked in resources to face them. Hired philosophers had sufficient fuel and the required support to ransack the old ideology, and the media was always ready to provide bases to their arsenals. The great 'ideological war' began, with "rights" being its central theme. The self-proclaimed champions of personal rights soon started gaining popularity among the masses, for their declared aim was to fight for the rights of the people. The people failed to fathom their undeclared motive — to make each right a ladder to reach new heights in their commercial crescendo. The individual rights encompassed one's right to wear whatever one likes including birth-suits. To eat or drink whatever suits one's taste. To have physical intimacy with anyone and in any style one prefers. To frolic and entertain in whatever manner one feels fit. To view or show whatever one desires to. To express whatever appeals to one's heart or one's mind. To earn from whatever resources one can find. And to play whatever game one feels like playing. No act should be taboo for man or woman whatever the consequences of these acts on oneself or the environment. It should be one's and none else's concern if one's actions prove good or bad.

Within a short span of time, the concept of individuals' rights became almost megalomania with intellectuals, writers, professionals and social activists. Their zeal rapidly zoomed because they had discovered some jewels for them also in the newly discovered mine of treasures. Anyone prescribing to the contrary had no takers in the media. His voice waned rapidly to become inaudible for the masses. "Duty" almost ceased to exist and "prohibition" became the most loathed word. The animus against all sorts of restrictions continued to rise in intensity and venom. The ability to manoeuvre politics emboldened the mikados of business to challenge the very right of the government to meddle in the personal affairs of the citizens. Prior to that it was religion and the state that used to proscribe certain practices. Now the trend reversed with the religion and the state having been put under strict 'prohibitory orders'. The emerging milieu reflected itself in the revised statutes. The constitution of a large number of countries put extraordinary emphasis on 'Fundamental Rights'. 'Fundamental Duties' either disappeared into total oblivion or were given nominal importance. 'Fundamental Prohibitions' had no room at all in the new constitutional set-up. Until and unless the "serpent of prohibitions" was killed, society would not feel "secure" and "free". Anyone talking of prohibitions and duties was mocked as "bloody moralist", and was looked upon with contempt and derision, even condemned as retrogressive and obscurantist. Anyone advocating the lifting of all forms of curbs obviously became "progressive" and "liberal".

In the new social environment, idealism became the biggest foe; its bete noire was pragmatism that gained momentum. The very survival of idealism was now intolerable to the economic fundamentalists. The plan to lynch it was meticulously drawn; and then began its systematic execution. The onslaught was commenced with the declaration that idealism existed only in the books or in the minds of a few eccentric individuals and had nothing to do with the practical life. The advocacy of idealism was regarded utopianism; a utopian was one who advocated "impractical reforms" or who expected an "impossible state of perfection" in society. The message, though succinct, was unequivocal: Idealism was the moon of an alien sky that was not within the reach of the humans. "Be practical and enjoy yourselves", was the new maxim of life. Nothing can be achieved in the world by unnecessarily insisting on idealistic premises. Success in life requires a pragmatic approach. Pragmatism is the Apollo that would sooner than later take to the moon of our own sky. Pragmatism soon got integrated with all the ingredients of selfishness. One who cares for others has very little chance to "succeed". One must have eye on one's own benefits and must not hesitate in taking all possible steps, without bothering about their moral dimensions, required for escalation in the world. "Conscience" was not altogether dismissed, but was suitably reconditioned in accordance with the developments. The "realities of life" demanded a down-to-earth approach and not the high-flown ideals having no feet on the earth. The campaign was and has continued to be so fierce that idealism, even if it may have survived, has gone into a long hibernation.

The pragmatic approach in life means that every man and woman must concentrate only on his or her ascendance and must care the least about society. Individuals form society, not vice versa. They must look for instant gains and must not be unduly dictated by the conscience. The philosophy of life has thus gained a new meaning— not new in the chronological terms, for such propensities had been observed before, but in terms of its acceptance and rising acceptability graph. Man has always been selfish in tendencies, but what different religions endeavoured to teach him was that selfishness was despicable. The guard of conscience and the fears of God and society restrained his selfishness. The dream of paradise, the wish to please God and the prospects of winning accolades from society tended to keep the temporal worldliness in check. This also meant that he often marvelled in self-denial; he would even sacrifice his own possessions for others. The earth for him was a place of trial where every soul had to prove its mettle. His faith in the Hereafter was unshakeable though it might have been in different forms in different religions. The strength of his faith, more often than not, forestalled his steps towards evil. If he committed a sin, his conscience would haunt him till he forsook it forever. There have been in the past several thinkers who believed the present life to be the only life and advocated that one should have as much merriment as possible. But their views had no support in society that considered them heretical. With the ascent of economic fundamentalism, this ideology received a big boost. The philosophers who opined thus were all of a sudden in great demand. Their writings were instant hits at the stands. The media gave them a red carpet welcome; their royalty and remuneration touched new heights. The rat race for money, fame and glamour attracted great many writers who gave the masses a categorical message that life is real and final. That the Hereafter is a fantasy of fools; one has got a single opportunity to enjoy life which is not long; why then waste it; why not enjoy every bit of it. They suggested: do whatever pleases you; do not lend ears to what 'the bloody moralists' say; they are self-seekers who exploit masses for their own pleasure; what can one gain by following their impractical pieces of advice?

Religion, obviously, had no place in their scheme of things. Throughout the history, religion has played a significant role in the individual and social affairs of human beings. For most of the people that flourished in different regions of the planet earth and in different eras, faith has been a sine qua non for their existence. In spite of the fact that religion has more often than not been defiled or contaminated by self-seeking, purblind clerics, it has earnestly and relentlessly endeavoured to discipline life by erecting the fence of ethics around it. It has almost been a periodical occurrence that prophets and sages arrived with sublime messages of highest virtues, and no sooner did they depart, their followers successively adulterated those with immoralities and indecencies. Yet, it is an irrefutable truth that it is mainly owing to the strong influences on human minds and hearts wielded by religion that truth, honesty, sacrifice for others, justice and mercy have always been regarded as commendable virtues in society. This is another matter that the constituent members of society have generally failed to put them into practice. Still, what is indisputable is that religion assisted mankind in overcoming dilemma of routine life at a time when it was not advanced enough to objectively discriminate between the right and the wrong. In the midst of all-pervading gloom, the solitary torch of religion shone; whoever had the eyes that could see it, darkness made exit from his life.

The faiths that have been dominant in the world during last few millennia--Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism. Christianity, Islam and Sikhism—all have, without exception, magnified moral values. No religion preaches falsehood, dishonesty, cheating, bribery, hatred, violence, adultery and fornication. Each of them eschews, albeit in varying degrees, this-worldliness; Jainism and Buddhism, condemn this life altogether; Christianity promotes celibacy; and Islam, while permitting necessities and enjoyment of life within prescribed limits, promotes love for other-worldliness. Religion aims at achieving mental peace and gives less importance to material gains. This principle applies to all religions, and this is what annoys the economic fundamentalists most; for promotion of materialism reigns supreme in their scheme of things. Their plan cannot triumph unless people stop getting entangled in the moral quandary and the love of this worldliness ravishes that of the other-worldliness. How will they be persuaded to "enjoy" the "comforts of life" (without unduly caring for right and wrong) that the merchants seek to market with great fanfare if honesty rules the roost in their life?; if sex outside the ambit of marriage is considered immoral and illegal?; if self-sacrifice lords over their hearts and minds, and deceit and falsehood haunt their conscience?

It first happened in West where the business moguls, involved in rapid industrialisation, realised the compelling need to marginalise religion. Christianity was their obvious target. They sought to minimise its influence in the affairs of the states in Europe. It had played a vital role in the crusade. The bishops enjoyed unchallenged authority and respect in society that helped them in exerting unparalleled influence on the rulers. The kings too needed a moral boost for themselves and many of them feared God. They were therefore usually loath to earn displeasure of the religious patriarchs; for any disturbance in their equation with them could loosen the rulers' grip on the masses. The danger of sedition constantly hovered over them. But, with the growing fortunes of the industrialists, the monarchs were now better placed to back a campaign for the separation of Church and Establishment, a demand that had been voiced even in the past but without much of a success. The time was ripe to push ahead, as the rulers and the industrialists could now act in tandem. The rift between this-worldliness and other-worldliness led to the coinage of the concept of secularism. Secularism, as a movement, began at the time of Renaissance and aimed at directing society from other-worldliness to this-worldliness. It was presented as an ideology that exhibited admirable development of humanism and the growth of man's interest in human cultural achievements. It has been in progress during the entire course of the modern history, and critics have rightly viewed it as primarily anti-Christian and anti-religion. Clerics countered the move, but their efforts to stall the march of economic fundamentalism in the garb of secularism proved futile. A number of theologians in the second half of the twentieth century made a vain attempt to reconcile Chris-tianity with the demands of the modern life by proposing Secular Christianity meaning that man should find in the secular world the opportunity to promote Christian values. Little they realised that the secular movement was in fact directed against these very values and not against the rituals of that religion. Secularism showed tremendous progress in Christian countries because Christianity did not have an elaborate code of human actions. Further the priests had begun to crumble under the influence of modernity. Their own depravity made them unpopular. Secularism had to face greater resistance in Islamic states as there had been a strong belief among Muslims that Islam was not just a set of rituals but had an elaborate system for all the affairs of the world. Still secularism achieved the remarkable feat of "emancipating" the state in several countries from the "clutches" of religion. One European country after the other started adopting secularism. The economic fundamentalists had won a major battle.

The estrangement of Church and Establishment was only one step, though extremely crucial, towards the goal the economic fundamentalists had set for them. They envisaged complete banishment of religion and the values it stood for in the social lives of men and women; for, though the state could be persuaded to adopt an irreligious approach in socio-economic matters, the ultimate success lay in the creation of demands for the industrial products. To multiply demands, materialism needed to be glorified. And for the elevation of materialism religion was the mountain that had to be scaled. This realisation was responsible for the sustained tirade against the clergy and against whatever religion championed for. The problem however was that the faith lorded over the hearts and minds of the people. An outright condemnation of the oracles of religion was attended with huge risks. It could prove counterproductive, as the masses might react outrageously. The clergy could have issued edicts declaring these activities blasphemous; and hardly any member of society had the audacity to face the charges of blasphemy or apostasy. His faith in God and Holy Writ was not weak enough to permit this; he could also face ostracism. It was therefore considered strategically more expedient and less risky to campaign for the privatisation of religion rather than exhibiting an explicit contempt for it. It was pleaded that faith was an absolutely personal matter, and men and women might engage in as many rituals as they liked; but in other arenas, particularly the social, economic and political, the involvement of religion must be shunned. Those mixing the two must be condemned; and if needed, adequately punished.

As already stated, campaigns against religion were more successful in Christian countries. In Islamic countries, such movements spearheaded by the westernised elements had to face stiffer resistance, for unlike Christianity, Islam had laid down instructions even for social, economic and political spheres of life. Furthermore, Muslims have demonstrated greater allegiance to their religion than followers of other contemporary faiths. Slightest deviation from Shariah usually invited trouble. Even the rulers in Islamic countries, though they might be having little piety in themselves, applied Islamic principles in the matters related to law and economics. These difficulties however would not deter the antagonists of religion. A virulent propaganda began against the family and social doctrines of the religion of Muhammad. These started producing results, at least temporarily. The masses in some Muslim countries especially the elite were dazed by the pompousness of Western life. The indifference towards religion grew relatively more in those Muslim countries that had spells of French or British rule, or where communism had enraptured imaginations of some segments of society. The outstanding advancement of science and the secular apparel the scientific education was provided with promoted an atheistic temperament. A section of the Muslim intelligentsia started becoming agnostic if not atheist. Many got convinced that there was no role of religion whatsoever in the modern world. The high-voltage propaganda by the traducers of Islam gained some successes in creating dizziness in the minds of educated Muslims about the adequacy of Islamic principles for growth and development. Whoever harangued in favour of religion was labelled obscurantist, retrogressive or retrograde; whoever, advocated allegiance to the Islamic way of life was mocked, derided or ridiculed as a fundamentalist or an extremist. The anti-religion fervour of the Westernist and leftist elements grew in intensity owing to the fact that the traditional scholars of Islam proved unequal to the task of defending the faith unfortunately presenting it in a jargon not understood by the modern man. They usually stuck to the interpretation of the Qur'an and Sunnah by a handful of jurists that often deviated from the original spirit of the sources and also because they explained them only in accordance with the knowledge their contemporary world possessed about the facts of life.

The infelicitous feature of the whole history of the decline of religion in most parts of the world, especially as a dominant social force, was that the protagonists of all the religions assumed an out and out defensive position. Their defence of religion was generally weak and ineffective as they attempted to use the same criteria as their detractors had, after a meticulous thinking, laid down for examining religious beliefs and practices. They often turned apologetic in their arguments. This position has shown some signs of changing in many Islamic countries during last few decades. This has been an outcome of the realisation in the educated class of their folly in blindly pursuing Western life styles, rejuvenated interest in Islam among Muslim experts in modern subjects, and the growing dissatisfaction among the masses with the modern legal, political, economic and social systems. The modern Islamists have discovered greater rationale in their religion than the emerging order. They have gradually turned the table in several Muslim countries on their opponents. The whole Islamic world is now witnessing revival of faith. Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Malaysia—in fact, almost every Muslim country that had, at one time or the other in the last century, become westernised in varying degrees is back on the path towards the establishment of a theocratic state. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism have also displayed signs of palingenesis in specific areas. But still, most of the religionists including Islamists tend not to be aggressive in their approach and often exhibit sectarian and communal bias. Instead of focusing on the faults and discrepancies of the new dispensations that are numerous, they continue to dissipate their energies in erecting defences around their faiths. By the time they defeat the mischievous propaganda unleashed against one principle or practice, the opponents supported by the economic fundamentalists open another front. The ideological war goes on unabated. But this is still being fought in the domains of religion. Religionists have forgotten that for ultimate triumph the battle-line is to be pushed into the domain of the enemy.

Though the virtues like probity, self esteem, patience, endurance and truthfulness are also unwelcome, what particularly annoys the economic fundamentalists is insistence in religion on taboos. The practices forbidden by different religions are obviously such as tend to lure, mesmerise and addict humans. These cause temporary pleasures that may sooner or later be followed by undesirable effects, often severe, on person, family and society. The very fact that they had to be prohibited indicated the culpability of the people for them. They are cocaines that rapidly transform their users or practitioners into physical or psychological dependants. Every religion has its prohibitions. Many of them are common with other religions. Christianity eschews sexual perversity; Jainism and Buddhism forbid meat, alcohol and adultery; Hinduism and Christianity are not too sure about alcohol. In Islam, prohibitions have taken a more elaborate form and cover all aspects of life. Taking of alcohol, pork and blood are not allowed and gambling, hoarding, usury, adultery, fornication, murder, theft and bribery are expressly unlawful. It can easily be seen that the habits and practices prescribed by different religions can produce serious ailments and social tensions. But the economic fundamentalists had little concern for the welfare of the individual or society. (Of course they would engage in specific kinds of "welfare" activities with great fanfare.) They could foresee an extraordinary scope, once the outlets are open in these taboos, for their commercial aggrandisement. Among these sex related taboos have been the biggest concerns. Sex has always posed a big threat to the personal purity of a religiously inclined individual. It is much bigger threat than alcohol and gambling because the latter tend to pulverise a life only after one gets introduced to them. To avoid them is easier. Sex is a biological need that cannot be avoided altogether. Every man and woman feels the desire to have it. Even devout tend to succumb to the temptation of a sexual opportunity. Still, the fear of God would keep them in relative check. Some people may argue here that sexual corruption is high among priests and Church has time and again been exposed in this regard. But compare the lives of priests of any religion with common men and, despite quite a few instances of depravity, it would be noted that they tend to succumb relatively less often. If the Christian priests have been in the news for their involvement or complicity, it has been on account of two major factors. First is the promotion of celibacy in orthodox Christianity, which is founded on total denial of a natural desire. Denied a moral way to fulfil the needs of the body, some priests tend to err. Their position becomes particularly vulnerable because they come from a social system that glorifies all forms of sexual deviation. Secondly, the activities of priests are generally under a much closer scrutiny than of ordinary people, and any misdemeanour on their part attracts much greater media attention. This also helps the case of liberals. They try to impress that when priests do tend to commit this "sin", this no longer remains a sin for common men. (It is hardly surprising that the consecration of Gee Robinson the first openly gay Bishop in the US was telecast live by the world media including CNN and BBC. What can be the bigger news than that of a homosexual attaining a high position in the Church? Great day for Gay Movement indeed!) Their aim has been to convince the people that sins are nothing but creations of priests; and taboos have no place in the modern free society. It would however not be easy till religion retained a central position in the social infrastructure. The privatisation of religion was therefore mandatory for them.

The outgeneralling of religion along with its do's and don'ts in Western society ensured smooth sailing in the future for the big business. They were now on a robust platform to bring about rapid onset of huge transformation of social values. These changes had absolutely nothing to do with the wellbeing of society. They were aimed only at utilising human temptations for the geometrical multiplication of wealth.

With self-gratification having become the sole motto of life, the social life underwent a huge transformation. Gone were the days when "simple living and high thinking" used to be the golden maxim for a blithe life. It was now given a grand farewell and was substituted by "high living and little thinking", which became the driving force behind all the activities of life. The tools of "high living" started flooding the market with amazing velocity. And from the market, these flowed into the villas. In return, the coins filled the coffers of industrialists. The fans, the coolers, the air-conditioners, the refrigerators, the bicycles, the motor cycles, the cars, the ready-made cushions, the brocades, the splendid mind-boggling variety of furniture, the bulbs, the tubes, the lamps, the heaters- these, and thousands of other goods, became, within a small time, the necessities of life for all and sundry. Each single item that entered the market would soon become an emblem of standard in society and so great was the tempting impact of advertisements that it would make men, women and children throng to the shops. Absence of any item in the house would indicate a deficient menagerie; this was bound to reduce in society the status of family, which was more important than anything else. And carefully and astutely, the need of all these items was linked to a better sexual life by suggestive advertising.

Scientists were burning the oil of their lives to illuminate the earth. But their distinguished discoveries and inventions would soon be hijacked by the economic fundamentalists for their selfish ends. 'The electronic era' dawned and a new revolution in the market unfolded itself. One by one, the radio, the telegraph, the telephone and the television made their appearances. The microphone, the megaphone, the taper recorder and the video cassette recorder became instant crazes with the well-to-do. Now, even the fax and computer, Internet being the latest craze, have become household objects. Even the middle-class people own digital and movie cameras now. Not only the newer items are hitting the market in rapidly multiplying numbers; the new models of already existing items are also being introduced everyday. The mad race among the people is not confined to purchasing every new item available in the market; it is also motivating the people to rope in every new model earlier than the others. Most of these items would obviously be presented as essential for complete realisation of a passionate life.

Now women are using digital cameras to transmit their nude images to their lovers. Webcams have become common and distant friends regularly use it for sexual intimacy. Cybersex is becoming an addiction with the people. With the help of audio chats, friends talk sex and transmit their live sexual actions via a webcam. Distance relationships through Internet have become a big reality in the love life of the people of the world. Webcams are being used in big numbers by amateur girls to have some benefits, in kind if not in cash. There are open invitations for webcam presentations and the watchers are expected to send certain gifts for the entertainment.

The modern man does not remain satisfied merely with embellishing his house. People have developed almost a craze of presenting themselves with fascinating elegance. The latest fashion clothes, shoes, cosmetics and perfumes drive them on a buying spree. The desire to attract the other sex fuels their craze further. It will be seen below how the economic fundamentalists have masterminded the multiplication of demands of the consumer items through conscious transformation of social and sexual behaviour.

The enhanced worldliness combined with the self-gratification to up-bring the party culture. Even before, people loved to gather in the evenings and on specific occasions like marriages and festivals. They used to wait for months for these celebrations when they would don their best dresses. Businessmen were smart enough to recognise the susceptibility of the people to mix with others and sing and dance in merriment. New celebrations meant opening of new markets. The sales of greeting cards would multiply, the fortunes of cloth and shoe business would become upbeat, hotels would do a roaring business, confectioneries would earn tremendous profits, there would be a spurt in the demands of cosmetics, and, above all, the liquor industry would get an outstanding opportunity to spread its network far and wide. Birthdays that used to be the privilege of high-class gentry now acquired a huge popularity among the masses. The marriage anniversaries became an essential part of life. This meant that, if a family had three children, it would have at least four family celebrations every year; add Christmas and New Year, and it comes to six. But this, too, was considered less than enough. Celebrations have since then continued to increase in number, in pompousness and scope. Now, there are bright prospects of a card on every small news; promotion in service, success in examination, business contracts, engagement, birth or christening of a baby, — all are sufficient grounds for celebration. And of course the best way to cash in on occasions would be to have a day specifically for lovers. Valentine day is slowly but surely assuming the status of one of the most celebrated days of the year.

The biggest event in the Cultural Revolution that was obviously the direct outcome of their craze for entertainment came in the field of music and drama. This began with the theatrical display and, with the ongoing advancement in audio and video technology developed to take the shape of films, videos and audios. The film industry and the electronic industry joined the top ranking industries of the world. Initially the films and dramas used to be sober and carried moral lessons for society. But, with the march of time that witnessed the craziest marketing of human desires, the lieutenant of glamour outmarshalled the soldier of morals. Dancing, singing and love-making became the most sought-after activities. Cinemas started drawing full houses; the sales of records and cassettes touched newer height every year. With the advent and rapid popularity of videocassette recorders, videos have flooded the market. Earlier, only the film music had big following; now the non-film music has proved to be equally saleable. Actors, dancers, musicians and singers draw huge crowds wherever they go, vastly greater than politicians, social activists and thinkers can do. People from adolescents to octogenarians swoon over a single glimpse of film personalities and dancing stars. They have occupied the position of role models for teenagers who imitate their dresses, hairstyles, and their manners of walking and speaking. Their knowledge about their lives is infinitely more than that about the great personalities of history.

The padishahs of economic fundamentalism had reckoned quite early in their march towards glory that the sales of consumer items would receive a shot in the arm if the natural attraction between men and women were exploited up to the hilt. The early realisation of this fact signalled the dawn of a new era where everything that was formerly considered private would turn public and everything that formerly had public importance would be enchained forever. Throughout the ages, almost all over the globe, there had been curbs on free meeting of adult men and women because of the attendant risks in such unions. The activities of young men and women were always under close scrutiny; and the elders would take serious notice of even minute violations of the code of conduct, written or unwritten, that was in force in society. The restrictions on women were somewhat more strictly enforced, as it was they who would face the biological consequences of any breach of sexual barriers. The man would go scot-free unless of course the evidence of his involvement was proved beyond doubt. The woman, whose involvement did not require any proof, had to face the brunt of the law. If she had no evidence to prove which the child's father was and the father did not come forward to hold her, she could face death, lashes or banishment from society. The greater restraints on women were therefore understandable. Parents wanted to avoid at all costs such a sorry situation to develop. They would therefore marry their children, especially daughters as soon as, sometimes even before, the first signs of their puberty surfaced. Early marriages were the rule rather than an exception throughout the world. This guaranteed chastity in social life as well as a strong and smooth family system. But such a system was inimical to the interests of manufacturers and merchants. For a steady boom in the consumer market, these restraints had to be mitigated. However, to strike at the established norms would be an enormous task. Whatever the occult motive, the declared intention must look humanistic. This led to the beginning of the great ideological war for the "emancipation" of women. The age-old "atrocities" being perpetrated on women were reproduced in grotesque details. The fact that woman too, in her own indomitable style, using her own strengths, often exploited man's weaknesses, dominated and harassed him, was entirely ignored. The relationship between the two sexes was converted into a lifelong tussle and was reduced to a husband-wife battle for dominance. The whole society was declared 'male chauvinist'. The truth that women's rights were trampled upon in many parts of the world and that the clergy often misinterpreted scriptures to deny them their rightful share facilitated the matters for the economic fundamentalists. They found their game-plan proceeding with rapid velocity towards its ultimate victory. They did not mind if it proved a Pyrrhic victory for the world. Feminism assumed enormous significance. It became the most discussed, the most debated and the most widespread movement of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The movement, fed by the big business, engendered a new socio-cultural milieu, which produced two distinct kinds of feminists: genuine and sham. The genuine feminists had real concern for the upheaval of the fair sex. But they could not properly comprehend the machinations of the market forces in their overwhelming support for their feminist struggle. Unfortunately, their thoughts were constructed or reconstructed on the basis of influences by the market-sponsored magazines, books and journals. This resulted in an error of judgement on their part and they often failed to recognise the real issues. Much greater in number were the sham or pseudo-feminists who earned huge wealth and fame for their pro-market views on men-women relationship. Little did they feel for uplifting women. Their aim, on the contrary, was to redefine their status that will make it easy for the economic fundamentalists to use them for their gargantuan appetite for money. They contrived to make women the wheels of the train of business. With women continuing to be safely entrenched for most of the time within the environs of their houses, the mutual charm between the two sexes that had great commercial potential would not blossom. Once women started coming out of their houses and the prospects of mixing of men and women brightened, they in order to attract one another with their physical treasures would be more than willing to spend their hard-earned money for purchasing a variety of decorative items. Many a new market would also open with the flow of time.

Feminists began to give horrendous accounts of how the "second sex" had always been slighted by the "first" as well as by Nature. God created her "inferior". At her birth, she is an unwelcome entry into the family, which often is grief-stricken at her arrival. Her desires are overlooked by her parents in comparison to her brother's. She is not allowed free movement in social circles. She is married mostly against her wishes. She has to live her married life as her husband's "slave". She has to bear the discomfort of keeping her children in her belly for a long period. She has to experience severe pangs of delivery. She has to make innumerable sacrifices to bring comfort to her husband and children. And she is severely punished by society for her minute mistakes. Some of these insinuations may be having substance. But it is also true that woman as mother has always been extolled all over the world. As daughter she receives undiluted love of her parents whose faces turn gloomy at the very thought of their daughter being separated from them. She is not generally physically hit which is a routine treatment meted out to her brother. Her future welfare is always kept in mind while choosing her spouse. She would be bidden a tearful farewell on her marriage. She will generally be given a tumultuous welcome by her parents and brothers whenever she comes to meet them. She will be endowed, in order to ensure a comfortable life for her, a dowry often out of proportion to the financial status of the parents who would even take loan to marry her. Her husband will shower the choicest of romantic phrases on her. He will take every possible precaution for her health and welfare when she becomes pregnant. He will consult her in most of the family affairs and even hand over to her the charge of all his finances. And when her children grow up, she will become a proud mother whose obedience and love will pamper her till she leaves the world. If many a man has not properly behaved with women, it is also true that many a woman have also caused unbearable mental anguish and torture to their husbands. History is witness how the women of the palaces have played extremely significant roles — openly or behind the scenes, in administration, and have, time and again, been engaged in conspiracies to overthrow one king in order to install the other. Throughout the human history, woman has been loved, sung and eulogised by man who would risk his relations, his precious possessions and even his physical safety to win her over. It will also not be true to say that man loves woman only for the sake of his genital pleasures. There have been innumerable men whose love for their wives did not diminish even after their deaths and who spent their wealth in their memory, the Taj Mahal being the signal symbol of on extraordinary emotional love of a husband with his dear wife. And the instances are not rare when a woman extorted somebody's fascination or love for her own selfish ends.

Feminists had their eyes fixed only on the atrocities committed on women by men. They miserably failed, or to be honest, deliberately refused to look on the other side. They viewed history through lenses that would focus for them only what they desired to view. If they had done the earnestness of purpose, the consequences could not have been as horrendously damaging to mankind as they have been. They could then have closely watched the developments and could perhaps have forestalled the march of time from going in the wrong direction. They might then have saved womankind from becoming the most obedient slaves of man's desires that it has lately become. They could still have campaigned for the promotion of women's role in specific fields. Woman's lib might then not have shrunk to form a mere tool of exploitation in the hands of foxy and covetous merchants. She might then have cruised ahead triumphantly, albeit with grace, and without annoying the tranquillity of family and society, to her desired goal in the world. Alas! This was not to be. The so-called feminism, in perspective, proved to be either of the two: sham and contrived, or ill informed and ill conceived. It did not deliver any real good, and in addition encumbered woman's shoulders much beyond her physical and mental capacity.

As I have pointed out earlier, feminism was only an escapade for the economic fundamentalists who were busy masterminding a long-term strategy to convert woman into a consumer item. But, before striving in that direction, it was imperative that women must relinquish forever their reluctance to mix with men. This vision of "freedom" was too fantastic for women to resist. The adrenaline that flew through their bloods would electrify their bodies. They had little sense as to what actually was behind the sudden urgency for bestowing on them their long-cherished "rights". The participation of women began to increase in gatherings. Parties proportionately grew in colour and frequency. Men and women would assemble either in a banquet hall of a hotel, or in a private rendezvous, in their most persuasive dresses. They would then sing and dance together to haunting, often provocative, melodies. The excitement in those parties would entrance both men and women and their over-increasing proximity would enthral their spirits.

The closeting of men and women was the key to major developments in future merchandise. This was the electricity that would successfully run their instruments of business. This needed therefore to be importuned at all the possible levels of human life. The schools attracted the urgent attention of the brains of the big business, and co-education soon made its appearance as symbol of the highest quality for the schools till the primary or secondary level. There was absolutely no problem for the parents to get their sons and daughters admitted in these schools. But they were a bit unwilling to send their children, particularly daughters, to higher secondary and degree colleges because, by that time, the children would start experiencing the thrill of adolescence. They feared that the exuberance of early puberty could entice them and land them in trouble. Their discomfort would however vanish at the thought of the academic prospects of their children, which, they were made to believe, emanated from the co-ed institutions. There was no serious impediment in the burgeoning of co-education schools in the occidental part of the world. But in oriental countries, particularly where Islam was a dominant force, these attempts were met with stiff resistance. During the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad, and in the early part of the Post-Muhammad era, the dress code that was applicable to men and women did mean neither a specific type of dress like burqua for women nor total segregation. Women, with their heads covered and their bodies adorning simple, non-provocative, decent garments and their bosoms further protected by chadars, used to offer congregational prayers in mosques along with men. Their participation had been remarkable in almost all the battles that Muslims had to engage in. While some women took arms and fought valiantly at the battlefront, most of them worked behind the ranks nursing the injured with a religious fervour and passion. The advent of Muhammad brought education at the top of the agenda of the activities of his followers. Women did not lag behind. They used to furnish themselves with knowledge along with men in the classes conducted by Ali, the most acknowledged expert of the religious sciences. But all these assemblies stuck to certain regulations to prevent any mischief. With the passage of time however the provisions of purdah took the form of a specific robe, burqua, for women going out of their houses. Their participation in congregational prayers was forbidden by the latter clerics. Segregation became too impervious to allow any scope for their participation in educational and other pursuits that could require going out of their houses. Islam had wonderful counterpoise in its social system. It had no scope for feminism or masculinism. It gave women extraordinary rights and, at the same time, took extremely effective steps to safeguard them from all kinds of exploitation. It bestowed on them economic rights comprising the right to inherit (in proportion to their economic obligations), share in the properties of their fathers, mothers, husbands, sons and daughters, made a provision of dower for them (in consideration of their marriage) that was obligatory on their husbands (and had to be given before consummation of marriage) and the right to own properties. It awarded them like their male counterparts the right to earn. But it did not make it obligatory for them, thus giving them not only the right to earn but also the right not to earn. In that case, the husbands were duty-bound to maintain them in a way befitting their status. Besides the economic rights, Islam also excelled in giving them equal rights in social life, such as the right to choose their spouse, the right to seek from their husbands, or sue them, for divorce, the right to receive maintenance from husbands till their divorce was formalised, and maintenance for their children till they were looked after by her, the right to remarry after divorce, and after her husband's death, the right to have or not to have children in consultation with their husbands, and the right to look after their children in case they are divorced till a certain point of time. Islam not only endowed women with the right to learn, equal rights in religion, education and prayers were made obligatory on them just in the same way as they were on men. Of still greater social significance is the fact that Islam imposed such restrictions on men (and women) as would ensure physical and mental security of women. These include total ban on alcohol, gambling and adultery. Purdah was not obligatory, as is commonly understood, on women alone; men also could not reveal most parts of their bodies and would preferably cover their heads. Unfortunately, however, several of these rights were compromised with in successive Muslim societies. This provided the economic fundamentalists an opportunity to malign Islam as anti-women. Their aim, obviously, was to incite women against their religion. The game plan met with partial successes, especially in those countries which, either had a foreign rule, or had rulers influenced by West or Westernism. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many governments in Muslim countries including Iran, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon strove to impose western values on their people. The purdah was forcibly abolished and the women of these countries willingly or unwillingly started participating in the same form of activities as the western women were engaged in. At one time, night clubs burgeoned in Tehran, Cairo and Beirut. But the roots of faith were too strong in Muslims to allow it to continue for long. Within half a century, men and women in these countries, in increasing numbers, developed aversion for the new values. The on-going nakedness stopped and women again started wrapping them in the garb of purity. They continued to engage in the educational and other social pursuits in a way as would not make them vulnerable to exploitative practices. But time and again some Talibans would be emerging to advance the harshest and the narrowest possible version of the religion that would provide an opportunity to the foes to denigrate Islam.

As mentioned in the previous pages, feminists throughout the world had been raising a hue and cry over the alleged atrocities on women. Their target was to convince women that they were their sympathisers and then to instigate them to open rebellion against the "male chauvinists" of their families and societies. Poor women, eager to earn an absolute independence, fell into their adroitly laid trap. They were made to believe that the household work they did was more ignoble and immaterial than the work in offices and other areas outside their houses. While serving husbands and children was menial, serving bosses as secretaries or public as receptionists and airhostesses was admirable. Men could polish their clothes but, if women cooked food for their families and cleansed their houses it would become an unbearable sight for feminists. To give social sanction and respectability to prostitution, those indulging in it would be crowned with the epithet of "sex workers". But women working in their houses would remain condemned as "housewives"; they would not be hailed as "house managers'". In practice however, women could never detach themselves from the management of the house, and have only fooled themselves by loading the additional burden of earning on their shoulders. The new developments have earned little benefit for women. They are, in fact, in a state of imbroglio. They have only succeeded in satisfying the ulterior motives of industrialists. First, women outside their houses are much easier preys for the jaguars of the industries whose middlemen and brokers, especially in the big cities, tame a number of them for sex-related activities through promises of money and glory. Secondly, with husbands and wives both working, they can, after routine essential expenses, save more money to purchase scores of consumer items. Thirdly, working women are expected to spend more on their clothes, cosmetics, perfumes, etc., than do housewives and also require their own vehicles. Fourthly, with both the parents going to work, there is greater scope for the commercialisation of education (Nursery, Pre-nursery, Pre-pre-nursery schools, baby-sitters, etc.) Fifthly, the influence of such parents over their children is bound to diminish. Impoverished links between parents and children help the cause of the big business. Sixthly, the charm of lady-receptionists, secretaries and salespersons is expected to attract more clients thus increasing the financial prospects of the companies.

#  The Environment Vitiated

The Devil's Superexpress driven by the sexoil began to bring goods that started mesmerising the inhabitants of the garden. To make people know what was in store for them the information must reach them as soon as possible. The fumes of the sexoil had already started percolating far and wide. Odd these fumes might have smelt though, yet inhaling them was pleasurable for the most. It was a new experience. And they were being convinced that "new is gold". The time was right to set ablaze the environment with the inextinguishable fire of passion for the coming excitement.

The growth of economic fundamentalism depended on two main factors; policies of the government and perceptions and proclivities of the people. 'The big business' targeted both. On the one hand, it incessantly campaigned for sweeping modifications in the statute. This was achieved by putting pressure on politicians through different means, or luring them by catering to their pecuniary expectations. On the other hand, it schemed to captivate the imagination of the masses. Without continuous generation and escalation of demands, the generous assistance of the state and administration would be of no avail. There were various venues open for them and their tireless efforts spared none. With the steady elevation of the level of literacy, media had started becoming stronger day by day. Technological advancement was constantly procuring sophisticated tools for it. First came the advanced printers. The publication of books, newspapers and magazines started picking up. The big publishing houses began to flourish. Then came the invention of radio, followed by taperecorders. The audio companies emerged offering mind-boggling variety of music to the listeners. The invention of cameras, especially the movie one, heralded a revolution in the media. The television soon appeared on the scene and, within a few decades entered every decent house. Films had already started captivating the imagination of people who would throng to the cinema halls whenever a film was released. Lately, the video companies have been doing roaring business all over the world. Not only did media men engaged in the audio, video and film industries find these extremely lucrative but soon the whole industry also realised the extraordinary potential of the media as the supporter and promoter of the market. Earlier, newspapers and magazines were used to be published mostly by persons, whose aims were to educate, inform and reform the people. They set high ideals for themselves and adhered to their convictions even at the cost of financial losses. The radio and television were generally controlled by the state; the business tycoons were not in a position to exploit them. Advertising had already commenced but it was limited to the wall-paintings and loudspeakers. With the ongoing privatisation of economy, the media too went commercial and a complete metamorphosis was brought about in its structure and functioning. Small newspapers and magazines owned and edited by dedicated persons, who used to revolutionise society through an ideological and patriotic fervour, soon paled before the new media blitz backed by industrialists. Big newspapers had the volume and the appearance that attracted the masses. These newspapers survived because their managers were able to successfully commercialise them. In the late twentieth century, the television also slipped into private hands. Earlier, the media aimed to inform, educate and reform. Entertainment existed but this also invariably carried implicit or explicit social and moral messages. Advertisements too did not flout the social norms. With the media kotowing to the economic fundamentalists, it has ceased to be the teacher and reformer. The single commandment of the showbiz is: play to the gallery. It has become an electronic salesman of an unparalleled efficiency. Whatever little contents of information and knowledge it disseminates are also a part of the marketing strategies, or an attempt to silence the critics. Apart from the great heights that advertising has scaled, every single programme presented on TV is consciously produced with the purpose of transforming social values corresponding to their long-term marketing strategies. The entertainment now offered on various channels has nothing to do with intellect, humanism or spirituality; it only seeks to galvanise the baser corporal instincts of human beings and electrify their physical desires. This hits many birds with one stone. The channel itself enhances its rating on the popularity chart, brings in advertisements in large numbers, and changes the perceptions and tastes of men, women and children whose galvanised desires drive them to markets of different kinds. The latest trends in fashion take them to the garments' bazaar. The inherent desire to attract the opposite sex makes them empty their pockets buying gorgeous dresses, stimulating perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, shoes and thousands of other items. Sex too is available to them in various forms: still pictures of 'naughties' in the soft porn magazines, depictions of sexual act in the films and women themselves in the red light areas.

The objectives behind the privatisation of media are not limited to making money through advertisement, or through the sale of newspapers, magazines and cassettes. The real goals are much bigger. At the political front, it is to sustain a relentless pressure on the government to follow the 'desired' policies and to defeat a democratic government not following the dictates of the economic fundamentalists through vituperative and slanderous campaigns against it, and to assist a new political group in ascending the throne by mobilising support for it.

The press is extremely choosy in reports and articles of various hues. These are always aimed at promoting individualism, sexual freedom, aristocratic lifestyles, capitalistic economics and rightist politics. When the elections approach, the role of the media becomes even more notorious. The big industrialists and their minions and cronies hold regular conferences to chart their strategies. The political choices are clearly spelt out and scrutinised. It is followed by discussion on how to promote specific parties or leaders. The media becomes abuzz with attractive stories that seek to alter the political environment. In the recent past, pre-election analyses have become a favourite tool for the media to further the interests of their political friends. The surveys are planned so as to give a misplaced account of political sentiment prevailing in the country

The media plays the same political games in all democracies of the world. One objective that it has achieved without exception everywhere is that it has succeeded in sweeping all the real social issues under the carpet. The issues that have no economic significance are no more in discussion. Governments are grilled not for their failure in solving the real issues of life but only for the failures at the economic front; and the failures at the economic front are limited only to the failures related to the interests of the market.

The media is least concerned with the welfare of the people, their education and morals. Whatever information the media disseminates is almost always invested with some commercial linkage. The print and the electronic media are playing this role to perfection. The overall strategy is to materialise human lives; as conscientious men and women are garbage for the market. It is in fact here that the intrigues of the economic fundamentalists have reached the most sordid level. For them human beings are no humans; they are either animals or machines. It is their animal instincts that fetch them enormous wealth and they use the media to whip-up these baser instincts. What a travesty of knowledge that the people these days know enormously more about film actors and actresses, models, fashion designers, musicians and dancers, than scientists, poets, thinkers and reformers!

Is it not sheer nonsense that a number of beauty pageant films and music awards programmes and fashion shows are telecast live all over the world but the recording of the presentation ceremony of the biggest academic awards, the Nobel Prize, is not telecast even at a later stage? There are no exclusive interviews of the Noble Laureates and hardly any prominence is given to their achievements. The snaps of a Miss World or Miss Universe continue to adore the newspapers and magazines for months but they have little space for the Nobel Prize, Magasassay Award or Nehru Award winners. The satellite TV has worsened the matter to unbearable limits. Throughout the day and night, the overwhelming majority of the channels present gorgeously or scantily clad film actors and actresses; the academicians, the moralists and reformists are consciously and conveniently neglected. In doing so, they succeed in amassing wealth not only for themselves but also help the other industries to satiate their thirst.

Advertising disseminates a two-fold message. First, it convinces the target watchers that the possession of a certain product at the earliest shall enhance their social status, improve their quality of life and defend them against imminent dangers. After all, they have to keep up with the Joneses. Second, it sows seeds of such social values and physical desires as will ensure bigger harvests for the market. These two objectives are sometimes difficult to be simultaneously achieved in a single advertisement. Yet the advertisers are not ready to ignore either of the two, and it results in an incongruity between the original message (about the product) and the scenes giving the underlined social message. Whatever the nature of the item, whatever its application and whoever its purchasers, semi-naked, gorgeous women are the ultimate sellers. Not only the natural attraction between men and women is utilised up to the hilt but the human covetousness is also stimulated to perfection. If you wish or plan to win over a person or persons of the opposite sex, you must brush your teeth with specific brands of toothbrush and toothpaste. You must shave yourself with the shaving machine, blade and shaving cream of a certain company. You must wash your hair with a particular shampoo and bath with a specific kind of soap. You must put on trousers, shirts or saris of a specific name, wear lingerie of a certain company and wear a particular tie. You must have a shoe bearing a special name. You must ride a motorbike, scooter, or a car of specific models. You must smoke a particular brand of cigarette and take beverages and wines produced by a certain company. Enjoying sex, you are made to believe, is the most essential ingredient of life. This must be topmost in your agenda, from the moment you step out of your bed till the time you get back in. And for a wholesome and perfect sexual life, you must not forget to use all the 'essentials' mentioned above. It does not stop here. The advertisements advise you about the brand of condoms you must wear, in case you have sex with a woman, and the tablet you must swallow and the lotion you must spray on your genitalia to increase your sexual urge and power. Both the partners must share the ecstasy of the sexual union. And of course, if somehow you have to pass your night alone, baby-dolls and vibrators are available in the market to help you satisfy your sexual urge without being dependent on a partner.

Advertisements are not alone in encouraging illicit liaisons. Programmes on TV and films openly encourage premarital and extramarital relationships. Films show lovers in extremely provocative dresses and in highly compromising positions. The message to the young lovers is unambiguous. The lovers in the past would continue to have an emotional proximity for a number of years without compromising their physical purity. Today the cork of the virginity must be opened at the earliest to let the Champaign of love gush out with vengeance. The modern lovers seek the earliest opportunity, which usually comes within a few days of the beginning of dating, to engage in kissing and hugging. Once the words of "I love you" are exchanged, the barrier is crossed within no time. There is no need at all to preserve hymen. For boys and girls, premarital sexual links are no more taboo. The television and films in West are miles ahead. Thanks to the media that keeps the sexual urge hopped-up, sex before marriage is the rule rather than an exception there. The press derives immense pleasure and of course money by publishing the photographs of eminent personalities in compromising positions or in the nude. To peep into the private lives of the rich and the famous is a favourite pastime for the amateur cameramen and a lucrative job for the professionals. Tabloids are always looking to become willing horses in their naked pursuits.

The media in West, for many years, have been in virtual control of private owners. In countries like, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and China, however, the appearance of private satellite channels is of relatively recent origin. But their entry has been with a bang. Their impact on public perceptions has already started puzzling social scientists and unnerving moralists. These satellite channels air a large number of film-based programmes. The restrictions on the official media do not generally bother them. The appearance of the presenters on private channels is becoming provocatively naughty. Now, the ladies, compering or anchoring various programmes, who have relatively soberer looks on the government-owned channels, can be found dressed (or undressed) in shorts and shirts that do not make difficult for the watchers to portray in their imagination their anatomical details. With the advent of new non-film musical videos, the media are better placed to be able to exploit the wild fantasies of younkers. In order to outvie private channels, the official TV, too, has started presenting similar programmes.

As has been mentioned earlier, the economic fundamentalists owning the media have two-fold objectives. Not only do they multiply commercial gains by telecasting programmes showing women's anatomy at its glorious best, they also seek to develop a culture that would open new venues for the corporate world. Due to certain restrictions, however, imposed by the law of the land, and also due to their own fears of provoking public protests, the media cannot show all that it wants to. But the media strategists are no idiots. They have thousands of ways to recondition human psychology. What they fail to carry through serials and other programmes, they achieve with the help of discourses and discussions organised on TV. The topics of discussions are mostly related to the changing social values. There are discussions, for example, on: Should there be any bar on women's dresses, is there any thing bad in posing nude before camera or giving "bold" scenes in the films and serials? What is wrong with premarital or extramarital liaisons? Is pornography bad? Should there be any legal measures against smoking and drinking? Should the unwed mothers be ostracised by society? Should the young girls opt for modelling as career? Is marriage necessary for society? Is homosexuality intolerable? And so on. The presentation of such discussions is usually slick. The moderators engage the participants chosen carefully with the objective of conveying a specific message to the listeners or watchers in a manner that the ultimate message would be in accordance with the specified objective. Though the protagonists and antagonists of a particular issue are given a fair chance to vent their feelings, the producers invariably succeed in extracting from the participants observations that fit in their own scheme of things. The substitution of such programmes appears in the magazines in the form of surveys based on a questionnaire that is circulated among a few thousand persons in a way as would give the desired impression. Recently, for example, some well-known magazines in India carried out surveys for determining the sexual attitude of people living in the country. The surveys indicated that the attitudes of Indian men and women, too, like their counterparts in West, were undergoing steady transformation, and people in increasingly greater numbers were indulging in premarital and extramarital sex and even incest and homosexuality were on the rise. The obvious purpose of these exercises is to suggest that the social and legal response towards these practices must change. The law must recognise them as "natural" aberrations or preferences that need neither condemnation nor punishment. Society must stop stigmatising the people behaving differently in their sexual choices, and others have no business to police them.

It is not only the private media where economic fundamentalism manifests itself in its ugliest form, the corporations like BBC too are extremely partisan in their presentations. They project themselves as the most unbiased news organisations, but there is always a carefully designed, under the counter conspiracy lurking in the shadows of their programmes. Their objectives include presenting the people of West as developed and civilised, and the people of East as backward, belligerent and uncivilised, making every possible effort to malign religion (especially a particular religion that is considered the biggest threat to their dominance), beating anti-west nations with the stick of "human rights", blindly supporting individualism, regarding all social aberrations as natural, impressing upon East that, whatever vices West is blamed for are also existing in their societies and advising them that, if they want to gallop on the road to progress, they have no option but to seek scientific, technical and economic assistance from Western Powers and to follow their cultural norms. BBC has always spouted venom on communism, Islam and Indian culture. It has constantly striven to demolish all religions in general and Islam in particular. The sense and concept of chastity with which Islam and other religious people have always been extremely concerned has been ridiculed rather than appreciated. Instead, it has carried reports on homosexuality and other similar perversions in some East Asian countries in order to convince the listeners that debauchery is not limited to West.

The impact of economic fundamentalism on the press has spawned what is aptly termed 'gutter journalism'. The market of newspapers and magazines expands in the wake of sensational stories. Scandals are reported with great fanfare; in fact, non-issues are many a time converted with the magic of ink into mind-blowing scandals. Sex scandals have become a routine in West. Till recently such gossips were confined to a few tabloids and the leading dailies did not attach any significance to these stories. But now even the biggest dailies garnish their front pages with reports, often with 'exciting' photographs, on the private lives of public figures. The affairs of the members of Royal family are the topics of discussion in bars, restaurants and clubs of England. The British tabloids excel in such reporting and always find a Crown Prince, his estranged wife, a duke or duchess, a Diana, Pamela or Jemima to embellish their pages. And if a Monica Lewinski is discovered in the life of the President of the only superpower nothing like it! For months, the US public discussed nothing about anything but everything about the Clinton-Lewinski affair. Every scintillating detail of the type of sex they indulged in was portrayed with perfection in the media. This of course also provided a golden opportunity to the merchants of sex to popularise oral sex as an essential ingredient of lovemaking. Now every boyfriend would desire his girlfriend to lewinski him. And when the President of a country cannot avoid the temptation of having sex outside marriage, common people must do it as right by birth. After the furore, the masses were persuaded to give the verdict in the favour of the President. He was a human being, and his private life had nothing to do with his work as President. And because he accepted, even if belatedly, the mistake he committed, this refurbished his face with the halo of honesty. To commit a major sin, they have been made to believe, is not as big a sin as is the sin to conceal the fact that one committed the sin. Clinton's popularity rocketed high again and he is still counted as among the most popular Presidents of the US. The Indian newspapers, too, have now started giving elaborate coverage to the happenings involving personal lives of the rich and the famous. The photographs of beauty pageants and models regularly appear in national dailies. Marriages and divorces of celebrities are piled on the agony.

The impact of sensationalism in journalism on the business is manifold. It multiplies the sales of newspapers and magazines; diverts the attention of the masses from their real problems that are mostly the outcome of glaring economic imbalances accentuated by economic fundamentalism; fans materialistic desires, the key to consumerism; and changes social and cultural ethos in society. Sometimes it goes to the extent of blackmailing public figures. The increased sales, naturally, brings in more advertisements.

To justify and perpetuate its style of functioning, the media has discovered the "freedom of expression" that has lately assumed notorious proportions. The new maxim has spawned great symbols of freedom of expression for them: To traduce anybody. To malign religions and religious figures. To describe and exaggerate the most private areas of the life of any celebrity. To portray or publish anyone in the nude. To film the lewdest forms of sexual relations. And to engage in misinformation for the furtherance of the desired objectives. Liberty has turned into libertinage and license to express has resulted in licentiousness. Any attempt to censor such vagrancy attracts sharper censor by the media all over the world. Those who advocate some control on expression are virulently condemned as the enemies of freedom, civilisation and development. To give further credence to its licentiousness, the media has used the "right to know" as a weapon to defend itself. And when, sometimes, it faces unbearably intensive shelling for its perversity, it takes refuge in the argument that, instead of making any laws to patrol the media, the media must itself resolve to exercise self-restraint. This is another matter that, as soon as the controversy gets subdued, the self-restraint too is cremated with full media honours. Thus "freedom of expression" is nothing but a magic wand in the hands of the economic fundamentalists, who misuse it with great effect in their commercial circus.

The role of the Internet and the rise of pornography will be discussed later.

" _No doubt one may smile and smile and yet be a villain_." (Shakespeare)

#  Fragrance Marketed

The Devil's Superexpress rolling with full steam ahead had already achieved a lot of what was required from it. It had led the inhabitants to believe that life was futile without the fragrance of love in it. This fragrance had already been reprocessed to manufacture sexoil. They had already smelled its fumes that had consumed their imagination. And the imagination had given way to fantasy. Now the time was ripe to market the products lit by sexoil so that even their wildest fantasies could be converted into reality. They were now not only willing to enjoy the items the Superexpress brought to them but were also willing to board the train in large numbers. Soon most of them would start believing that life was a heap of boredom without some excursions of merriment in the dazzling vehicle.

The feminist movements in West and elsewhere had already spawned a sociocultural milieu that encouraged women's participation in social activities. Feminism had imbued their minds with a fallacious sense of euphoria over their newly found liberty and freedom. Freedom was too fantastic a slogan to resist. The prospect of riddance from the ennui of routine menagerie was a dream come true. Hardly did they realise that the freedom they were being led to achieve was but a mirage; and the movement for women's liberty was a facade underneath which lay the true face of the cunning merchants. Having excelled in misusing fascination between men and women to further their business, it was now time to sexually abuse women for money. The economic fundamentalists had pretty well recognised the mammoth potential of sex as market. The desire for cars, scooters, fashionable garments and other items of luxury could be wanting in a number of human beings. But sex is a universal human urge. Man longs to have as many partners in bed as he can lay hands on. And if woman can be assured of safety and security, she also enjoys many. The immanence of this human tendency throughout the world is an irrefutable fact of life. The merchants knew that sex was the tree every branch, every leaf and every flower of which was and would always remain green. The commercialisation of sex therefore was expected to generate massive dividends unparalleled in any other business. Furthermore, sex could be used for boosting other markets as well. Many stumbling blocks in the path of merchandising of sex had already been crushed or made defunct. Women were now willing to be active participants in any dispensation. Their longing for luxurious life was rapidly intensifying. For them the sky was the limit now. They had smelled economic independence. Unfortunately, however, women failed to exercise their wisdom in distinguishing between the true and the false freedom. True freedom that would elevate their social and economic status without turning them into victims of savage exploitation; and false freedom that was adroitly inculcated in them by the malefactors of the corporate world in order to expand their financial empire. Little did women understand that their personal rights would be used as tools for their abuse.

The first requirement for the commercialisation of sex was that women must get accustomed of demonstrating their anatomy before others. This could not be accomplished overnight. The first step in that direction was the popularisation of 'fashion', which soon became a word most dear to men and women of all ages and groups. Fashion as an industry developed by leaps and bounds; and corresponding to its growth the size and volume of clothes adored by women got shortened. Covering the heads had always been regarded both by men and women, in almost all the faiths that flourished anywhere on the globe, as a sign of virtue. It symbolised the decency of personality and the righteousness of character. Head-kerchief was the first casualty of the storm of fashion. This led to the display of dozens of attractive hairstyles. Then the arms and shoulders were bared and the neckline started descending. Skirts began to shrink and miniskirts and shorts steadily marked their presence on the fashion scene. Swimming suits were then popularised through sports—women had the right to play—and films. Within a short period of time the topless blondes and Negroes could be seen on hundreds of beaches all over the world. The business through beaches reached great heights. Nude poses of women—even an ugly woman could be made to look sexy by an expert photographer—started appearing regularly in some maga-zines and newspapers. Films excelled in showing them taking bath or changing clothes. The portrayal of sexual acts was soon to follow.

As discussed in the previous chapter, Purdah (veil) was the most abominable sight for the economic fundamentalists donning the garb of feminism. It must be clarified here that Purdah (covering of body) was not limited to the Islamic world, as is often believed. Almost all the races, communities and sects, except some tribes, insisted on covering most parts of the body. Women especially belonging to the upper class usually covered their heads and put an extra cloth on their bosoms. The campaign of the pseudo-feminists was therefore directed against all such societies that prescribed some code of dressing. How a woman reluctant even to show her face and hair could be persuaded to bare her breasts, thighs and buttocks? The unholy war against the 'veil' in the countries, where it was still in practice, got intensified. It was condemned as the greatest obstacle in the development of women. Acrimonious debates ensued in newspapers, magazines, social circles and public platforms. Army personnel and policemen could cover their bodies with thick uniform and head with heavy helmets, and yet, the heat in the atmosphere and the density of clothes would not interfere in their normal functioning. Advocates and judges could don jet-black robes, even at the height of the summers; and yet the travails of weather would not hamper their work. Doctors could put thick white aprons without feeling uncomfortable. Nurses and nuns' head-kerchiefs would not hinder their movements. Bishops could perform all their celebrated duties wearing extra robes and covering their heads. But women's freedom of movements would be severely jeopardised, the feminists ranted, if they covered their body with some additional piece of cloth.

Nudity needed glorification in order to be popularised. The shame attached to it was to be mercilessly ravished if society had to "develop". The "Operation Nudity" began with the glorification of nude paintings and graffiti. The artists who marvelled in eroticism were admired as some of the greatest artists of all times. The reason was simple enough: their compositions were portrayals of "reality" and "beauty". Films also started presenting woman in her full naked glory in the name of art or reality. The opponents were spurned as the enemies of the reality and art. When the money poured in as the result of the depiction of the truth, the truth was eulogised; when it required the falsehood, it was adored as a work of fiction or creative imagination. Women were told: if you have a beautiful body why don't you exhibit it to the world, as you have the right to be admired for your wonderful curves, sexciting tops and terrific bottoms? The press and the polity too did not lag behind in sensationalising sex. This was often done on the pretext of bringing to light sexual exploitation rampant in society. The competitions to find sexiest men and women of the US and other countries can now be watched on satellite channels.

Once the people became habitual of watching or perusing nakedness, the merchants of sex started glamorising woman's body. The glorification of nakedness meant that women who did not hang back to bare themselves before camera were showered upon with the glamorous epithets of "modern" and "ultramodern". The scenes in which they appeared without giving trouble to a single piece of cloth or having sexual intimacy with an actor were hailed as "bold" shots. The party culture had already established itself as a sign of highest social status. The presence of gorgeous ladies in revealing costumes added colour and tempo to the get-togethers. The "bold" women continued to multiply in society as their "boldness" brought them the fame and the glory in addition to the wealth. The fashion-shows and beauty-contests in which the contestants would bare their skin to the sheer delight of the spectators became commoner with every passing year. Such shows would earn the contestants a fortune; the organisers of these extravaganzas would make astronomical dollars and pounds. Miss Universe and Miss World contests are now annually organised in different countries. These megaevents are telecast live all over the world. Pictures of the winners garnish the front pages of the major newspapers. In an obvious attempt to pacify the antagonists, the contestants are asked questions pertaining to their personal penchants and thoughts. They often, in order to arouse outbursts of clapping, give answers laced with humanist sentiments. The replies to the probable questions are of course prepared in advance and rehearsed several times. The venues for these extravaganzas are so chosen as to push up the market in new areas. It could not be without reason that women of India became the most glamorous ladies of the world all of a sudden in 1994 and seized the Miss Universe and the Miss World title. It was also not without reason that the 1996 Miss Universe contest was staged in India, and that it was preceded by the arrival in Bombay of Michael Jackson the greatest dancing star of the present world. Obviously, all these events were the outcome of the "open" market policies of the government of India; and India, being perhaps the biggest potential market, started attracting multinational companies. Since then India has produced several miss worlds. To stir up mass hysteria for Western style of living, the satellite TV commenced its operation as soon as the government exhibited willingness to "reform" its economic policies that would suit the market.

The commercialisation of beauty led to the staging of exotic cabaret shows in hotels. The customers throng to the hotels and enjoy dinner there rather than inside the demure environs of their homes. Dinner of course would not come alone; it would bring with a sensational dose of beauty at its best. Striptease shows became a fashion. Stripteasers would make their appearance before the audience in a rather well dressed manner. Then around rods, they would begin to disrobe their treasures one by one to the sheer delight of the spectators. Within minutes, all their natural possessions furbished with lotions would be dedicated to the lustfully watching eyes of the gathering. In films, produced even in countries like India, the display of their talent by the cabaret dancers became a regular feature. When the people accepted it, the main female characters started appearing in revealing costumes. Erotic literature had already been doing brisk business in West. It has now picked up in India with a boom of soft-porn magazines in the market, many of which have readers in millions.

Prostitution, as its champions put it, is the "oldest profession of the world". There are historical evidences to testify the existence of the flesh trade in various forms in several countries, even in the pre-Christ days. But it must be noted that it was then neither common nor glorified. It was a pastime for a few covetous landlords or ruling elite. The women engaged in the flesh trade were mostly those who somehow, either bitten by penury or through the guile of some corrupt relatives, had landed in brothels. They naturally did not enjoy it, and exhibited as much resentment and resistance as they could. But once they got trapped in the mine of the "profession", all the doors for exit were slammed shut upon them. To resist would now mean to kick against the pricks. They would become unacceptable to society; the poor girls would ultimately have to live an infelicitous life in the same brothel. In many countries like India, prostitution was limited to dancing and singing. With the bathos of culture in the West successfully instituted by the economic fundamentalists, sex became a highly profitable business. This is why the advocates of continuance of prostitution had the impetuosity to call it a "profession" and the women engaged in it "sex workers". By describing it as the oldest profession, they sought to glorify it and remove whatever stigma was associated with it. But a constant boom in the trade necessitated constant and uninterrupted supply of women as well as rapid multiplication of the customers. Both these essentials required a very different approach towards sex among the masses from what "plagued" the whole world in the medieval age.

The "medieval" approach, as the economic fundamentalists labelled it, was constructed on the foundation of shame. It regarded sex as an essential part of human life. But there were two important premises associated with it. One was that the sexual liaison was an absolutely private function that, in no condition whatsoever, could be performed in front of a third person, whoever he or she was. It also followed that the sexually sensuous organs were to be kept away from the public gaze. The other was that the sexual activities were not isolated from the other affairs of life in the sense that the two sexually engaged persons, obviously of the opposite sexes, must also look after each other throughout their lives, or at least till they did not decide to separate. Any decision of living together or separating must be duly conveyed to society. Every wife had to confine the relationship, called marriage, to her husband only. The husband would also normally restrict himself to a single consort: but, in special circumstances, could take more wives. The fidelity in sex was almost sanctimonious and any breach of it was considered to be an act of extreme repugnance that invited not only universal condemnation but also legal punishment. This well-defined approach gave rise to a well-established family system. It was to be defended against all kinds of invasions and kept pure from all the blemishes and profanities. Sex before marriage or outside marriage was uncommon and anyone indulging in it could do so only clandestinely. The adulterers and fornicators were haunted not only by the fear of social stigmatisation and legal punishment but also by God's indignation. Love affairs used to be there but had mostly only emotional dimensions; sometimes an affair would continue for decades without any physical involvement. Even the slightest inkling of such innocuous emotional relations would send signals of alarm to the families of both who would either arrange for their marriage, or would dissuade them from meeting each other.

In the emerging socio-economic scenario, where economics had left all other branches of the world affairs far behind, the medieval approach was intangible, and therefore intolerable. Society had been left by the high profile, resourceful, wily and calculative bosses of the business with no option but to alter according to the commercial demands. They viewed shame as having grown too old to live any longer. If it continued to live it would bury their future. It was decided to give it an early burial. Sex now had to go public. An expression of sexual desire in assemblies, especially parties and personal meetings at dinner, was regarded as an indomitable act worth emulation. Premarital and extramarital relationships were promptly reconciled as normal social phenomena that had to be understood and accommodated, not countered or punished. The ball-dances became an indispensable feature of all high-class parties. In West, these would often be followed by overtures for sex. The inebriated couple would hardly be in any position to resist each other's sexual advances. Adultery and fornication were taboos in the past; but the new culture assiduously tried to make marriage a taboo. Economic fundamentalism envisaged that the institution of marriage had to be weekend, preferably altogether shattered, to enhance the market of sex. Family for them was what draught was for farmers. Unless draught is encountered, farming would not prosper. The fundamentalists reckoned that a man in the safe arms of his charming wife would be harder to trap; and a woman in the benign custody of the loving husband would not be easily available for her services. In order to derail the marriage system, a number of steps were taken. The minimum age-limit for marriage, for instance, was raised making it legally impossible for a man and woman to marry before the specified age. The rapid growth of population was presented for public consumption as the ground for this amendment in the law. Boys and girls, denied marriage, were however always welcome to have sex before the specified age, which did not attract any legal action. Polygamy was abolished, and an animated, outrageous, multi-pronged campaign was orchestrated against it, wherever it continued to exist. Thus while promiscuity got legal, polygamy became illegal. This meant that a man can have relationship with any number of women, accompanied with total denial to their social and financial rights and those of their probable children, a man was legally forbidden relations with a second woman who enjoyed all the rights of a wife. And the irony is that it was done in the name of the women's rights. Women themselves, not properly realising the motive of their "benefactors", were jubilant in accepting a system wherein they could easily become wretched mistresses or casual partners (without, of course, any legal rights against their paramours) but not second wives (having full conjugal rights). Still another step was the oversimplification of divorce. As even after the divorce was granted by the court women would receive maintenance from their estranged husbands, this would deter both from marrying. The easy process of separation, the extra-marital relationships and self-dependence in financial matters combined to result in an increasingly large number of marriages culminating in divorces. Anti-marriage campaigns did not stop here. To make the institution of marriage unpopular, it was incessantly degraded as an unnecessary burden. Marriage was steadily substituted by live-in companionship, which most of the young men and women gradually accepted. The ever-increasing rate of divorce further persuaded the people to think that, if the marriage was destined to come to a gruesome end, why it should not be avoided altogether.

The opponents of polygamy used several other arguments to contend their case. They charged that it was a privilege bestowed on men. It was conveniently forgotten that the incidence of polygamy depended on the ratio of adult men and women in society. Polygamy would increase when there were a greater number of adult women than that of men, and would decrease when this ratio approached one. It has usually been the case particularly in war-ravaged countries that the population of women far outnumbered that of men. If every woman's right to marriage was to be accepted, strict monogamy could not serve the purpose. A controlled polygamy would provide the only answer and this "privilege" of man would then become a boon for deprived women as well. Another argument put forward was that it would increase the population. It was again forgotten that the growth of population in a particular community was dependent only on the number of adult, fertile women in that society, and had nothing to do with the number of men they were married to. To give similar right to women (polyandry) would be socially and medically disastrous; for it would not fix the identity of the parents and would result in a tremendous increase in sex-transmitted diseases. Finally polygamy is a self-limiting aberration but promiscuity is an all-enveloping monster. Only a few can practise polygamy because of the demographic unavailability of women if a sizeable percentage wants it; but promiscuity can go on entrapping almost everybody.

The decreasing popularity of marriages and the increasing sexual liberty however posed certain intricate problems. There always hovered over the heads of women the threat of pregnancy. Unless this was nullified, women would resist sexual advances. The guidance was sought from the medical sciences that came to their rescue with the idea of condoms. Soon a number of other contraceptive devices were developed and became instantly popular. The contraceptive pill revolutionised the scene. Women had now practically no problem in sleeping with friends of their choice. But no contraceptive method was absolutely free from failure. Women would often conceive in spite of them. This necessitated legalisation of abortion that was promptly done— in the name of yet another right, the productive right of Women. Abortion clinics boomed. Artificially induced miscarriages were not, however, medically advisable in every case. Women might report late or might be physically too weak to withstand the attendant risks. Occasionally, the mother inside woman would overwhelm her, and she would not let her child be slaughtered by the obstetrician. But it was not easy for a woman to introduce in society a child whose father was unknown. The woman would find herself facing a gruelling ordeal. But the corporate world was behind her. Her plight would be overcome by glorifying the unwed mothers. To have a baby without undergoing the "travails" of marriage was declared a historical advance in the reproductive rights of women. It hardly bothered them that women who used to share the onus of grooming their children with their husbands would now have to perform the onerous task all alone. Children would be deprived, perhaps forever, of the affection of their fathers that was so essential for their normal healthy growth. But the economic fundamentalists had nothing to do with the children and old women because they were less important

Table 1 Sex Market

## Sex Market

  *...the new slavery encompasses about 27 million people around the world. (Inter Press Service)

  * Prostitution and trafficking of women and children is the third largest income-earner globally. The only two bigger are drug trafficking and arms sales." (source: Jonathan Nambu, 'Samaritana Bulletin' 1996)

  * 40,000 of the 100,000 prostitutes in Bangkok are 14 or younger. In Sri Lanka, researchers believe there are at least 10,000 boy prostitutes, receiving as little as one dollar per day.

  *.......He even exposed its prevalence in the United States. In August 1999, for instance, a trafficking ring was broken up in the southern state of Georgia that transported up to 1,000 women from several Asian countries into the United States and '(forced) them to work in brothels across the country'.

  * Close to 500,000 women are smuggled into Western Europe every year, experts said. According to researchers, nearly 60% of the women forced into the sex industry in some Western European countries are controlled by Russian and Albanian criminal networks. (Inter Press Service)

  * According to research conducted by the University of North London's Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit, six out of 10 women in London's brothels have been 'trafficked' from countries such as the Ukraine. (Inter Press Service)

  * Cheap labour is trafficked into Thailand from Burma and other neighbouring countries. The estimated profit earned in Thailand from agents' fees was 5–7 billion baht, equivalent to US $200–280 million at the current exchange rate. (Trafficking in People in Thailand by Pasuk Phongpaichit)

for their business prospects. All they could do for their welfare was the offer of geriatric asylums for the old and baby homes for the children. These, too, of course, would fetch them some money.

The fecundity of sex-market had another irritant that unexpectedly hit it. The tempest of promiscuity and sexual aberrations like homosexuality resulted in the appearance of several serious ailments. The types of such diseases, the severity of their manifestations and the number of patients acquiring these infections exhibited proportionate growth. While diseases like Gonorrhoea, Chancroid, Lymphogranuloma venereum and Herpes simplex caused great physical discomforts, Syphilis proved to be a killer. Its complications like Neurosyphilis were severely inca-pacitating; and the cardiovascular lesions, more often than not, resulted in death. The unavailability of treatment threatened the survival of sex-industry; if it continued to kill or incapacitate people, they would be compelled to change their sexual attitudes. The merchants had sleepless nights. The medical sciences once again came to their rescue. When penicillin was discovered and was found extremely effective against Treponeme palladium, the bacteria causing Syphilis, they heaved a sigh of relief. It transformed into jubilation at the prospects of an unprecedented success in the sex-market. The time was ideal to begin rejuvenated efforts in that direction. The outcome of these efforts was the inception of pornography in Scandinavian countries. Within a few years, it engulfed the whole West. Pornography had dual impact; it became a big business and it would also infuse the watchers with the sexual current who would then, in order to satiate their inflamed passions, throng the brothels or, with their girl friends, the hotels.

Table 2 Prostitution in the US

## Prostitution in the US

  * The National Task Force on Prostitution suggests that over one million people in the US have worked as prostitutes in the United States, or about 1% of American women.

  * The ratio of on-street prostitution to off-street (sauna, massage parlour, in call-outcall escort) varies in cities depending on local law, policy and custom. Whereas street prostitution accounts for between 10 to 20% of the prostitution in larger cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, 3 in some smaller cities with limited indoor venues (or when indoor venues are closed down) street prostitution may account for approximately 50%.

  * Estimates in some larger cities suggest 20-30% of prostitutes are male.

  * Conservative estimates based on the ratio of female to male street prostitutes in Montreal in 1991 (4:1) and the average number of male clients they service each week (20 and 10 respectively) indicate that only 4% of those involved (or at least potentially involved) in communicating for the purpose of prostitution are women. The remainder -- a full 96% -- are men, and of those, the vast majority (99%) are clients.

  * Justice Department field studies indicate that the extent of pimping is exaggerated. Many women work for themselves: 62% in Vancouver, 50% in Toronto, and 69% in Montreal. The presence and influence of pimps is more extensive in the Maritimes (where fewer than 25% worked for themselves) and on the Prairies (where most of the white women but only a few of the Native women did so). Our data from Montreal and Toronto indicate that between 50% - 70% work for themselves. In San Francisco all but 4% said they worked for themselves. (Different sources)

To meet the interminable demands, merchants were always ready to offer novelties to the customers. In order to compete with one another, and to further swell their coffers, they began to popularise sexual perversions. Mass sex, sadism and masochism became common. The unavailability of women in sufficient numbers was a problem. Homosexuality was therefore introduced. It is not that sodomy did not exist before in history. Several religious scriptures have given grim accounts of how the citizens of the twin cities of Gomorrah and Sodom had become addicts of anal sex. So prevalent in fact it had become that there were not even ten righteous persons left in the city. (Bible) Bible and Qur'an both have narrated how the twin cities were ultimately 'stoned to death' by way of a tempestuous rain of sulphur stones from the sky. It is a known fact that homosexuality is still very much there in most of the countries. According to some estimates, 5-10% of males may be having such propensities. But there is a basic difference between homosexuality rampant in West and the one in some other countries. In Islamic and the majority of Asian countries, homosexuality is considered to be a big sin even by those who practise it. There is no question at all of glorifying or justifying it and the gays' associations have only recently been making clandestine appearance in some metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities. In Western countries, on the other hand, it has turned commercial. It is to facilitate business that sturdy gay movements have been organised and under their pressure, one government after the other has chosen to legalise it. Gay clubs and literature are now booming in almost every city of Western world. Furthermore, while in Asian countries, homosexuality is not usually isolated, with most homosexuals also having heterosexual liaisons, in West, organised gay campaigns have led to exclusive homosexuality. Women too have not remained far behind and lesbianism is also on the increase. The other reasons for giving huge publicity to the gay movements are that it would help in controlling population that occupies a central place in the strategy of the economic fundamentalists, and would also accelerate the disintegration of family system.

The demoniac march of the commercialised sex has necessitated that all perversions must be considered "normal and natural" behaviour and any stigma associated with them should be struck with a fatal blow. To outdo one another, video-makers have been producing blue films exhibiting increasing variety of perverted sex. The chiefs of homosexual net and their marshals have been advancing the nonsense argument that relations between two persons belonging to the same sex are natural as a sizeable percentage of human population has such propensities. The commercial convenience makes them forget the truth that "natural" and "human" are not synonymous. The natural phenomena are essentially good for mankind; these defend humans against death, disease and destruction, for they are aimed at the common rather than the individual good. Even when they seem to be destructive (natural tragedies), they are the manifestations of an effort on the part of the nature to bring back the harmony that has somehow been dis-turbed. The natural tragedies are therefore aimed at averting bigger tragedies in the future. The human tendencies, on the other hand, are generally the result of self-gratification and tend to disturb the natural equilibrium. It is the human (and not natural) weaknesses that have given rise to crimes, diseases and abnormal acts including sexual perversions. If homosexual proclivities are accepted as natural, murderous instincts and tendencies to rape, steal or impinge upon others' rights must also be regarded natural. And if the latter deserve outright condemnation, reform and punishment, the former also require the same treatment.

The ever-expanding designs of the merchants of sex suffered another devastating blow in the early 1980s when the first case of a previously unknown disease, later named Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS, was detected in the United States. Within less than five years, hundreds of thousands of persons in Central Africa, America and many European and Asian countries were found carrying the virus. Medical scientists soon recognised that it was a hundred per cent fatal disease and that it was associated with promiscuity and other abnormal sexual behaviours, particularly the male homosexuality. The merchants, in order to preclude any repercussions on the market, immediately set into action. They commissioned all the resources at their disposal to control the damage. And they have succeeded in their strategy. The panic that had started keeping the clients away from prostitutes has subsided. A "wonderful" solution to tackle the AIDS-menace has been discovered. It has been given a simple but attractive name, "safe sex". It denotes that the right method to protect oneself against AIDS is to use a condom during intercourse. It is another matter that, while the sales of condoms have increased by leaps and bounds, and the devastation of the sex industry has been averted, at least, pro tempore, the deluge of HIV has been steadily hitting one nation after the other. At least the public is calm and satisfied convinced that gigantic efforts are being made to fight the killer disease. There is of course a possibility that an efficacious drug regimen would be found in the future to treat the HIV infection but not before it will have consumed tens of millions of men, women and children. (Regimes are already available that delay the death but are too costly for the majority of AIDS patients to afford.) And the sex industry has already prepared plans to turn sex into a mammoth global industry in the post-AIDS world. If their dreams will be realised is an open question, for there will always remain a distinct possibility of the emergence of new strains of the already existing sex-transmitted infections or new infections altogether.

As I have said earlier, the family system and the sex industry are each other's detractors. Family is the biggest thorn in the flesh of Business. The idea of the family system generates such repugnance in the minds of the economic fundamentalists that they have now begun to arrange for its cremation. Marriages have already become unpopular. Home, at least in West, is on the brink of total collapse. Now, the merchants have decided to drive the final nail in the coffin of family system by popularising the oldest taboo, the incest. The pornographic and erotic magazines can now be seen, in increasingly more assertive and provocative style, describing the sexual intimacies between brothers and sisters, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, and uncles and nieces. To popularise these, the strategy that has been adopted is to publish questions related to incest in the "problems column", and to conduct surveys on whether it should be legally and socially sanctioned. By regularly publishing the readers' letters which seem to be either fake or mere fantasies of squeamish minds, these magazines seem to hammer upon the readers that incest is no more a taboo in real life. And when it is becoming a part of routine life, why unnecessarily maintain it as a legal offence? The sex industry understands it pretty well that the staunchest guards of women have been their parents and brothers. It is they who protect them from leading their private lives the way they (the industrialists) deem right; and they are therefore the biggest impediments in their game-plan to exploit them. The old-fashioned fathers and brothers are always determined to safeguard the chastity of their daughters and sisters against intrusions, and are always eager to marry them to some suitable gentlemen at the earliest. They are not psychologically prepared to watch them roaming with paramours. How then can they tolerate their nude photographs in magazines, performing in pornographic films and becoming professional cabaret dancers, strip teasers or call girls? Once incest becomes common and, through steady doses in the media, increasingly greater number of brothers and sisters or other close relatives start fantasising about their mutual liaisons, it would remove from them any moral authority to protect their sisters and daughters. This would felicitate the flow of women into the sex market. Similarly, mutual exchange of wives, called swapping, is also being promoted with 'swapping clubs' appearing in big cities.

With the menace of AIDS hunting the customers, sex with minors has picked up. Millions of children between the ages of 5 and 15 are being pitted in the trade. Their delicacies are being barged by the lustful. The alarm has been sounded all over the world; but this again would prove mere eyewash aimed at keeping the critics at bay. AIDS is in fact being utilised by the traders as a ploy to popularise paedophilia; pornography involving children is becoming increasingly popular.

The latest trend in the sex-industry seems to be the cashing in on the pronounced sexual aggression of the modern women. The severing of isthmus with the family, the rise in economic fortunes, and the brainstorming sexual images created by the media are bolstering women's craze for handsome men. The modern woman is now not only interested in serving male desires, but also seeks to realise her own fantasies with a man of her choice. The near-nude pictures of men too have now started appearing in erotic publications. The world may soon witness burgeoning of clubs where the services of males would be available for vagrant females wishing to squander money for mollifying the inferno of their wild sexual passions. Male nude shows are already being staged in some parts of Western world to exclusively solicit women viewers.

Sex has established such an unrivalled dominance in today's business-world that it seems to have become indispensable for virtually every industry. It is the atlas, on which the globe of globalisation rests, or revolves. The fashion, the tourism, the hotel, the publications, the films and the electronic industries are relying heavily on sex to boost their turnovers. Tourism has, in fact, emerged as the biggest financial activity with which the flesh trade is directly associated. To cater to the ever-growing demands of tourists, young boys and girls are being pooled into the trade in alarming numbers. A large number of people travel to distant places only to propitiate their lascivious self; sight seeing is only an alibi. Tourism also helps in corrupting the minds of the young generation in those countries where "freedom of sex" has not yet touched the Western levels. The alcohol industry is also thriving on the juxtaposition between tourism and sex. Big hotels with bars are sprawling all over.

The film industry, since its inception, has used love as the central theme in most of its productions. In the earlier movies, love was portrayed only as a sentimental affair. Love was love, not lust. In Indian films, if physical intimacies had to be depicted, it would be mainly through suggestions. A flower striking flower, or a bird touching its beak with the beak of another bird. With the progress of time, sex has overwhelmed love. There is display of nudity in varying degrees and sexual acts are being filmed in a highly provocative manner. Hollywood films, for over half a century, have been studded with ecstatic scenes of love. Now the films produced in Bollywood too, despite the Censor Board, have been showing the characters in revealing dresses and "bold" scenes. Soft porn films imported from West are now being screened in all the cities of India. About 7 to 8 theatres in New Delhi routinely screen such films, which are watched by more than twenty thousand persons daily. The contents of these films are extremely "sexciting", obviously charging the spectators with wild and vulgar fantasies. In order to release their electrified passions, many of them slip to the red light areas. The blue films too are easily available from the video shops. Among the watchers are mostly the young; and being unmarried, they tend to satiate their thirst through immoral and unhealthy means.

The sex industry at the global level has become so colossal that millions of billions are involved in it. The industry, from all the available indications, can be expected to continue to sparkle, unless of course a world-wide drive is initiated against it, or a sex-transmitted killer disease forces the people to seek refuge in the haven of the "old-tradition" family set-up. And corresponding to its accelerated growth will the social and moral values continue to alter, mostly for the worse. The social transformation has and will have little to do with the objective merits of the new values. Only the commercial considerations will remain the predominant guiding factor. The pharaohs of market will continue to rule the roost; and economic fundamentalism will have no difficulty in perpetuating its supremacy in the world affairs.

Let us now have a close look at the various dimensions of commercial sex and try to gauge its extent and scope. Traditionally, prostitutes are described as victims either of patriarchy or capitalism. This was true till about half a century back. Prostitution then was a socially maligned and legally hunted commercial activity pursued mainly by the criminals. In the new global world, the biggest trades are using it as a support to their own trade. Now prostitutes are not necessarily those who have been forced into this by the fire of their stomachs. They may however be relatively poor. A number of the sex workers now take this profession by choice not by compulsion. They now aspire to adorn their houses with all the items of luxury. To fulfil their cherished aspirations, they do not mind joining the profession. This is because it is neither seen with the venomous hatred with which it was seen in the past nor is short of big money that they want. Still prostitutes from the third world countries do not enjoy the status the first world prostitutes do. The localisation of prostitutes in market places has turned into a lucrative business. It has developed into a big trade with diversified and specialised services. First the centres burgeoned in the port cities. But now all cosmopolitan and other big cities of the world except few Islamic countries boast of providing these "services" to those that "need" them. Myriad of choices is available to customers. These include the choice of age with those from teens to 40 plus available in the market. The choice also includes choices of the types of sex. If you want oral sex, you have a different category; if anal sex, there are others who would cater to your demands. Short-time as well as all-night partners are available. You are also given the choice to select the "item" on the basis of the size of breasts, height, colour etc. This is not the end. There are young girls who have been trained to engage in many hazardous sexual activities to entertain the customers. These include inserting of blades, glass bottles and cigarettes into their vaginas. Even the choice of venue is available. You can have the sex of your choice in almost all the continents. Incomes generated out of this trade now equals those of clandestine trades of arms and narcotics. It has been estimated by some agencies that more than 27 million people are engaged in sex trade throughout the world.

This is not surprising that many countries have chosen sex trade as a means of survival and development. Though almost all countries, with the exception of some Islamic countries where it is not an open trade, use sex as a means of the development of tourism and other industries, some countries have used it in a rather big way. The plenipotentiaries of globalisation have overtly or covertly promoted this. International bodies like World Bank and IMF are known to have encouraged a number of countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa to develop their tourism and entertainment industries. And tourism and entertainment are now the other names of sex industry. Among such countries that have promoted sex trade under various names are Thailand, Philippines, Nepal, Mexico, Chile, Sri Lanka, Guatemala and many more. Thailand perhaps occupies the most eminent place in the organisation and segmentation of sex industry. Her prolific sex industry boasts of an estimated number of at least 200,000 prostitutes including women and children. At least one third of these prostitutes are under eighteen. Most adult prostitutes are known to have started their work when they were children. Children as young as six are often engaged in prostitution. Human rights groups excel only in paying lip services to the cause of these children. They have bigger concerns of child labour in the third world countries because it is more important to throttle small-scale industries in the name of child labour than to create obstacles in the way of global sex trade. Thailand serves this trade in many ways. It is the country of the origin, transit and destination of women in the sex industry. Not only it supplies sex at home, it also sends or transits women coming from Southeast Asia to industrialised nations. And it is interesting to note that the development of sex trade in the country has been helped by the US Department of Defence which had a contract during the Vietnam war with the Thai Government to provide "Recreation and Relaxation" for the US soldiers. With money from the US government, prostitution became a major industry. Though constitutionally prostitution is illegal, law enforcement agencies escort it. Effectively, it only means that it is illegal for a woman to be a prostitute but not for a man to pay for prostitution. But when girls have little choice other than prostitution to help the family, how can they be persuaded to keep away?

Russia has in recent years become one of the biggest suppliers of various kinds of sex workers, especially in European countries, Middle East and USA and Canada. What a way to celebrate its entrance in the Western Block! Russian women are beautiful and are in great demand. 50, 000 Russian women are lured into sex slavery each year. Most of them are offered fake job offers. They ultimately find themselves in sex business. According to estimates, at least half a million Russian women have been trapped in sex industry during last ten years. Their destination places include more than 50 countries. Describing their ordeal in The Christian Science Monitor, an article captioned "Russia battles its sex trade" authored by Fred Weir says: " _Typically women are lured by advertisements or recruiters who promise well-paid jobs as maids, nannies, waitresses, or dishwashers in a foreign country. Tour agencies working with the criminal gangs provide visas, arrange transportation, and often keep up the fiction by reassuring the victims that all is normal and legitimate. When the woman arrives in the designated country, she is met by local criminals who seize her passport, warn her she is in the country ''illegally'' and tell her that she must pay off the debt for her travel expenses. Many victims report brutal violence, sexual abuse and long periods of confinement. 'This can happen because there is large-scale co-operation between criminal gangs, shady businesses, and corrupt officials within Russia. But there are also strong working links with international crime,' says Victor Pokhmelkin, a member of the legislation commission in Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, 'sex slavery is a vast and lucrative global criminal enterprise, like arms smuggling or narcotics trafficking.."_

Easy money is attracting women in Hong Kong in large numbers. A woman may earn as much as HK$500(US$64) for one night. She could not have earned that much in any of the other works like cleaning, dishwashing, babysitting and laundry work. Most of the women here come from Philippines. More than 800,000 Filipino workers leave home each year to do "decent" jobs. But indecency is what awaits them. Many Filipinos work as PR girls. Their job is to dance with customers, to give them company on the table and to serve drinks. For all these activities, they are paid handsomely. In Philippines too, servicemen from the US are playing an important role in sustaining the industry. It will be worthwhile here to quote from a report, " _Easy queasy money_ " that says:

" _Along a darkened section of Fields Avenue, outside the former Clark Air Base, Jessica trolls for customers. A group of young US servicemen walks by; some comment on the attractiveness of Jessica and others in the scantily clad group.....for Jessica and sex workers along the strip—both legally registered in the bars and those who operate on the streets as free-lancers—it's a cheap money.....And when US servicemen are in town, money gets easier....During a recent two-week Balkanian military exercise, the 2000 US servicemembers who participated spent about $ 3 million around Clark Field, an economic development zone and former US base, for variety of services including entertainment....they spent a lot on girls, told an official...there was bigger business for girls working inside Clark....At the Holiday Inn at Clark, where hundreds of troops stayed during Balikanian, several laughed about a steady stream of women leaving the hotel early every morning, escorted by servicemen. One had three women with him. With a hand on one woman's backside, he pulled another to him and gave her a kiss. His grin spread from ear to ear..."_

According to reports, sex trade is thriving in Israel too. According to an Associated Press report, a $ one billion sex trade has sprung in Israel. This is one of the biggest in the world. Russian mafia brings women into Israel. Offenders usually go unpunished or with very little punishment. The report says: _"..Inna said she was able to send $3,500 to her mother and sister back home. That's a small fortune in her poverty stricken homeland....'I wanted to do the same thing, she said, hooking purple-clad, thin legs behind her chair,' but it's too taxing to work with 10 to 15 men a day.'.....then the pimps came and began to buy us, one by one, and each one of us was taken someplace else..."_

The internationalisation of sex trade has led to the development of a two-tier system. The first is involved mainly in international tourism. This flourishes around major tourist resorts and caters to national and international tourists. The second tier is mainly the extension of the old profession catering mainly to the domestic demands. And to cater to the demands of high-class international and national tourists, high-class prostitutes are employed. They are often educated, smart and attractive girls. With the growing concerns about HIV/AIDS, they have now started to keep certificates denoting their disease-free status. More and more countries are now joining the list of those who are overtly or covertly using sex as a major tool of development. According to a paper by Jyoti Sangara, _"Sex trade, prostitution and globalisation", "a vast body of recent research data clearly demonstrates that women and children from those regions of the world which have been under the grip of structural adjustments and economic liberalisation are increasingly defined as the new resources._ " She makes some scathing comments: " _They constitute the prime export item for national development and international trade. This human cash crop is unique in that it offers a double-featured emolument: woman bodies are both goods and services at the same time. Consequently, while the third world has been the principal source of raw resources, goods and labour since colonial times, in today's age of globalisation the new raw resource in national development as well as international trade are women and increasingly children._ "

What a development! What a globalisation! Women and children have become primarily tools for the accumulation of capital. Asian, African, East European and Latin American women are exported for the rise in GDP and international trade. Their labour is exploited through practices that have practically turned them into sex slaves. The modern world does not stop shouting: now there is no slavery in the world, as it existed in the past. True they are. At least, to some extent. The slavery like that existed in the past is really no longer alive. What exists now is a much ghastlier form of slavery, which is also much more colossal and extensive than the old one. Slavery in the olden days involved selling and purchasing of men and women. They were often given rough inhuman treatment. But women generally had the satisfaction to slave only to their masters. Their services would normally be exclusively for the ones who have spent money on them. Some of the masters would be kind to them. Examples abound where the masters fell in love with slaves and married with them giving them the status of free women. The sex-slaves of today are not sold and purchased once or twice a year like their counterparts in the previous times. They are sold and purchased many times a day, up to as many as 20 times. Their stay with those who purchase them lasts only for a few minutes to a few hours when they allow their benefactors to make full use of the money they have spent on them. Their physical exhaustion hardly bothers their purchasers. Even the twentieth one wants his slave to propitiate his sexual passion in the best possible way, and would not tolerate any nonsense. After all, he has paid for it. If the old slaves were like flats owned by the rich for their gratification, the modern slaves are nothing more than ice-creams to be tasted and sucked within a few minutes. And they are available to all: rich or not rich. Less privileged would of course have to settle with a lesser quality.

As stated before, marriage does not augur well for the "development", as single men and women are more likely to contribute to the development of sex trade. The concentration of prostitutes would obviously be most where single men are concentrated most. Where armed forces are employed or there is concentration of other servicemen who are away from their homes, provision of sex becomes a necessity that their hosts are obliged to provide. Describing the role of colonial powers in the expansion of sex trade, Sangera says:

" _Even a cursory look at organised use of women's sexual and reproductive labour by colonial powers to maintain their 'native' enslaved and indentured male work brigades shows that women's sexuality was controlled and deployed to (a) procreate and produce more workers; this was specially the case under slavery in the America when African women were separately designated into categories as breeders and draught workers; (b) sexually service workgangs to ensure the maintenance of their labouring capacity, and (c) provide domestic services such as cooking, cleaning, and general housekeeping."_

Previously it was mainly the military and other servicemen who required the services of sex workers. Now the corporate world also cares to keep its members in good humour. The combination of sex industry and tourism has resulted in huge dividends for both. Throughout the day a person works for his company. He is under tremendous pressure to show results. His future in the company relies on the targets he achieves. If he fails to live up to the expectations, bosses do not wait for long to show him the doors. After a tiresome day, the pressure takes its haul. He needs some rest: physical as well as mental. His spirits need replenishment. Had it been told to him that a few minutes of prayers to God, meditation and some exercises like long walks would be more than enough to replenish what he has lost, he would have perhaps given it a chance. But there is hardly anybody around to enlighten him that the best way to get over his fatigue is to prostrate before God in submission. And this would not put any pressure on his purse. Instead, everyone and everything educate him that the most exhilarating way to beat the exhaustion is recreation on exotic locations in the company of "girlies" who would take him to the top of the world. An unparalleled recreation awaits him, he is explained. 'Have a bottle in one hand and a girl in the other, and you have the paradise on the earth!' Nothing like that! What you have to do is to spend a few dollars. And you will be made to believe that spending that much is worth it.

Prostitution has surely been one of the most discussed subjects in social sciences. The global forces have been advocating legalisation of prostitution, as they regard it as a work that can be done for the sake of money. The problem is not in its recognition as a work. The problem is the acceptability or unacceptability of the work. It is ironical that women's work in their houses has never been recognised as work as such. This is not represented in the country's Gross Domestic Product. This is also not reflected in the per capita income of the family. For its own vested interests, the economic fundamentalists tend to regard only that activity as work that contributes to the earning potential of the market. The case against prostitution's being legalised is not that it is not recognisable as work. The question in fact hinges on what kinds of work should be allowed in society. Any activity that helps in the survival of a person or system can be regarded as work. But all works cannot be permitted just on that premise. Theft, robbery, crimes including murder, abduction, kidnapping, drugs manufacturing and trafficking, even terrorism, all these are sorts of activities that lead to the exchange of money and help thousands of thousands of people to survive. The money generated in these activities then flows to markets, as all those engaged in them would naturally purchase food, clothes and other items of consumption. But these works cannot be permitted in a civilised society on account of the dangers they pose to society, families and individuals. Prostitution is much bigger a threat than any of the above-mentioned activities to society, families and individuals. And the ones the biggest threat the prostitution poses to are none but prostitutes themselves. But who cares for prostitutes? They are to recreate others. Every work involves risks, they are told. If they earn out of it, they must be prepared to face some of the adverse consequences of their work. The argument advanced by the modern advocates of the trade is that prostitutes are no longer the victims they used to be. Now a considerable percentage of women join the trade out of their free will to make money. This is absolutely true. Prostitution is increasingly becoming a profession by choice. But this is owing to the fact that the commercial sex is being glorified all over the world, and is being given a certain respect. If the logic has to go like that then professional killers, thieves and robbers are also professionals by choice. A work cannot be allowed just on the ground of its being adopted by free choice. Preferably, the work must be beneficial to the individual who is engaged in it as well as to society. At least, the work must not be noisome in a big way. And the more a work becomes hazardous for society the more it needs to be discouraged or rejected outright. And by all standards, prostitution is a hotbed for threats of most serious kinds to mankind. These include hazards to their own persons and to society in general. The risks to their health are the maximum, of course. They have the biggest probability of catching sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Out of about one hundred thousand prostitutes working in Mumbai, more than 80% are estimated to be HIV positive. Out of about 10 million prostitutes in India, more than 50% are already HIV positive. They are most vulnerable because they are the sellers not purchasers of services. Sellers provide choices. They cannot choose their customers. While there are customers that insist on knowing the HIV status of prostitutes, prostitutes cannot afford to demand the HIV status of their clients. They cannot even insist on using condoms. The fear of losing customers always shackles them. They are like trains that can choose customers, if they want, only on the basis of their purchasing power, not on the basis of their physical appearances or ideological views. And they cannot hope to be known in the history for their sacrifices. They are not like the sun that burns for others but also sparkle forever. They are more like small candles that lose their existence within minutes of their being lit to enlighten the area. The other risk factor for prostitutes is the constant threat of pregnancy. Nature does not permit them to detach sex from reproduction altogether. They cannot desire to give birth to their child who is the product of lust, not love. Pregnancy means departure from the market for several months. This loss is acceptable neither to prostitutes nor to their masters and brokers. They have therefore to recurrently abort with consequent adverse effects on their health. And above all, they always have the risk of physical damage to their organs on account of violence, rape, physical abuse and confinement. Mental health problems too are common. The Child and the Tourist quoted a girl as saying: " _I found myself dancing at a club at the age of 11...I have had different kinds of customers, foreigners and Filipinos. I tried suicide but it didn't work so I turned to drugs. I want to die before my next birthday."_

And the threat to society cannot be overemphasised. There cannot be a bigger blot on the face of mankind than that a substantial percentage of its women and children have to sell their body, willingly or unwillingly, to earn livelihood. The bigger the business of prostitution grows the more the number of the people affected by it are, either as prostitutes or as customers. As told above, a large percentage of prostitutes suffer from sex transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. If a girl, HIV positive, entertains 15-20 customers a day, the extent of the threat to the population can be easily ascertained. See the case of Mumbai. More than 80,000 full-time prostitutes and several time more the call girls. They are estimated to be entertaining at least one million men a day. The overwhelming majority of them are exposed to the HIV infection. Not only the customers transmit HIV to other prostitutes, they also carry it to their own wives and other intimate contacts, and from them also to their new-borns.

Those that shout at the top of voice concerns for prostitutes have in fact concerns only for the health of the customers. And still more important is the health of their business. If the suppliers of services encounter threats that might force them to keep away from the profession, or the consumers are threatened with a kind of risk that overpowers their desires, the market would become moribund. It is therefore necessary that steps were taken to ensure the survival of the business. What these steps are will be discussed later.

Countless girls and women have thus been made to live a life that is nothing more than slavery. The only saving grace is that they are paid for the services they offer. And this is exploitation at its worst. The economic fundamentalism thrives on maintaining economic disparity between the people. For the economic current to keep flowing, the economic potential difference has to be kept at optimum. If this gap narrowed, the current would cease to flow. Poverty may be bad for those who are stricken with it. They may have to mortgage their respect and honour to give something to their empty stomachs. They may have to burn their spirits and souls to sustain the torch of their lives. They may have to let their organs face all forms of abuse to stop them from dying. But they have no option but to do this to keep the big business alive. In public, all those that serve their political interests by glorifying poverty would be condemned in the strongest terms by the cronies of the forces of globalisation. And they too would commit themselves to eradicating poverty, albeit in their way, and in accordance with their own agenda. In private, poverty is celebrated. It is poverty that guarantees an uninterrupted supply of cheap labour for all forms of industries. And it is poverty of one or the other kind that keeps the sex trade intact and booming. Sangera says:

" _In the wake of globalisation of the world economy, pauperisation and displacement of large sections of marginalised peoples who are left with few means to subsist except on their bodies and labour has created a new poverty. Within this process, women and children who are often the most disadvantaged account for a majority of the new poor. From the standpoint and its internationalisation, women (and children) of the third world are the new resource, and the new model category of labour. The productive labour has been exploited by multinational corporations in the sweat-shops of export production zones and their reproductive labour is exploited via the sex and tourism industry.....The new poverty is one which rests upon ecological degradation, extreme cultural impoverishment, and is constructed through globalisation by the twin forces of greed and consumerism..."_

This new poverty is clandestinely celebrated in West, for it lends a hand in the growth of their business. Had this poverty not been there, they would have found it harder to cater to the ever-increasing sexual demands of the customers. This is not that sex labour is not locally available in West. But it is costlier. That costly labour can be used only for the benefit of the rich. For the medium class, the labour supplied by the third world countries serves the purpose.

When poverty is so helpful in the "development", how can sincere efforts to uproot it be expected? And the economic fundamentalists sustain poverty in a relative way too. Though the poverty in absolute terms may be on the decline with lesser number of people in want of goods and services than those fifty years ago but the disparity between the rich and the poor grows. While the poor may have become slightly richer or relatively less poor, the rich have grown much richer. This relative poverty keeps the people desiring for the items of prosperity that the rich possess. This relative penury would always be sustained, for without it, free availability of sex labour would not be ensured. It is this that drives girls of even good families to provide sexual services on temporary basis. This often happens with the collaboration of family members including parents, brothers, husbands and boyfriends. There are many husbands and wives that provide sexual services to selected customers in a clandestine set-up. If an Indian woman can get Rs. 2000 for sexual services to a handsome, highly placed man, what is bad in it? How many families are there in India that can boast of earning more than 60000 a month? This amount is enough for a luxurious life. If the husband and wife agree for such an arrangement even for a few years, this would be enough for them to allow a comfortable life. They could have accumulated enough money to start another more respectable business. Young girls can always use agents to find good clients for them with whom they can enjoy themselves and earn handsome amounts.

The supply of women remains the ultimate aim of the merchants of sex. And they have no shame hiding what they aim. Thus the World Sex Guide available on the Internet thunders in its " _Mission Statement_ ": " _This is the World Sex Guide. Our mission is simple: Finding women and getting laid. If you are offended by stuff like this, I don't care." It has a picture gallery that claims: "The photo gallery is a virtual cornucopia of photographs submitted by our readers of beautiful women from around the globe. If this collection doesn't get your blood rushing, you're already dead. Check it out, and be sure to send us your contributions._ "

The Sex Guide provides experiences from the habitués of brothels. Here are a few examples:

" _Be sure to read the whole thing, as I include tips on how to stay safe, how not to get arrested, how not to get ripped off and other great advice..... You may think that the girl you are with wants love, attention and caring; (which she may) but what they all want and need is MONEY. You can feed them as much bullshit as you want, and even if they believe you, you won't get anywhere without giving them money. Don't think that you're going to pick up a girl on the street and convince her to be with you on the merits of your charms and handsome good looks....... Some of these girls have had the shit beat out of them for years, and are so hard and callous that not even Mother Teresa could get through to these girls.....Know exactly how much you want to spend (refer to my pricing guide later in this Sex Guide.) and take that amount and put it in your pocket, ashtray, sun visor or wherever you feel comfortable. This is the money that you will use to pay the girl. Make sure that she will never see your credit cards or other cash.....I recommend that you don't go to the spot that the girl recommends. Yes, it may be a good spot and safe, but it could also be a spot where 1) cops know that dates happen there and are watching 2) she sets you up to be mugged or worse 3) neighbours are catching on to what's going on and are taking down license plate numbers, etc.....I recommend carrying a small bag with you, with the following items: 1) Condoms, 2) Handywipes, available at your local drug store. They even have anti-bacterial ones now, use those if you can. 3) Liquid or bar Anti-bacterial soap, if you are going to be using a hotel room 4) Listerine to wash your mouth out afterwards, if you kissed her or sucked on her tits, etc.........Most of the time, if a cop spots a girl getting into your car, they will pull you over and take the girl in. You'll probably get a verbal tongue lashing, and they'll let you go......I can tell you that the vast majority of black people are honest, of good character and hard workers. However, the black hookers are not. They tend to always have pimps, who beat the shit out of them if they don't bring in enough money.......One thing about all girls, is that they will tell you that they have real jobs during the day, and do this as a fantasy or for extra money. Most of them won't admit that they are feeding a drug habit, have 4 kids, have AIDS, or that their life is total shit."_

The Sex Guide then gives information about different cities of the US. See the examples:

" _Chicago is probably the worst city in the U.S. in regards to the sex business. Mayor Daley thinks that he is the moral conscience of America, and thinks that cleaning up the sex business will do wonders for the social problems. Contrary to his policies, there are prostitutes in every major city and there will always be. I just saw on TV that the Chicago Vice were monitoring the World Wide Sex Guide. To them, I say "F... you as....oles, I don't give a f...ing shit what you think or what you do. You will never stop prostitution. Your department is a waste of money and you should focus on the real problems in society, not what some holy roller says. ".... The Captain of the Chicago Police Vice unit was arrested last year for raping prostitutes, while they were in custody. The Chicago police is the worst in the natio.........The area on North Avenue where the hookers hang out is pretty large. I would say from Halsted Street all the way down to Milwaukee....Down past there, you hit the North Avenue Bridge. It's a short bridge that crosses the Chicago River. Many girls are around there, mostly black, and use the bridge as cover when the cops go by.....Look for girls walking alone, and try to make eye contact with them. If they are a hooker and you make eye contact, they will usually smile or try to signal you in some way....She would greet you and then ask if you were a cop. You'd say No, and then she would maybe feel your penis and then tell you what her prices are. (or ask you what you want to do.)..... . They have everything from private movie booths, porno theatre and adult bookstore; to the largest strip club I've ever seen. This place is impeccably decorated, and clean. They have about 150 girls per night, with 3 on stage at all times. They go fully nude there, and the average age of the girls is about 19-20. About half are plastic, and the other half are just out of high school......New York used to be the BEST city in the US for stripper action. Since Giuliani got into office, most of the places on Broadway are gone, and the town has really cleaned up. Don't be discouraged though, as there is still plenty of action. One thing to know, is that nothing is cheap in NYC, including sex.....There are at least 1000 clubs in the NY, NJ and CT area. Some are good, some are bad....... There are also a ton of dumpy limousines with drivers hustling rides. You can negotiate with them, and for about 50 dollars, they will drive you around until you find a girl you like, and do everything in the back area. It's usually safe and better than a taxi......The escort services in NYC are numerous and unfortunately expensive. They average around 300 for full service, and 500 for a knock out girl...... The girls go topless, with g-strings. They server a full liquor bar. I wouldn't go in there with less than 500 dollars, as they'll probably kick you out.....Paradise Club Full nude, they serve only soft drinks. (5 dollars each) People always inquire about this place on the net, so I went there.....Topless pool You play a round of pool with the girl of your choice for 40 dollars, plus tip. It's ok, and sometimes the girl will majority flirt and tease you...........You get the girl of your choice, who goes fully nude and give you a massage.. hours . For 200 dollars American. You can do whatever you want. Don't think that the girls there are homebody sex slaves, they are all around 18-20 and they do it for a living. They are gorgeous. If you have a latina fantasy, you can f... a girl that looks like Selma Hayek! If you want to tip, give them 20 bucks, that's it. They don't really expect one afterwards, as it's all inclusive........"_

The sex Guide does not forget to be grateful to the sex workers:

" _Last but not least, thanks to the dedicated sex workers all over the world who honestly earn their money by giving lots of pleasure to the rest of us."_

And it does not fail to raise the voice for the legalisation of prostitution. In the process, it mocks at the moralists with vengeance: " _Have balls and join the ever-growing list of people who put a link to the World Sex Guide on their homepage. And, above all, lobby your legislators for complete legalisation of prostitution everywhere! Don't vote for the moral minority and censorship freaks!_ "

This is one of the thousands of sites available on the internet proving all the information about the places of sexual services, kinds of services available, prices at which they are available and other tips for a successful visit there. Sites also advise about the risks involved in finding the prostitutes and suggest measures to counter them:

"... _AIDS has definitely cut into street sex in Northern California. In the mid-1980's, the hot areas would have 20-40 girls working on any given night....Now, the best areas are down to 4-8/night. Still there is lots of action to be had. Prices are pretty consistent over the entire Bay Area and vary according to service and the age/looks of the girl. The younger, prettier, or kinkier, the higher the price (of course!). My experience is that a blow job will be $20-40, blow job + sex is $40-70, and anal is $50-100. 50% or less of girls will do anal. In San Francisco and most peninsula cities, Thursday night is vice night. Don't ask me why, but many girls have told me to stay off the streets on Thursdays because the undercover cops are out in force. I have been out safely on Thursdays, but use extra caution. ..In most towns, the police have little interest in picking up men, and many cops live in mortal terror of arresting a guy that turns out to be the police chief's brother-in-law or the mayor's son. This isn't always true, and arrests of johns do get publicised to give the impression that they do this sort of thing a lot, but generally if you keep a low profile you should be OK. Raids and sting operations invariably pick up just before election time, so October shoppers, beware! Here are a few general guidelines I recommend...._

Female cops DO work the streets sometimes...there was a great looking blonde working a San Francisco Bay Area city a few years back that several girls warned me about. But there are 3 things female cops will almost NEVER do: (1) approach you first (this is entrapment), (2) get in your car (this is very dangerous for them), or (3) show any private parts of their body (this is illegal, and is also probably entrapment). They do NOT have to identify themselves as cops. I have heard guys say that if you ask, "Are you a cop?" and they say "No" then all is well. This is nonsense. Therefore, if you see a girl on the street, do the following:

(1) If she seems to be ignoring you, drive on. A real hooker will do something to get your attention like wave, smile at you, nod, walk over to your window, flash a breast, etc.

(2) When they approach, most women will say something like "Are you looking for company?" or "Do you want a date?" I always say, "I may be. Could you show me something a cop wouldn't show me?" Most girls know this routine and will then expose a breast. If she says, "What do you mean?" just say, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else. My mistake." Then drive away.

(3) Before you say anything about money or sex, ask the girl to get in your car. A few legitimate hookers are nervous about getting into a car with a strange man, but a cop will almost NEVER get in, so this is a good way to screen out the cops, even though you might lose a real working girl or two in the process......

3. AIDS/STDs

There are several major Internet groups discussing risk of AIDS and other STDs so I have little to add here. I will simply say (I am an MD who does cancer research, so there is some wisdom behind this):

(1) Always use a condom. If used properly, your risk of AIDS and other STDs is minimal.

(2) If you do anal sex, be extra careful since this usually causes some minimal rectal bleeding in most women. Lots of lube is a must here.

(3) Use a condom for oral sex, although I have never seen a single report of a man contracting AIDS via oral sex (I have been told that there have been a few unconfirmed cases). There is a somewhat greater risk for women, especially if she has open sores (including herpes or cold sores) in her mouth.

(4) If you have any cuts on your fingers, don't insert your fingers in her vagina or anus.

The primary route of transmission of AIDS is into blood. The reason so few men (some would say NO men) have contracted AIDS from prostitutes is because men don't provide easy access to the blood stream via their penis or fingers. If you have cuts on your fingers (or a penis that is sore from too much fucking or beating off...this may be what happened to Magic Johnson who claims 15-20 partners a day!) you increase the odds astronomically. Remember though that there are two parties to every sex act. Your risk of AIDS from unprotected oral sex may be pretty low, but the woman's risk is much greater...... Show a little humanity and wear a condom. I have written a detailed review..of HIV in sex workers from around the world and post it periodically to this..group. Watch for it if you want all the technical/medical details."

After all these practical tips, expected rates are also provided:

Starting Expect

Table 3 Expected Rates for Sexual Practices

Task Offer to Pay

Street Sex:

Blow Job $25 $30-50

Straight Sex $40 $50-70

Half & Half $40 $50-100

Anal Sex $60 $70-$150

Massage Parlour:

Hand Job $30 $30-50

Blow Job $40 $50-80

Straight Sex $50 $50-100

Half & Half $60 $60-100

Anal Sex $60 $70-$150

And of course, invitation is always there at its best:

" _I am a gorgeous babe who thinks you must be the sexiest guy in America. I want to meet you so we can have wild sex. How can I contact you?"_

Table 4 Online Pornography

### Online Pornography

  * Online pornography is the first consistently successful e-commerce product. (C-Net; 4/28/99)

  * "There are now at least 40,000 porn sites on the World Wide Web and probably thousands more. No one has been able to count them all." (U.S. News & World Report, 3/27/2000)

  * There are in excess of 40,000 individual URLs containing child pornography, paedophilia and pro-paedophilia content. (United Mothers & Cyber Angels "Our Kids In Danger List", 2000)

  * According to Nielson Net Ratings, 17.5 million surfers visited porn sites from their homes in January, a 40% increase compared with 4 months earlier. (U.S. News & World Report, 3/27/2000)

  * 30% of all unsolicited e-mails contain pornographic information. (Choose Your Mail.com study, October 1999)

  * Web surfers spent $970 million on access to adult-content sites in 1998 and is expected to rise to more than $3 billion by 2003, according to the research firm Datamonitor. (U.S. News & World Report, 3/27/2000)

  * Cyberporn sales—including videos and accessories ordered online—accounted for 8% of 1999's $18 billion E-commerce pie. (U.S. News & World Report, 3/27/2000)

YOUTH

  * 53% of teens have encountered offensive Web sites that include pornography, hate or violence. Of these, 91% unintentionally found the offensive sites while searching the Web. (Source: Yankelovich Partner survey, The Safe America Foundation; 9/30/99)

  * A May 1999 survey found that 47% of American teens are online – the top two activities being e-mail (83%) and search engines (78%) (Source: Newsweek; 5/10/99)

  * While 75% of parents say they know where children spend time online, the truth about kids' Internet habits show 58% of teens say they have accessed an objectionable Web site: 39 % offensive music, 25% sexual content and 20% violence. (Source: WebSense, USA Today, 10/10-12/99)

  * 62% of parents of teenagers are unaware that their children have accessed objectionable Websites (Source: Yankelovich Partners Study, September 1999)

  * Pornographers disguise their sites (i.e. "stealth" sites) with common brand names, including Disney, Barbie, ESPN, etc., to entrap children. (Cyveillance Study, March 1999)

Teenagers and Students

  * The majority of teenagers' online use occurs at home, right after school, when working parents are not at home. (Arbitron New Media Study, October 1999)

  * Students were most at risk for cybersex compulsions due to a combination of increased access to computers, more private leisure time, & developmental stage characterised by increased sexual awareness & experimentation. Both computer classes & colleges might need to recognise this increased vulnerability and institute net primary prevention strategies. (MSNBC/Stanford/Duquesne Study, 2000)

  * About 70% of porn magazines end up in the hands of minors. (Source: Henry Boatwright, Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Board for Social Concerns)

  * About 1.2 million children annually are exploited in child pornography and prostitution. (Source: Women Against Pornography)

ADULTS

  * "Cyber-sex is the crack cocaine of sexual addiction". (Dr. Robert Weiss, Sexual Recovery Institute, Washington Times 1/26/2000)

  * Cyber-sex reinforces and normalises sexual disorders. (Dr. Robert Weiss, Sexual Recovery Institute, Washington Times 1/26/2000)

  * Cyber-sex is a public health hazard exploding because very few are recognising it as such or taking it seriously. (MSNBC/Stanford/Duquesne Study; Associated Press Online, 2/29/2000)

  * 57 million Americans have Internet access. (MSNBC /Stanford/Duquesne Study, 2000)

  * 60% of all web-site visits are sexual in nature. (MSNBC /Stanford/Duquesne Study, Washington Times 1/26/2000)

  * Sex is the #1 searched for topic on the Internet. (Dr. Robert Weiss, Sexual Recovery Institute, Washington Times 1/26/2000)

  * 25 million Americans visit cyber-sex sites between 1-10 hours per week. Another 4.7 million in excess of 11 hours per week. (MSNBC/Stanford/Duquesne Study, Washington Times 1/26/ 2000)

  * At least 200,000 Internet users are hooked on porn sites, X-rated chat rooms or other sexual materials online. (MSNBC/Stanford/Duquesne Study, Associated Press Online, 2/29/2000)

  * Men prefer visual erotica twice as much as women

  * Women favour chat rooms twice as much as men

  * Women had slightly lower rate of sexually compulsive Internet behaviour

  * 70 % keep their habit a secret

CHRISTIAN MEN & SEXUAL BROKENESS

  * 17.8% of all "born again" Christian adults (in America) have visited sexually-oriented Websites. (Zogby survey conducted for Focus on the Family, 2000)

  * 63% of men attending "Men, Romance & Integrity Seminars" admit to struggling with porn in the past year. Two-thirds are in church leadership and 10% are pastors. (Pastor's Family Bulletin, Focus on the Family, March 2000)

  * 1 in 7 calls to Focus' Pastoral Care Line is about Internet pornography. (Pastor's Family Bulletin, Focus on the Family, March 2000)

Prostitution is the final destination point in the errand of sex. But there are other stations in the journey that fan the zeal to reach the final station. And if they become the final stations for some people, even then they are quite lucrative for the big business. It is easier for the majority of common people to travel that far and the money collected from tickets they buy for them is also huge. These stations are different kinds of pornography. Pornography is easier to produce, sell and purchase because it does not involve a direct contact between the consumers and the consumed. It is more saleable because it can be enjoyed even by those who want to maintain some sort of discipline in their sexual life, either due to fear of their own conscience, or that of God or society. The ecstatic feeling of viewing a woman's naked body is something few men can resist. If live action is not available, recorded action is always welcome. And if the sexual act is available for watching, it becomes even more irresistible. For pornographic action, one need not bother to pursue brothels, which often involves some risks. To find the company of a stranger woman may be enjoyed more comfortably away from homes, in tourist resorts, beaches and rooms of hotels. But it is always troublesome if not impossible to pursue prostitutes in one's own city. There is always a substantial danger of being watched or caught by relatives. If one is married, absence from home is always inquired and scrutinised by the spouse. All men are also not bold enough to take all types of risks to satiate their yearnings. To watch a pornographic action is a much less risky option. There is much lesser fear of being trapped by the police. Legal action is hardly a possibility. One does not even have to fear the threat of getting infected with serious sex transmitted infections. It is less costly too; and is available at your home. Till a few years back, one had to make special arrangements to watch a porn film. One had to fetch a cassette or CD from a shop and arrange a videocassette recorder. Now all is instantly available in the bed-room itself. There are hosts of TV channels that telecast "adult" films and soft porn. Hard porn is available on the Internet. In fact, online pornography has become the first consistently successful e-commerce product. According to US News & World Report, dated 3.7.2000, there are at least forty thousand porn sites on the World Wide Web and probably thousands more. "No one has been able to count them all." According to estimates, there are more than forty thousand URLs containing child pornography, paedophilia and pro-paedophilia content. According to Nelson Net Ratings, more than 20 million surfers visit porn sites from their homes every month. Obviously the amount involved in the surfing is staggering. According to US News & World Report, web surfers spent $970 million on access to adult content sites in 1998, and expected to rise to more than 3 billion dollar by the year 2003. Cyber-porn sales including videos and accessories ordered on-line, accounted for 8% of 1999's $18 billion e-commerce pie. There are sites that claim thousands of thousands visitors every day. Though age is no bar, the most likely visitors of these web-sites are youth, of course. The presence of sex related web-sites is so overwhelming that even those who are not searching for them have to encounter them. 30% of all unsolicited e-mails contain pornographic action. And as soon as one gets to a sex-related web-site for one reason or the other, other sites automatically start unfolding. According to a survey conducted by The Safe America Foundation, more than 50% of teens have encountered offensive web-sites that include pornography. 91% of them did so unintentionally. At least 25% of teens have been found to have intentionally accessed to sexual content. With the kind of relationship that exists between parents and children, it is only to be expected that more than 60% of parents are unaware of their children accessing to the objectionable web-sites. Pornographers are known to disguise their sites with common brand names including Disney, Barbie, ESPN etc to entrap children.

Table 5 MULTI BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY (CONTD.)

### MULTI BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY (CONTD.)

  * 16% of Internet's porn materials accessed through America Online - brings in $7 million per month via porn. (US News & World Report, 3/27/2000)

  * Cyberporn sales accounted for 8% of last year's $18 billion e-commerce. (Forrester Research report)

  * The top internet porn site boasted more unique visitors in Jan. 2000 than ESPN.com, CDNOW, or barnesandnoble.com. (Source: US News & World Report, 3/27/2000)

  * In the U.S., nearly 900 theatres show porn films and more than 15,000 adult bookstores and video stores offer porn material. (Source: Final Report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, p. 8) ]

HITS ON A PORN SITE

  * Playboy's headquarters received 4.7 million hits (electronic visits) in a recent seven-day period. (Promise Keepers website)

  * Porn video rentals Porn video rentals soared to 665 million in 1996, accounting for 13.3% of video rentals in America. Profits of sales and rentals of porn videos was $4.2 billion in 1996. (USA Today, 9-5-97)

In the case of adults, sex related web-sites are favourite pastime. Dr. Robert Weiss of Sexual Recovery Institute appropriately described cyber-sex as " _the crack cocaine of sexual addiction_ ". The reach of these web-sites can be estimated from the figures given by MSNBC. They tell us that 57 million Americans have access to the Internet, and out of all visits, 60% are sexual in nature. It has been estimated that 25 million Americans visit cyber-sex between 1-10 hours per week. Another 4.7 million visit for more. Every moment, at least two hundred thousand internet-users are hooked on porn sites, X-rated chat rooms or other sexual materials online.

Apart from Internet, public libraries have too become a " _breeding ground for the sexual exploitation of children._ " (Donna Rice Hughes, Senate Hearing Testimony, 28/3/00)

According to " _Dangerous Access, 2000 Edition_ " by David Burt, 452 public libraries reported 2062 incidents of Internet Pornography accessed at libraries. These included 41 cases of child porn being accessed, 472 incidents of children accessing pornography, 962 incidents of adults accessing o porn, 106 incidents of adults exposing children to porn and 5 attempts to molest children in libraries.

The Internet Pornography provides millions of the pictures of nude women in different postures and live actions, and pictures showing women being penetrated in vagina and anuses; women sucking penises in sheer ecstasy with the semen falling on their faces; men licking vaginas; women having sex simultaneously with several men with all their holes being penetrated; women having sex with animals; women being brutally raped; girls being laid by fathers, and sons laying mothers; and what not. Lesbianism and sodomy are increasingly becoming common with sites exclusively committed for their promotion.

Table 6 SOCIAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PORN

SOCIAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PORN

  * 40 to 50% of rapists use porn to arouse themselves prior to seeking out a victim.

  * Even brief exposure to violent pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behaviour, i.e., a more aggressive attitude toward women.

  * Exposure to porn can lead to increased desensitisation to sexual violence and rape.

  * A strong statistical correlation has been found between circulation rates of porn magazines and rape rates in that area.

  * The average age of first time contact of pornography among sex addicts is 11. (American Family Association OutReach, 1997)

  * Men who had "purchased pornographic materials in the past year" had significantly lower marital, fathering and family-life satisfaction. (National Centre for Fathering)

  * Researches demonstrate that pornography contributes to sexual assault, including rape and the molestation of children.

  * Child molesters often use pornography to seduce their prey, to lower the inhibitions of the victim, and to serve as an instruction manual. (PORNOGRAPHY: RESEARCH ADVANCES AND POLICY)

LOOKING FOR ONE THING, FINDING ANOTHER

  * In over 99% of the hits directed to our site, the person performing the search was looking for pornography, many looking for child pornography. To think, 99% used pornography search words inspired our project, Internet Intervention. Internet Intervention is a network of computers, hosting hundreds of websites, which direct the keyword searcher of child pornography to an Intervention Help Site.

ADDICTION TO PORNOGRAPHY

  * Pornography consumption can be as "mood altering" and as addictive as narcotics. (A study by Richard Drake, assistant professor at Brigham Young University College of Nursing)

  * Studies show pornography is progressive and addictive for many. It often leads to the user acting out his fantasy - often on children. (Victor Cline, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Utah 1988, Pornography Effects: Empirical and Clinical Evidence, pg. 24)

WHO CONSUMES PORNOGRAPHY

  * A primary pornography consumer group is boys between ages 12 - 17. (Attorney General's Final Report on Pornography, 1986, pg. 258)

Table 7 PORNOGRAPHY IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

### PORNOGRAPHY IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

  * Public libraries have become a breeding ground for the sexual exploitation of children. (Donna Rice Hughes, Senate Hearing Testimony, 3/28/00)

  * "Dangerous Access, 2000 Edition" by librarian David Burt. 452 public libraries reported 2,062 incidents of Internet pornography accessed at libraries :

  * 41 cases of child porn being accessed

  * 472 incidents of children accessing pornography

  * 962 incidents of adult's accessing porn

  * 106 incidents of adults exposing children to porn

  * 5 attempts to molest children in libraries

  * Over 30% of sites on the World Wide Web are pornographic" (USA Today, April 8, 1998)

  * 40 to 50% of rapists use porn to arouse themselves prior to seeking out a victim.

  * Even brief exposure to violent pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behaviour, i.e., a more aggressive attitude toward women.

  * Exposure to porn can lead to increased desensitisation to sexual violence and rape.

  * A strong statistical correlation has been found between circulation rates of porn magazines and rape rates in that area.

  * The average age of first time contact of pornography among sex addicts is 11. (American Family Association OutReach, 1997)

  * Men who had "purchased pornographic materials in the past year" had significantly lower marital, fathering and family-life satisfaction. (National Centre for Fathering)

  * Researches demonstrate that pornography contributes to sexual assault, including rape and the molestation of children. Child molesters often use pornography to seduce their prey, to lower the inhibitions of the victim, and to serve as an instruction manual. (PORNOGRAPHY: RESEARCH ADVANCES AND POLICY)

The biggest pornographic success story is of Playboy groups. They can boast of being one of the major players in the evolution of " _Sexual Revolution_ ". After setting a milestone in that journey by being the first in the field in 1953, they are celebrating the golden jubilee this year. They are now successfully running a web-site also. This web-site has thousands of nude pictures of gorgeous women. Playboy group has acquired such an immense reputation that top women now feel pride in being photographed in nude and published in the centre-spread of the magazine. Through the web-site, not only pictures are supplied but hard-porn action is also transmitted to those who pay. One has to pay through one's credit card and instant access is available. One can have free tour of a few sites to know what is in store for one's entertainment. A report says:

" _Mostly, success has come through Playboy.com's subscription site which offers much of the exclusive content. Hefner said that live events, such as parties, lingerie fashion shows and even Mardi Gras webcasts are big drivers to that site. Using streaming, Playboy.com shows teasers of the events, in order to drive subscription to the live and on-demand shows. Choosing a subscription model was key, said Hefner, because they didn't want minors accessing adult content, and because the success of Playboy TV showed that people are willing to pay for content. She said the subscription had a 50-percent growth rate last year.....Teasers are also used to drive customers back to Playboy TV. Hefner said that clips of its Playboy TV reality show called "7 Lives Exposed" are on the Web site, and that traffic has increased tremendously —from 10,000 visitors a week to 50,000. ..Playboy.com's business is growing so fast, that it is building a new $20 million studio in L.A. to create more streaming and television content, including the ability to do more live shows. In the future, Hefner said that it was looking to video-on-demand as well as finding better ways to make content searchable._ "

Playboy groups have been publishing Playboy for a long period of time. It is published in 16 international editions. Millions of copies are sold. The magazine contains total nudity and interviews of celebrities and articles.

MSNBC described cyber-sex as _" a public health hazard exploding because very few are recognising it as such or taking it seriously._ " According to Dr. Weiss, sex is the top researched topic on Internet. He warned that "cyber-sex reinforces and normalises sexual orders." But in the world of the globalisation of sex trade, who would lament that? The impact of sex trade will be scrutinised in the next chapters.

#  Orchard Demolished

The reprocessing of the fragrance of sex soon started to show results. With the continuous research and reprocessing and purification of the sexoil, the Devil's Superexpress of business has started pacing the track with greater speed with every passing day. But the fuel is fuel. It cannot be fragrance. The more the sexoil was used for speeding the train, the more it polluted the atmosphere. Attempts were made and are being made to minimise the pollution. But the pollution caused by the sexoil is too notorious to be regulated. The smoke generated by it soon started engulfing everything. Within no time it diffused to the orchard. The manufacturers of the deadly fuel knew the hazards that their product posed but they also knew that nothing else could fill their belly the way it could.

The biggest and perhaps the most destructive impact of the on-going march of economic fundamentalism was systematic, steady and substantial erosion of family system. This was the result of both the orchestrated designs to undermine family as well as the unintended adverse effects of the socio-economic transformation that was being pushed by the big business with all the possible means at their disposal. Misogamy grew in intensity. As described earlier, making early marriage illegal, banning polygamy and giving social sanction to premarital sex have been the chief steps in destroying the family system. This was obviously aimed at dissociating sex from marriage.

Table 8 FACTS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

### FACTS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  * Every fifteen seconds, a woman is beaten by her husband or boyfriend. (FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 1991)

  * National surveys indicate that at least 2 million women are assaulted by their male partners each year. (Straus and Gelles, 1990)

  * The American Medical Association estimates that almost 4 million women are the victims of severe assaults by boyfriends and husbands each year, and about one in four women is likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. (Sarah Glazer, "Violence Against Women," CQ Researcher, Congressional Quarterly Inc., February 1993)

  * Approximately 97% of the victims of domestic violence are women. (U.S. Dept. of Justice)

  * Violence by intimate partners is the leading cause of injury for women, "responsible for more injuries that car crashes, rapes, and muggings combined." (Centres for Disease Control)

  * In the United States, a women is more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped or killed by a male partner than by any other type of assailant. (Browne, A. and K.R. Williams, 1989)

  * Females are victims of family violence at a rate of three times that of males. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1993)

  * Abused women make up approximately 22-35% of women who seek medical attention at hospital emergency rooms. (Randall, 1988)

  * More than 50% of women are battered at some time in their lives; over one-third are battered repeatedly. (Peachey, 1988)

  * Approximately 70% of murdered women are killed by a husband, lover, or estranged husband or lover. Approximately two-thirds of those murdered by intimate partners or ex-partners have been physically abused before they were killed. (Campbell, 1981, 1992; Wallace, 1986)

  * More than twice as many women are killed by their husbands or boyfriends as are murdered by strangers. (Kellerman, 1992)

  * Every day in this country approximately four women are killed by a male intimate partner. (Stout, 1991)

  * The nation's police spend approximately one-third of their time responding to domestic violence calls. (Domestic Violence: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, New Jersey Dept. of Community Affairs, 1990)

  * Estimates of the percentage of pregnant women who are battered run as high as 25%. (Flitcraft, 1990)

  * Abuse of pregnant women is the leading cause of birth defects and infant mortality. (March of Dimes study)

  * Most prevalence rate studies estimate that 28% of all adult women in a relationship are victims of domestic violence on an annual basis. (Anna Wilson, ed., Introduction to Homocide: The Victim/Offender, 1993)

  * Separated or divorced women were 14 times more likely than married women to report having been a victim of violence by a spouse or ex-spouse, accounting for 75% of all reports of battering. (Bureau of Justice, 1991)

  * As many as 50% of women killed by partners/husbands are murdered at or after separation. (Wilson and Daly, 1991; Barnard, 1981)

  * As much as 90% of the hostage-taking in this country is domestic. Domestic hostage-taking attempts to coerce a partner to return or remain in a marriage or relationship. 100% of these hostage-takers are men. (FBI, 1989)

  * 40 children are abducted by a parent each hour in the U.S. More than half occur in the context of domestic violence. More than 80% of abductions by parents occur after separation. Almost 40% of the abductions by fathers involve force or violence. (Finklehor et al, 1990; Grief and Hegar, 1992)

  * (This information was compiled from a variety of sources: Massachusetts Coalition of Battered Women's Service Groups Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Clearinghouse for the Defence of Battered Women MS Magazine)

  * *Domestic violence is increasing in Russia, with 14,000 women dying every year at the hands of their husbands or other relatives. (Amnesty Internatic)

  * *Divorce and separation is on the increase. It looks likely that more than a third of all new marriages will end within 20 years and four out of ten of them will end ultimately in divorce. Current trends show that one in four children will experience parental separation or divorce by the age of 16. (Different sources)

Thus the social apparatus built by the economic fundamentalists has led not only to the destabilisation of family, but also to almost its total annihilation. This has resulted in a number of social problems: domestic violence including abuse of women and children, divorces and separations, single parenthood, etc. Free mixing of men and women, the rise in sexual aggressiveness among women and the decreasing financial dependence of women on men have all contributed to the development of affairs both before and after marriage. Due to an increasing intolerance towards each other and total absence of endeavours to adjust with the spouse, extramarital affairs, sooner than later, lead to the break-up of marriages. It is almost a universal fact that couples do expect primariness in their relationships; in places like India and Islamic countries, men and women do not even tolerate past relationships of their spouses. A man is highly unlikely to accept a woman in marriage if he knows about her intimate relationship in the past. They do not feel like entering where others have entered. Even women do have an exaggerated sense of exclusiveness and the knowledge of any past relationships of their spouses does not go particularly well with them. In West, previous relationships are almost always not much of a problem for a new relationship to commence. But once they are in a relationship, they too do not tolerate any body else in the lives of their spouses. But such is the freedom in air and the provocation all around, that extramarital liaisons have become routine affairs. The desire to look sexually charming propels both men and women to present themselves in the most attractive clothes and manners. Parties and get-togethers provide them the right kind of opportunity to benefit from their charms. In the absence of any law to punish such relationships, there is hardly anything that would discourage the initiation of a relationship, its steady growth and its logical conclusion leading to sex. So even a minor trigger is enough for the commencement of affairs. Thus, according to a report, the numbers of those who admit having extramarital affairs range from 25 to 75 percent of all males and 15 to 60 per cent of all females. According to another report ( _Janus and Janus, The Janus Report on sexual behaviour. New York: Wiley_ ), 26 p.c. of wives and 50 p.c. of husbands openly accepted having had at least one relationship outside marriage before the age of 40. Vaughan ( _The Monogamy Myth: A personal handbook for recovering from affairs. NY: New Market Press 1998_ ) has claimed that 80 per cent of all marriages will be affected by one partner who has an affair. While it is not always the case that an affair starts with the desire to have sex, other factors being important, it does not usually take more than a few encounters before their emotional attachment transforms into physical intimacy. Scores of reasons may however be counted as contributory factors. These include some sort of dissatisfaction with the marital relationship, emotional hollowness, need for change in the variety of sex, inability to resist a sexual opportunity, anger or loss of respect for partner for one reason or the other, loss of love on account of various factors including their living away from one another, sexual incompatibility and return of an old partner in life. This is despite the fact that in theory most of the people seem to believe that extramarital relationships are unhealthy. Such is the power of attraction between opposite sexes that, as soon as the two individuals meet in favourable environs, feelings start to get hold of them. The initial stage is one of an emotional proximity, a feeling of sharing sentiments. It is not necessary that the two immediately start in terms of thinking about jumping to the bed. Often they realise that what they are doing may seriously hamper their respective marriages. One or both can even make certain conscious efforts not to let things develop further. But since nothing concrete has been expressed yet, they do not mind going together to have a cup of coffee or dinner. There is a definite amount of curiosity to know about each other's sentiments. Soon this secrecy of inner sentiments trickles to the surface; first the eyes and then the words begin to express the so-far-unspoken words. They will pull out all the sops to convince each other. And once words unite, bodies are hardly in any position to resist for long. The die is cast. The excitement of the new relationship is too overwhelming for the ennui of the old relationship to outdo. The separation or divorce becomes inevitable. Often this happens without any major reason for the break. But if the relationship had already been soured, parting takes place almost immediately.

Table 9 COHABITATION AND MARRIAGE

### COHABITATION AND MARRIAGE

  * By age 30, three-quarters of women in the U.S. have been married and about half have cohabited outside of marriage. (Report on cohabitation, marriage, divorce, and remarriage released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

  * Unmarried cohabitations overall are less stable than marriages. The probability of a first marriage ending in separation or divorce within 5 years is 20 percent, but the probability of a premarital cohabitation breaking up within 5 years is 49 percent. After 10 years, the probability of a first marriage ending is 33 percent, compared with 62 percent for cohabitations. (same report from CDC)

  * Marriages tend to last longer under certain conditions, such as: a woman's age at the time cohabitation or marriage began; whether she was raised throughout childhood in an intact 2-parent family; whether religion plays an important role in her life; and whether she had a higher family income or lived in a community with high median family income, low male unemployment, and low poverty. (CDC)

  * Marriages that end do not always end in divorce; many end in separation and do not go through the divorce process. Separated white women are much more likely (91 percent) to divorce after 3 years, compared with separated Hispanic women (77 percent) and separated black women (67 percent).

  * 2nd marriages will end in separation or divorce (23 percent after 5 years and 39 percent after 10 years).

  * The likelihood that divorced women will remarry has been declining since the 1950's, when women who divorced had a 65 percent chance of remarrying. Data for 1995 show that women who divorced in the 1980's only had a 50 percent chance of remarrying.

While this is true that, in the development of extramarital affairs, sex is not necessarily the sole guiding factor, this is also true that many people, men more often than women, are actively looking for different sex partners. Sex in a permissive society more often than not becomes a food; one does not just want to eat different preparations of the same eatable but also varieties of different foods. In Western countries sexuality has become so aggressive both among men and women that their desire for variety is hardly ever saturated. Those who have strong morals or conscience try to suppress their desires for the sake of family, or sometimes for the fear of God. Less conscientious have hardly any plausible reason to continue to remain thirsty. They use every possible mean to satiate their ever-growing passion, further emblazoned by the images that they watch in different forms of media. When media are full of images of fathers having sex with daughters and even sons, and mothers with sons and daughters, no wonder then that incidences of fathers abusing children are ever on the increase.

With the aggressive sexuality on rise among both men and women, it was natural for promiscuity to rise to new heights. This is hardly surprising that while polygamy would be labelled as a disgrace for women, promiscuity would be celebrated with thunderous cheers. Thus a condom manufacturing company—who else could have done the job better—conducted a study on the sexual choices and frequencies (of sex) of men and women all over the world, and declared with an undiluted audacity that America remained the world's sexual superpower. Who else could be at the top in sex than the only super power of the present world? The company, Durex SSL International, declared that the world was having more sex, and started earlier than ever before. The US was leading in all the departments, the study said. The survey said that as opposed to 96 times a year in the previous year, people this year had sex 97 times a year. Americans on average had sex 124 times a year and with over 14 different partners. The average age of starting sex in America was 16, lesser than anywhere in the world. According to this report, Greeks, Germans, France, Britain and New Zealand were other big powers in the field. The survey did also show the preferences for different places for the purpose of lovemaking, beaches being the most popular followed by a runner-up hot tub, cars, offices and swimming pools. According to another study, more than 95% of Americans are promiscuous. In the face of promiscuity being celebrated, where is the place for family to cheer up?

In Eastern regions like India and Islamic countries, family survives because all the members contribute to the strengthening of family ties. Even a father of a fifty-year-old son demonstrates an undiminished concern for his son and is always ready to guide and help him when he arrives at the crossroads. The family as a unit plans the marriages of boys and girls. In this planning, several important considerations are taken into account. These include compatibility of the boy and the girl with emphasis on their physical as well as educational similarities and the social and financial compatibility of the families. The character of the members of both families is examined. Though there is always a possibility of the descendants not inheriting the traits of their parents and grandparents, this serves as a helpful indicator. This is not that the consents of boys and girls are not sought. There was a time, which is still the case in rural areas or more orthodox urban families, when boys and girls especially the latter used to have little say in their marriages. Often their silence would be construed as acceptance. If a boy or girl were not willing to accept, family members would try to convince them. This is true that often they would be persuaded into submission. This can look odd, even outrageous, to most Western boys and girls that a marriage can be planned without knowing and without feeling love in their hearts for each other. And it should be accepted that a large percentage of marriages are based primarily on compromise rather than love. But still, these marriages last longer, and in remarkable number of cases, successfully. There is an element of sacredness in the union, and every attempt is made by the spouses and their respective families to keep the marriage going. And in substantial number of cases, spouses develop enviable love and understanding between each other. Unlike a Western woman who attracts the attention of her partner through shameless demonstration of aggressive sexuality, a typical Indian girl attracts through her innocence. In West, the couple soon starts getting bored of each other, as after some time, they have nothing new to offer. In Eastern countries, the intimacy continues to grow for decades. Marriage in these cultures is regarded as not just the meeting of two bodies but also of two souls. This feeling of oneness between spouses grows with time. Whenever there is semblance of acrimony emerging between the two, closest relatives do not fail to step in to stem the tide. Huge efforts are made to make them bury or at least sort out their differences. Separation or divorce is a rare result. More than 95% of marriages last till the cruel hands of death separate the couples. And by that time, such is the strength of the bond between the surviving partner and the family of the deceased that the death of the spouse does not necessarily mean severing of relations with his or her family as well. If he or she still happens to be young, their spouses' families often assist them in their remarriage. Obviously divorces and separations are rare, despite the fact that they have been showing an upward trend in the recent years. It can be argued that a sizeable number of couples do not realise their passions to the full. Yet, it can be argued with greater vehemence that this is a small price for what is achieved: family peace.

Table 10 DISINTEGRATION OF FAMILY SYSTEM

### DISINTEGRATION OF FAMILY SYSTEM

  * In an American Values poll, 46.7% felt that the breakdown of the family institution was a more pressing issue for the country in the next few years than the threat of terrorism on U. S. soil, Chinese aggression, or even the availability of guns. The problem cited next most frequently was terrorism on U. S. soil (16.2%), followed by the availability of guns (14.1%), and Chinese aggression (10.9%). An additional 6.9% identified an issue other than those listed as options, and 5.2% were not sure.

  * Over 55% of Republican respondents said that erosion of the family structure was the top problem facing the country. More than a third of Democrats agreed, but a large number also thought that terrorism or firearm issues should be considered the top concern. (Reuters)

  * White babies born to unwed mothers are 70 percent more likely to die in the first year, and black infants born out of wedlock are 40 percent more likely to die. Even a college degree does not erase the marital status risk: babies of white, unwed college graduates were still 50 percent more likely to die than babies born to educated white mothers who were also married. (Marriage and Children's Health and Longevity by Maggie Gallagher)

  * Adults from non-intact families were 70 percent more likely to have circulatory problems, 56 percent more likely to show signs of mental illness, 27 percent more likely to have chronic aches and pains, and 26 percent more likely to rate their overall health as poor. (Marriage and Children's Health and Longevity By Maggie Gallagher)

  * One study found that parental divorce reduced a child's life expectancy by four years, even after controlling for childhood health status and family background, as well as personality characteristics such as impulsivity and emotional instability. Another analysis of this same data found that 40 year old men whose parents had divorced were three times more likely to die than 40 year old men whose parents stayed married. (Marriage and Children's Health and Longevity By Maggie Gallagher)

  * A large Swedish study found that as adults, children raised in single parent families were 56 percent more likely to show signs of mental illness than children from intact married homes. (Marriage and Children's Health and Longevity By Maggie Gallagher)

Table 11 INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

### INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  * Violence against women in the home remains the most pervasive form of human rights abuse. Domestic Violence was declared a Human Rights issue for the first time at a United Nations Conference in 1994. It will be a major focus for the Fourth UN Conference on Women and Development, in Beijing, China, September 1995.

  * A recent study indicates that, based on expected sex ratios, the world population is short by about 60 million women, apparently because of the selective abortion of female foetuses, female infanticide, the withholding of medical care and food from girls and women, and from wife murder.

  * According to official Indian government statistics, (generally regarded as a low estimate.) there have been more than 11,259 dowry-related murders in India the last three years. One dowry death every one hour 42 minutes; One rape every 54 minutes; One molestation every 26 minutes; One kidnapping/abduction every 43 minutes.

  * In Bangladesh 50 percent of all murders are of wives by husbands.

  * *Due to less food and medical care, girls aged 2 to 4 die at nearly twice the rate as boys in rural Punjab, India

  * A study of amniocentesis in a large Bombay hospital found that 95.5 % of foetuses identified as female were aborted.

  * A survey done in Santiago, Chile indicates that 80% of women have suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse by a male partner or relative; 63% report they are currently being abused.

  * 33% of women who come to hospital emergency rooms in Peru are victims of domestic violence.

  * Brazil has approximately 841 all-female police stations to assist victims of violence

  * In India and Bangladesh, female mortality between ages 1-5 is 30-50% higher than male.

  * Doctors in Sudan have estimated that fatalities due to female circumcision, especially infibulation, are approximately one third of all girls in areas where antibiotics are not available.

  * In Cochabamba, Bolivia, 79% of female child prostitutes questioned said they had run away from violent homes where male relatives had beaten and raped them.

  * At a recent 12- country workshop held in China on women's nonformal education, participants were asked to name the worst aspect of being female: fear of male violence was the almost unanimous answer. (Different sources)

Contrast this with West. If family in the Oriental World is the wheels that carry the train of life forward, in the Occidental World, it is nothing more than the tyres that are frequently changed. Family there, in whatever form it exists, is limited to husband, wife and minor children. As soon as a child blossoms into adulthood, he or she has little interest left in continuing with parents. Rather than caring for the sentiments and desires of their parents, they prefer to make efforts to realise theirs own. They want to have separate flats at the earliest so that they do not have to face staring eyes when they bring their friends with them. Come evening, and they are busy looking for potential partners. And it is not even necessary to always wait for the evening. If opportunity is there, every time and every place are right to hit the target. As the sun sets, the lights of hotels and night-clubs begin to shine and are in full display by midnight. Everywhere sex is at its best. In night-clubs, women galore in sizzling costumes and styles. What they wear reveals much more than what it hides. And men are there, ready to display their masculinity and pounce on their preys without wasting any time. Cabaret dancers and stripteasers are displaying their hot bodies and spellbinding actions to inflame the passions of the spectators. And to further intoxicate the atmosphere, alcohol is being transfused in abundance to their bloods through goblets and glasses. With everything provoking and nothing inhibiting their instincts, they do not even have to wait for seclusion. Dancing to hot numbers is already enveloping couples in the smouldering fire of passion. Arms round necks, bosoms begin to strike bosoms and lips start to advance towards one another. With bodies aroused, they either slip to a corner, or a room, or a car to finish. More often, they leave the scene to return to their hotel-rooms or flats where all the night is theirs. When a couple starts feeling that they are "made for each other" or the product of their "love" begins to challenge them, they often, not always, decide to formalise their tie. Marriage is announced. Parents, relatives and friends have nothing much to oblige except to cheer them up when they exchange the wedding rings and the wedding kiss. The priest blesses them and prays to God for the marriage to be happy and lasting. But his prayers would mostly prove in vain. The ring would not prove to be the eternity ring. The marriage, with few glaring exceptions, does not last long: for a few weeks, months or at the most, a few years. The honeymoon is soon over. The distance has started growing. Separations and divorces follow. Next affair. Marriage again. Divorce again. By the time, men and women celebrate their fiftieth birthday, they have had a good share of guys or girls in their life. Sometimes the list is too long to keep an account. And fifty years is no age to retire. Not only men, women also, even if they have already hit the menopause, are looking for new partners. Their emotional sexuality is too strong to be suppressed by the growing weakness of their physical sexuality. Men on their part do not stop boasting of their sexual powers even in their seventies and eighties; they would claim they are good enough for girls one third of their age. The famous saying is : From dust thou art, to dust thou returnest. For them it reads like this: From flesh thou art, to flesh thou returnest. A few inches of flesh is what they have come from in this world, for it they live and for it they die.

Superficially it may appear that people in Western countries do enjoy these repeated break-ups and marriages. This is not necessarily the case. Usually the break-up occurs on account of the errant behaviour of one of the partners, whether it is due to neglect caused by an extramarital affair or domestic violence or any other factor. It can be argued that men are more often responsible for the separation though women too are to be blamed in substantial number of cases. The economic "empowerment" of women has not given them any appreciable advantage over men whose physical supremacy tends to dictate terms. I need not be misunderstood here to suggest that economic empowerment of women is undesirable. But when the hidden motive behind this happens to be an uninhibited exploitation of their beauty and needs, and the legal framework is reconstructed to support that sinister objective, what else can be achieved other than what is visible? The economic independence of women has been proving counterproductive. Assured as they are in their financial matters, they do not make all-out efforts to keep the marriage going. And there are hardly persons in their or their husbands' families who would venture to come to their rescue. Nobody would come forward to help them reconcile their differences. The decision to marry was theirs, without any interference of the relatives. So they have to learn to live together themselves. The bond among blood-relatives or in-laws is usually not strong enough to influence the outcome. If a close friend or relative intends to make any tangible effort to help them, his advice is usually not solicited. He is told, politely or otherwise, to mind his own business. Whatever the circumstances leading to the dissolution of marriage, it almost always leaves a bad taste. One of the partners, the one who thinks him/herself to be less responsible, has a broken heart. Sentiments are traumatised. And these traumatised sentiments more than the desire of having another partner often cause him/her to get closer to a person who happens or appears to give a healing touch to his/her wounded heart. And then the same story is repeated. Despite having had the privilege of the company of several companions, each of whom looked wonderful in the honeymoon phase of the companionship, people still desire long term relationships. This is more often the case with women than men who arguably suffer less on account of a broken marriage. This is hardly surprising then that people have been showing increased concern about the disintegration of family system. According to a Zogby poll, reported by Reuters, Americans seem to be "more concerned with the decay of nation's social fabric than about the threat of violence." The results of this survey indicated that more than 46 per cent of the respondents cited the breakdown of family as a more pressing issue in the next few years than the threat of terrorism on the US soil (16.2%), the availability of guns (14.1%) and Chinese aggression (10.9%). Interestingly Republican respondents (55%) seemed to be more concerned about the erosion of family structure than Democrats (33%). And the greater concern for the disintegration of family over terrorism is understandable. Terrorism can affect at the most a few thousands, a very minuscule percentage of the populace; the break-up of family affects almost everybody.

When love effectively means love-making hardly incorporating in it care (for each other), loyalty and desire to live together forever as essential ingredients; the legal framework fails to distinguish between an in-marriage and out-of-marriage sexual relationship; the bazaar revolves (directly or indirectly) on the pivot of sex and female beauty; virtually no social stigma attached to marital discords exists; religious fear of God preventing spouses from immoral liaisons is absent; and surroundings are hardly amenable to the continuation of a decent marriage, an ever-growing incidence of divorces and separations is not an unexpected outcome. The picture in West is too murky to be believed by those living in East. In East, too, which is fast treading on the footsteps of West, it is getting murkier with every passing day. I will conclude the chapter by quoting a comment from a reader appearing on the Internet:

" _What is the average persistence of normal monogamous marriage these days? A year or two? And to what extent does the weird little ethnic group we belong to affect those stats (what is the average duration of marriage between two nerds)? When I got married the first time my wife went back to the law firm where she worked and the lawyers pulled out this recent issue of harper's or utne or something which claimed that the average period until the first extramarital affair for the husband was eighteen months and for the wife was one year. So they all proceeded to try to arrange dates for our first anniversary. We didn't have the heart to explain to them that neither one of us was average._ "

#  Flowers Defoliated

The pollutants released by the sexoil did not just vitiate the atmosphere of the orchard. They started leaving their effect on everything that the orchard boasted of. Flowers began to wither. Attempts were made to enhance their beauty by giving them artificial colours. But these colours proved futile in the end. They could create a false impression of beauty for a while but could not conceal the lustreless inside for long.

The combined effect of the commercialisation of sex, the social culture it spawned and the legal framework that its proponents propelled was an overwhelming increase in all kinds of violence. Rapes, murders, abuses and other forms of domestic violence have reached a level at which a society loses its claim to be civilised. Whenever there is anarchy, it is the weak that suffer most. Obviously women and children are at the receiving end of an overwhelming majority of the cases of violence unleashed by changed perceptions about sex.

Table 12 RAPE

### RAPE

  * Somewhere in America, a woman is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

  * In 1996, 307,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimisation Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997]

  * Between 1995 and 1996, more than 670,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimisation Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997]

  * One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not reporting these crimes are the belief that it is a private or personal matter and that they fear reprisal from the assailant.

  * In 1996, only 31% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials - less than one in every three. [National Crime Victimisation Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997]

  * Approximately 68% of rape victims knew their assailant. [Violence against Women. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994)

  * Approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives.

  * One of every four rapes take place in a public area or in a parking garage.

  * 29% of female victims reported that the offender was a stranger.

  * 68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

  * At least 45% of rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

  * In 29% of rapes, the offender used a weapon.

  * In 47% of rapes, the victim sustained injuries other than rape injuries.

Let us first concentrate our attention on rape! The conditions that prevail in a typical Western society, or any society that follows Western legal system or tries to imitate its social norms, are good enough for rapes to abound. The empowerment of women sans security has made them easy targets. They are no longer confined to the safe environs of family for most of the time. They usually get out of out of their houses early in the day and do not come back till the night has settled in. They are normally not accompanied by any that would guard them. Often they are travelling or walking in lonely areas away from the public gaze. They often happen to be in situations and places where their screams for help have little chances to be heard. Their appearance hardly helps them. While several factors contribute to the rise in the incidence of rapes, two are the chief culprits. The first and more important is the laxity of law, in word as well as in practice. The second is provocative images in the media, including soft and hard porn, nude pictures, and highly provocative write-ups. It can be argued that rape is more violence manifested in sex rather than sex manifested in violence. Whichever the case, the truth is that the above two factors remain the ultimate culprits. It may be right that it is the desire to overpower a person rather than have sex is responsible for rapes. But these could never have culminated into sexual assaults, except in a small number of cases, had the atmosphere not been so terrifically charged with sex and the law not been so terribly impotent, as they have become.

There was a time not long ago, hardly a century back, when almost all over the world, harsh penalties awaited not just rapes but all forms of sex outside the accepted boundaries. Law as well as society would hunt the breakers of law. Rape was least acceptable, and would almost always be punished with death. The only escape route for the culprit was the lack of evidence to support rape. But in many cases, sufficient evidence would be gathered to ensure a speedy trial, prompt conviction and swift execution. It was a general feeling in the minds of common men that their slightest misdemeanour could land them in the hands of authorities, and any misguided adventure could lead them to the gallows. This fear would get strengthened whenever there was the news of a convict being stoned to death or beheaded in full public view. Rapes obviously were far and few. In countries where such laws are in practice, even today, rapes are rare. In many Islamic countries, and the countries of the Socialist block, rapes have been rather uncommon compared to West and India. In America, according to the US Department of Justice, a woman is sexually assaulted every second minute. In1996, more than three hundred thousand women became victims of rapes, attempted rapes or sexual assaults. According to National Crime Victimisation Survey, less than one in every three cases of rapes and sexual assaults were reported in 1996. And still more gruesome is the fact that the perpetrators of these crimes often happen to be acquaintances. Better knowledge of the movements of victims, greater availability of time and space to put their sinister plans into practice, intemperance especially in the night hours and lesser fear of being reported may be some of the factors that might be the driving force behind this. Thus, according to the US Department of Justice, more than two third of cases knew their assailant. The survey tells that 28% of victims were raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances and 5% by other relatives. Obviously more rapes occur in private places. Still the number of cases occurring in public places is about 25%. This demonstrates that rapists have hardly any fear of being stopped or challenged by anybody. They are almost certain that their crime will go either unreported, or at least unpunished. This belief is further strengthened by the fact that about one third of rape cases occurred in daylight. And it is not surprising that about less than a half of the offenders were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Where there is provocation all around, sexuality has become extremely aggressive, and there is hardly anything that prevents a person from satiating his sexual desire in whatever manner he thinks fit, it is not inconceivable that children too become victims of sexual assault. According to Justice Department, in the US, one in two rape victims is under 18, and one in six under 12. This means that more than two third of victims are those that have not attained the official age of adulthood. Cases are often reported in the newspapers where the victims of rape are children less than 6. How rape is demolishing the whole myth of women's "freedom" and "empowerment" can be gauged from the statistics that look horrible in the very first sight. Every eleventh woman in the US and every fourth in South Africa have been raped, and attempt to rape has been made on every fourth woman in the US and every second in South Africa. Conditions in most of the European countries are no better. Data on United Kingdom tell that one in 4 of women have experienced rape or attempted rape; one in seven have been coerced into sex. The international data confirm that the sexual victimisation has become almost a global phenomenon now. According to Statistics Canada, one in three women have experienced sexual assault. Over 60% of these women have more than one such experience. What is disturbing is that only 6% cases are reported. This demonstrates the lack of confidence in law-enforcing agencies as well as the inability of women to report on account of the fact that a substantial majority of the assailants are their nears and dears.

India is also fast becoming a contender in the race to attain the peak in all sex-related problems. Her glorious family traditions are slowly but steadily being devoured by the monster of commercial sex. It has chosen to adopt the Western style of legal system with the result that all forms of crime abound. The situation on the rape front is hardly encouraging. More than 50,000 rapes are reported every year. The number of unreported cases far exceeds the reported ones. Minor girls and boys are raped with impunity. When a few years back, the country's Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vapayee spoke in a conference about his intentions to amend the existing law so as to make it possible to punish the rapists with death sentence, I could not believe my ears. But I was sure the country's Prime Minster did not have the guts or even power to make a law that would rile the big business. I told my friends that soon the global forces of economic fundamentalism would enter the picture from behind the scene, and there was little chance for Vajpayee to proceed with what he felt right in his heart. And within a few days, the government clarified that it did not plan to bring any legislation that would punish the rapist with death sentence. Instead an alternative measure was mooted to help the rape victims. This was aimed at insuring women against rape; if they have their honour insured with an Insurance Company, they would have the benefit of securing handsome amounts in case they happen to be raped. So another business is in the making with its tentacles ready to capture as many women as possible. What a travesty of morality! What an empowerment of women! They need not unnecessarily fear about being raped; they could in fact earn fortunes out of it. Insurance Companies would of course earn even when women do not seek compensation. But the more the incidence of rapes rises the more the companies would grow their business. And their growth will reflect itself in the GDP of the country. So the state too need not bother too much about what is happening to its women and children. Their life and honour may be important but not as important as are the "needs" of "development".

About thirty years back, I remember a writer having remarked that women can be equal to men in all respects except that it is only they who can be raped. The talk of rape of men would seem to be ridiculous to all in those days and to many even now. But this too has become a reality. With homosexuality on the rise as a result of legal or social permissiveness, and promotion by vested interests, it is hardly surprising that men are also being raped. And with the aggressive sexuality of modern women, they too have the right to feel delighted in, and boast of, raping men, either at the gunpoint or by the combined efforts of a group. Why should women lag behind when "equality" to their "feministic" passion remains an agenda that can never be sidetracked, whatever the circumstances, whatever the consequences? So the National Crime Victimisation Survey informs us that while 9 out of 10 victims of rape are women, men and boys are also victimised by this crime.

As has been said above, an overwhelming majority of the cases is not reported. This demonstrates, apart from other compelling reasons, total lack of faith in the minds of the victims in the ability of the system to nab and punish the culprits to their satisfaction. Data have established that not more than 6% of rape cases lead to the conviction. According to Home Office (UK) Study of Rape, over two thirds of cases dropped out during the police investigation. Half of the cases that were "crimed" by police resulted in no further action. According to the same report, in a small minority (12%) of "stranger rape" cases where the suspect was identified, the case was more likely to proceed to court than in those cases where the culprit and suspect were previously acquainted. And if at all a case reported reaches the stage of conviction, what is the punishment for him? Hardly a few years' imprisonment. Once freed from the prison there are always possibilities that he takes on his victim again, this time with more care so that he does not have to face execution again. Often this means that he has to get rid of his victim so that she does not survive to report. When millions of women are raped every year all over the world and hardly a few thousands are punished, only hundreds severely, the disincentive for a rapist is hardly enough to strangle the incentive he sees in it.

As the rising incidence of rapes has direct relation to the growth of commercialisation of sex, obviously huge efforts would be made at the behest of vested interests to play down the problem. Every possible trick would be employed. As is the case with the criminals in general who have much wider support to protect themselves than their hapless victims do, rapists too have plenty of backing. There are many that venture to disregard rape as something serious, and twist their arguments to pinpoint the blame on victims rather than culprits. They have quite a few arsenals of reason in their armoury to advance their frontline. They often go to the extent of alleging a tacit approval by the victim claiming that if women really want to, they can always say no. They forget that a woman would rarely want sex without any benefit to her: she should either have an emotional satisfaction or, as in the case of prostitutes, a monetary benefit. Their cronies in the media, particularly Internet, have been lately busy in glorifying rapes; women are being made to believe that even rapes are pleasurable activities, the delight of which is no less than any other form of sex. But so far it is extremely unimaginable that women would enjoy it and would not resist it with their hearts and minds. In reality, they cry, scream, try to escape and often wrestle to the best of their ability. Sometimes they try to reason out, even plead. But the rapist would not listen. Why should he when he has an opportunity to discharge fluids of his desires without fearing any serious damage to his life? Rapists are also said to be psychologically deranged, perverts or mentally ill. If they are mentally ill, their place is in a psychiatric asylum; they cannot be let free to play with the lives and honour of others. The truth is that, in overwhelming majority of the cases, they are neither mentally ill nor psychiatrically deranged. They rape because they want pleasure; and if pleasure cannot be had with the consent of a woman, it is not an unattractive idea to ignore her consent altogether. They want to dominate, and if they feel the desire to lay specific women, they have nothing to stop them from fulfilling it. This must not surprise anybody that recent studies among the US students indicate that many of students would want to rape provided their safe escape was guaranteed. It is only the fear of the law or that of God that can prevent people from committing aggression on others, and if both are non-existent, the probability of their succumbing to their temptations will certainly enhance. Youngsters do tend to pursue adventurist desires and there cannot be a more exciting adventure than raping an unwilling but young, smart and attractive girl. The suggestion that the looks of a woman and the way she presents herself play some part is plausible. But the fact also remains that all types of women are raped; sometimes even pious women who present themselves in the most decent way possible are subjected to rape.

While rape cannot be condoned whatever the circumstances and however strong the temptation, some feminists have not been helping the cause by trying to defend women who wear provocative dresses. It will be interesting to quote here from a paper appearing on Net under the title "Information on...Rape ad Sexual Assault". In an otherwise well-documented and well-presented paper, under the subtitle, "Common misunderstandings about Rape and Sexual Assault", the author remarks:

" _The argument suggests that women are responsible for sexually arousing men through their dress or 'flirting'. Some people believe that if women invite men in after a date or allow him to pay for dinner this means they are also agreeing to have sex. In some societies, even being alone or going out for the evening with a man can be regarded as tacit permission. But we all have the right to choose when and with whom we have sex, and no-one has the right to presume this - consent means free agreement, an agreement that is explicitly made between two people where there is no threat or coercion. Implicit within this view is the idea that men cannot control their sexual desires and women should know this and adapt their behaviour accordingly. Why do so many men feel comfortable with this view of themselves? It is insulting and demeaning to men who do not think that their penises operate independently of their brains."_

Of course, there is nothing wrong in expecting all men to always behave in an exemplary manner and let their penises not operate independently of their brains. But it is naive to suggest that women must test their patience and control by doing things that may be, or may look, provocative to them. If you have to save your wealth, you also have to take sufficient measures to safeguard it from being robbed; public display of wealth is sure to invite robbers. Women are usually in attractive clothes that project rather than suppress their anatomy. The make-up, styles and perfumes further add the fuel to the fire. Women often advance the argument that it is their right to look charming and, if sleeveless arms or naked legs inflame the passions of a male, it is his bloody duty to tighten the noose on his basal instincts. They want to look inviting to all, and yet expect a chosen few to approach them. Nobody tells them that those who have no control over their baser instincts know or understand hardly any argument that would sober their actions. Their development has taken place in an environment that loathes ethics. Since childhood they have been growing on images that transforms them into lusty animals. And when there is no law strong enough to rein them in, they let loose their instincts. Like a bull that runs after everything red, these herds of beastly humans run after everything round or deep.

Yet, this should not be a ground for the culprits to justify their action. A robbery remains a robbery; a robbery from a jeweller's shop cannot go unpunished on the plea that the robber had been tempted by the display of precious items. The jeweller can be well advised to adopt security measures but the robber cannot be set free on the plea that he was offered an opportunity by the jeweller himself.

The role of the media cannot be ignored in the creation of rapists. It can be argued that rapists are people with utter disregard for morality and ethics. They flaunt social norms for their own satisfaction. They have an evil mental make-up that instigates them to commit the crime. But it is naïve to assume that bad are bad, and good are good, in all conditions. This is not, unfortunately though, the truth. Circumstances and atmosphere tend to play a leading role in influencing people's imaginations and actions. When there is provocation, even good tend to be bad; when there is no provocation, even bad tend to be good. And in the modern world, the media generates the biggest influence on human imaginations and actions. Like almost every other thing, media too is in the hands of the big business. It has nothing to do with morality preached by the "moral police" comprising religiously inclined and other humanists. And who says media suffers from the pellagra of morals? It has plenty of them. But what distinguishes its morals from what the "moral policemen" tend to preach is that its morality gives individuals a choice to choose whatever suits them; the decision is theirs. It provides them the variety, as it does not want to judge for others what is good or bad. However it has the right to judge that people want variety that must therefore be supplied, as quickly as possible, and in as much quantity as feasible. People must be given the choice and media does not compel them to watch what the "moralists" resent. The old-fashioned "morals" must be frozen to death and mummified so that future generations can wonder at their nonsense. The global media of today have two interests: direct and indirect. Their direct interest is to increase their own business, and their indirect aim is to collaborate and co-operate with other growing businesses. Sex helps both. People want to see sex, and as much variety as possible. Media therefore provides all. Go to a magazine shop and nude pictures and pornographic literature immediately arrest your attention. You scan through the television and images are there to capture your imagination. You browse through Internet and all kinds of sexually sensitive material are waiting to captivate your senses. There are websites that are exclusively aimed at glorifying rape; these claim to possess thousands of pictures and movies depicting cruellest form of rapes. Such is the cumulative impact of the media that all adult men and women have to remain in a sexually highly charged state of mind. With this state of mind, not all can be expected to keep their frenzied passions under check. Some people would find unconventional and violent ways to get rid of their frenzy. Their penises would operate without the involvement of their brains or conscience. With other factors hardly of any assistance, rapes are bound to increase in number, and in cruelty. Obviously, relatives would be easily accessible targets. When incest is shown as a delightful form of sex, it is not unexpected to see even daughters and sons being raped by fathers.

Rape is not the only violence associated with the new emerging sexuality. Physical assaults associated with or without sexual assaults are common. When aggression in sexuality is the fashion of the day, rapists do not find it abhorring to use an exaggerated violence to add to the violence of rape. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Department of Justice, 1994), in slightly less than one third of rapes, the offender uses a weapon. In a little less than half the cases, the victim sustained injuries other than injuries to sexual organs caused by rape. The effect of violence is usually harsh enough to require medical attention in more than three fourth of cases. Unfortunately, for a number of victims, medical attention reaches them when they do no longer need them; their soul has already relinquished their bodies.

The violence against women is not limited to sexual assault. Women are beaten, battered and murdered. This outcome is not unexpected because men regard women as mere objects of sexual entertainment. They see them as bedfellows and not life-partners. They cannot tolerate them refusing to entertain their advances. They cannot resist the temptation to seek women other than their present girlfriends or wives. And the law fails to punish their vandalism for even in their vandalism lies the roots of some commercial services. Moreover when women too have been reconditioned by the prevailing environment to believe that sexuality is all what life is about and learn and master thousands of methods to hook men of their choices, most of whom think that womanising is no sin but a quality that they must be proud of, tend to succumb even before the woman expresses herself. In a society of sexual maniacs, where all men and women know that their spouses or friends would not resist any other liaison, it is for the devil of suspicion to rule the roost. Suspicion about each other's pursuits, deficiency of faith and understanding, absence of any sobering influences, lack of spiritual inclinations and glorification of violence in the media are sufficient ammunition to spawn high-voltage domestic violence. Domestic violence has now become a norm in an overwhelming majority of cases. Though sometimes men also become victims of violence, women (more than 97%) being physically tender are the usual victims. The surveys indicate that, every fifteen second, one woman is beaten by her husband or boyfriend in the US and that at least 2 million women are assaulted by their partners every year. Doctors confirm that almost 4 million women are the victims of severe assaults by their sex partners each year. About one woman in four is likely to be abused by a partner in her life-time. It has been calculated that violence by a partner injures more women than do car crashes, rapes and muggings combined. Out of the women that attend hospitals for medical attention, about one third are abused women. According to Peachey (1988), more than 70% of women are battered at some time in their lives; over one third repeatedly.

Women are not just beaten. They are killed in significant numbers. According to surveys, every day 4 women on average are killed by sex partners in the US. Approximately 70% of murdered women are killed by a husband, or lover, present or past. Out of these about two third are subject to physical abuse before being murdered. Pregnancy must normally be able to exert a sobering influence on the partner. In the traditional societies, most couples tend to share the joy and pain of childbirth. But when sex becomes more important than the health of the child or mother, mother's feelings and needs are overlooked. Pregnancy does not necessarily defend her against the violence. A number, as high as a fourth, of pregnant women are battered. It is hardly surprising therefore that abuse of pregnant women is the leading cause of birth defects and infant mortality.

The picture of domestic violence is no better in India though the factors are not necessarily the same. According to International Centre for Research on Women, about 50% of women report domestic violence, and more than 40 per cent complain of at least one form of violent physical behaviour. The reasons however are much different. These include neglect of children, neglect of house, inability to pay the promised dowry (for which reason thousands are even killed every year) and sometimes inability to give birth to a male child. It can be concluded that unlike in West where domestic violence is directly or indirectly related to aggressive sexuality generated by the commercialisation of sex and beauty and promotion of social permissiveness, in India it is mainly related to social and economic backwardness and social customs. Women tend to accept beating for certain reasons. According to National Family Health Survey, 50% of women in India accept at least one reason for wife beating and 40% justify the beatings for neglecting house or children.

The forces of economic fundamentalism erected its structure on the foundation of "freedom" and "liberty". Women's liberty was one of its most important essential constituents. Women had been given the promise of a Shangri-La. What they have got looks surely like an earthly paradise from distance, but deep inside it is worse than the hell. Women's world of today is like a star that shines for the distant observers but is actually blazing with great ferocity. The incandescent star is nothing but a fireball. The economic fundamentalists enmeshed a web around women and named this frail house "liberty" and they have now become trapped and incarcerated in a way that there is hardly any glimmer of hope for them to successfully clear this web in any near future. Their economic independence that has been sung in melody by the singers of modernism has not made them independent in any field. They have now to earn for themselves in order to keep alive and increasingly for their children as well. The so-called alternative system of relationship with men has converted the mother in them into a single parent. Before the rise of economic fundamentalism, they used to perform a highly important economic and social function within the safe boundaries of the house. But their economic function then was not recognised because it did not involve the circulation of money, which alone was declared the criterion for estimating the economic growth. As soon as they started doing the same for the Industry, their activity turned economic. Due to the kind of aggressive sexuality that was promoted by the vested interests, they became girlfriends, mistresses and prostitutes more than wives. And whatever a woman became—girlfriend, mistress or wife, she would stay in that capacity for only a short period of time. But such is the scheme of nature that while she can cease to be a girlfriend, mistress or wife, she cannot cease to be a mother. Once mother, she is always mother, unless she decides to martyr or murder her motherhood by artificial means. The law would evince a certain kindness towards her. (This is another matter that even in this kindness there would be undeclared motives.) In the case of divorce or separation, she would be given the custody of minor children and often the financial responsibility to maintain them would be laid on the shoulders of the father. Yet, for all practical reasons, she will bear the brunt of looking after them. She has to bear the responsibility of their schooling, manage good food, arrange some sort of recreation, and when ill, ensure proper treatment. And the demands of her responsibility do not end here; the recurring demands of children would make life an inferno for her. But she will accept this hell because she prefers to burn herself rather than burning her kids. And still, she has to earn her own livelihood. Her physical and mental urges are often ignored altogether. She would resort to masturbation to satiate her aggressive sexuality. But masturbation does not help her for long. She needs somebody to physically hold her, kiss her and tame her. Once she succumbs to the charms of somebody, her travails usually increase. She usually finds it nigh impossible to balance the demands of her children and those of her newly found love. He is not expected to be humane enough to have love and affection for her children. His primary concern remains his own sexual satisfaction. He would not leave her even if she is exhausted; her refusal may lead to rape or sexual assault. She has to willy-nilly ignore either her children or her partner, sometimes both. Either children suffer or he suffers, or both. If he suffers, he either resorts to violence to make her toe his line or relinquishes her. She always suffers whatever the circumstances. Exceptionally only would a woman be fortunate enough to have a person as her life partner who would really be kind and considerate to her as well as her children. More often though, apart from her aforementioned jobs, she would have to live with an additional fear: she has to safeguard her children from sexual abuse by her new partner. How single parenthood adversely affects children will be dealt with in a separate chapter, but surely and certainly it is ruining the life of women.

This is not to suggest that men do never suffer on account of the estrangement of relationship with women. There are a definite percentage of men who are less responsible for the estrangement and they have to suffer owing to the erratic behaviour of their partners. If the estranged couple has children, man has not only to maintain them financially but also has to learn living without them. He can see them only at the weekends or occasions. Though many men, especially in societies where sexuality rules every other thing, tend to feel relieved by the absence of kids around, as they can enjoy themselves more freely, yet a number of men would feel shattered. A degenerating society may have pulverised fatherhood. Yet a father is alive in many a man. The prospects of a new excitement with a new partner are sometimes not enough to kill the father inside him. But despite all his emotional and financial sufferings, his doles cannot outscore the travails of the woman he has become separated from. For all the practical purposes, she has to bear the main brunt.

The premarital relationship has become a norm in West, and this means that unwed mothers are on the rise. Teenage pregnancy is bothering policymakers and scores of methods are being planned and promoted to prevent the risks of pregnancy. Nobody seems to suggest that young boys and girls must avoid sex before they or their bedfellows become old enough to understand and withstand the responsibilities sex would bring. No. This would kill many industries. And the survival of industries is more important than the survival of foetuses. So instead of advancing the obsolete suggestion that they must avoid sex altogether, they are told to be smart enough to avoid pregnancy. This may be done in more than one ways. Ask your boyfriend to wear condom. If he refuses to accept anything that might reduce his sexual pleasure, use contraceptives yourself. It is true that oral pills might cause some adverse effect. But if you have to have fun without unwanted obstacles, you have to take that risk. Still smarter method however is oral sex. Till about fifty years back, oral sex was not a very well known or oft-practised art of love. In the "old-fashioned" and "orthodox" societies, it still remains uncommon. But in Western society, sex has become unimaginable without a woman sucking his man (felatio) and making him licking her (cunnilinguus). Fluids are no longer considered dirty. Despite earlier protests by the medical fraternity, many of them have now been won over to attest to the relative safety of the oral sex. They have been persuaded to agree that the risks consequent upon oral sex are not serious enough to let a sure pregnancy surface. But the problem is that while most of the couples would enjoy sucking and licking of their organs, they would still not want to avoid vaginal intercourse altogether. After some oral thrills, they would like to finish where it is most natural to finish. Still, attempts are being made to popularise oral sex as not a complimentary part of mating but mating itself. People especially young boys and girls are being told to finish in the mouth in order to avoid the risks of pregnancy. But howsoever attempts are made, pregnancies would not be stopped altogether. Abortion of course remains the next and the best way. Here too she and not her boyfriend would have to face doctors, their injections and, in extreme cases, their scalpels. Her boyfriend may sometimes be kind enough to give her a company though. Quite frequently, however, he would not even like to be emotionally with her. Even if she is dying to get aborted as soon as possible so that she can continue to have fun with renewed vigour, the truth is that the abortion leaves a scar on her heart and mind. She no longer has to face the social stigma or ostracism; but she cannot remain totally unaffected by the pain of killing a life—a part of her own life.

#  Buds Nipped

The Garden as a whole has suffered due to the pollution spread by the vehicles run by the sexoil. The orchards have suffered. Flowers inside have withered. Buds are dying. In fact they are the most innocent victims. Garden, orchards and flowers have also to blame themselves, at least partially, for their ruin. They invited the disaster by knocking under temptations. But the buds suffered on account of no fault of theirs. They have no part to play in the whole game; and yet they are the worst victims. Their innocence has become their detractor. They are being assaulted and killed. Few buds that are allowed to grow have to grow drinking water that is polluted, inhaling air that is vitiated and absorbing food that is adulterated.

Though the devastation caused by the commercialisation of sex and beauty has tormented the whole society, the most appalling is the case of children. They do not possess the voice that can be heard beyond the walls of their houses; they do only have yells that get buried within the din inside. They are not physically capable of organising and wrestling for their rights. Neither have they representation in parliaments and assemblies nor in the media. Their fate is entirely at the mercy of others. They are therefore more likely to be killed, neglected and assaulted than anyone else.

The new sexual morality espoused and promoted by the big business, especially the global merchants of sex, annihilated all the barricades in the way of free sex. Marriage or any other formality, age, gender, place, time and previous relation—all paled into insignificance for the purpose of a sexual encounter. The only restriction that the legal framework put, albeit without making it effective in practice, was the consent of the two individuals seeking sex. If both agree, nothing can stop them. They would be advised however to take precautions as far as possible not to let their ecstatic love drift to an unwanted fruition. This can devastate their own career, they would be told, and also the country's economy. Never mind though. If despite precautions, a woman conceives, she need not unduly worry. The state is there to provide whatever she needs for a safe abortion: legal permission, social protection and free services. Private clinics, in their own way, are looking to provide the best.

Table 13 ABORTION

### ABORTION

54 countries allow abortion, which is about 61 percent of the world population. 97 countries, about 39 percent of the population, have abortion laws that make it illegal according to the pro-abortion Centre for Reproductive Law and Policy in New York.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute reports approximately 22 million legal abortions were reported in 1987.

It is estimated that between four and nine million were not reported, totalling of 26-31 million legal abortions in 1987 alone.

There were a total of 10-22 million "clandestine" abortions, bringing the total world-wide figure to 36 and 53 million abortions. Sources: International Family Planning Perspectives, 16:59, June 1990; USA Today, 8/8/96.

There are approximately 126,000 abortions conducted each day

Table 14 US STATISTICS ON ABORTIONS

### US STATISTICS ON ABORTIONS

  * In 1995, a total of 1,210,883 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC, a decrease of 4.5% from the number reported for 1994. The number of live births decreased by 1.5% over the same period. From 1994 to 1995, the number of reported abortions decreased in 40 of 52 reporting areas. From 1994 to 1995, the national abortion ratio (number of legal abortions per 1000 live births reported by all reporting areas) decreased from 321 to 311 and the national abortion rate (number of legal abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 years) decreased from 21 to 20, respectively. Consistent with previous years, approximately 92% of women who had legal abortions were residents of the state in which the procedure was performed.

  * Women who obtained legal abortions in 1995 were predominately white and unmarried. As in 1994, one fifth of women who obtained legal abortions in 1995 were adolescents (aged less than or equal to 19 years); 33% were aged 20-24 years. As in previous years, Approximately 88% of abortions were performed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. (Reported by: Statistics and Computer Resources Br, Div of Reproductive Health, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC)

  * 1,370,000 abortions occur annually in the U.S. according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute.

  * 88% of abortions occur during the first 6 to 12 weeks of pregnancy

  * 47% of abortions are performed on women who have already had one or more abortions

  * 43% of women will have had at least one abortion by the time they are 45 years old

  * Age - The majority of women getting an abortion are young. 55% are less than 26 years old and 21% are teenagers. The abortion rate is highest for those women aged 18 to 19 (56 per 1,000 in 1992)

  * Marriage - 51% of women who are unmarried when they become pregnant will receive an abortion. Unmarried women are 6 times more likely than married women to have an abortion.

  * Race - 63% of abortion patients are white, however, the abortion rate for non-white women is more than double that of white women.

  * 25.5% of women to postpone childbearing.

  * 21.3% of women cannot afford a baby.

  * 14.1% of women have a relationship issue or their partner does not want a child.

  * 12.2% of women are too young (their parents or others object to the pregnancy).

  * 10.8% of women feel a child will disrupt their education or career.

  * 7.9% of women want no (more) children.

  * 3.3% of women due to a risk to foetal health.

  * 2.8% of women due to a risk to maternal health

PRO-LIFE VS. PRO-CHOICE

  * 16% of Americans believe abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy and 55% believe abortion should be legal only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. (USA Today, CNN Gallup Poll in May, 1999

  * According to a Call-up Poll in January, 2001 - People who considered themselves to be pro-life rose from 33% to 43% in the past 5 years, and people who considered themselves to be pro-choice declined from 56% to 48%. (Source: women's issues)

And with abortion begins the sad story of children being killed and abused for none of their faults. An estimated number of about 70 million of children are caused to perish before their birth every year. Staggering figures from all accounts. Figures that must put the whole mankind to shame and must jolt from head to toe every person with conscience. But where is the mankind? What we know of the mankind today is that it is a kingdom of human beasts seeking pleasure and nothing but the pleasure, whatever the consequences. And this is not just the pleasure of the whole mankind at the cost of other creatures. It is for the gratification of the strong among men who have mastered the science of eradicating all that can directly or indirectly become impediments in their stupendous march towards an unstoppable fun and entertainment. What then if for this majestic plan, few millions of partially formed human fleshes are to be discarded! They are of course just the humans-in-making, not humans themselves. And they are the weakest obstacles as well. Flowers must be protected, proponents of abortion seem to argue, but there is no plausible reason why tears should be shed if buds are nipped to "save the mankind from undesirable consequences". Big movements are organised against the killing of animals and the extinction of rare species, against the uprooting of plants and deforestation, and also against the destruction of historical monuments and sites. These have the backing and support of one or the other elements of power. But a notable global campaign against the unceremonious killing of millions of humans-in-making cannot be allowed to gather momentum. The cronies of the Big Business are always there, fully armed with the arsenals of "sophisticated" logic and money to thwart any such development. Still, we are forced to believe that we are living in a civilised world that cares for the human rights. And those that shout at the top of their voice for the human rights happen to be those who silently preside over most of these killings. The only voices audible in the all-pervading eerie silence are of those that are concerned merely and specifically with the killing of female foetuses, as if the killing of a male foetus is justifiable but not that of a female. Ironically, female feticide, not feticide in general, is regarded a genuine issue at the global level. It is agonisingly but amazingly true that an abortion not based on gender discrimination is normally not even labelled feticide. To join the fray against female feticide is considered a noble cause on account of it being part of the global movement against the gender-discrimination. But criminal silence on the abortion of male children is no discrimination in their eyes on the similar ground. I do not purport to say that the sordid practice of female feticide does not invite the concern it does. Female feticide is outrageously abominable, and must be condemned in the strongest possible words. In India, the problem has become so acuminate that, in some states like Punjab and Haryana, it has already severely disturbed the male-female ratio in the population that has gone down to as low as 650 women per 1000 men in some areas. Demographic catastrophe of its own kind is staring at the country's policymakers. Such has been the traditional revulsion towards a girl child, especially among Hindus, in which community dowry still remains a major issue, that the news of the birth of a girl is often welcomed with gloom writ large on the faces of the members of the family. With ever increasing consciousness towards small family norms, it becomes even more compelling for the couples to get the sex of their babies determined early in the pregnancy. If a couple already has a girl, it is more likely to opt for abortion, in case the test proves the foetus to be a female. According to reports, out of the foetuses that are aborted in India after sex determination, around 99 per cent are females. That is absolutely unacceptable. But what I want to emphasise upon is that abortion on any non-medical ground with few exceptions like when pregnancy is the result of a rape must be unacceptable. If a hue and cry is raised against female feticide while abortion as such is accepted, it is largely because of the clashes of interests. Female feticide is no product of globalisation and is of no assistance to global business. This can in fact be jeopardous, as it can lead to less availability of females for scores of business that need them. Every possible effort must therefore be made to stop this. Abortion as a whole, on the other hand, helps their cause because it helps young women overcoming a big hurdle in their work and it helps in stabilising the population.

Abortion is such an important chapter in the book of the modern sexuality that it would be obnoxious to scrap it. The permissibility of abortion and the availability of medical services at the first door are essential prerequisites if the population is to be kept in check, and the commercial sex is to prosper. In fact wherever women play a meaningful role, abortion always helps. Women in their young age are the best consumer items themselves, or the best agents of promotion for other items. If large number of them have to take leave from the bazaar recurrently to be confined to houses or maternity homes for months, industrial "development" would take a nosedive. Therefore, the problem of abortion would be taken care of in its finest details. The hullabaloo against the termination of pregnancies would have to be diplomatically quietened. Any overture that to avoid pregnancy women must avoid sex before marriage would be dismissed as the non-starter outright. This would generate insurmountable problems for several major industries. Their marshals would immediately rise on their feet to declare that this would be a death-blow to the very idea of "freedom" that has been espoused and developed with such concerted efforts all over the years. Despite recognition in the inner corners of their hearts that it was the ideal solution, people would not press it because they have been made too addicted to the uninhibited sex to accept any restrictions on their activities. Those who talk of humanitarian grounds are confronted with the argument that it is better for children not to be born rather than being neglected. The argument may be grotesque, as it proposes to replace a smaller evil by a greater evil, substituting death for neglect. But the protagonists of abortion possess the intensity and lungpower that would effectively submerge any emerging voice of sense in the din. Right to live, which is used assiduously as the bullet to shoot the protagonists of death sentence, has been conveniently forgotten when it comes to abortion. What can be a colossal, yet notorious tragedy than this that parents are being made to be a party in the cold-blooded murder of their own children. And still greater tragedy is that parents hardly feel any compunction or remorse. Even mothers have been reconditioned to believe that it would be a greater sin to bring their kids out of their wombs if they are not in a position to look after them than to finish them. Thus the most innocent human beings are slaughtered without tears falling anywhere for them, and without anyone caring to perform obsequies for them. The ghastliness of this crime is unparalleled. No other crime can be anywhere near it in terms of cruelty and severity. If God had decided to punish the crime of abortion in the world itself, He would have perhaps doomed the whole earth without delay. I remember a woman coming to a doctor colleague of mine to seek abortion. He politely asked her: "What's the hurry, lady? Let your child come out of your belly. It will then be easier for you to strangulate it" The woman walked off in tears. But who would tell this to every woman who attends a clinic for abortion? The interests of so many are at stake: those of the big business in general, particularly sex trade, hospitals and doctors, to name a few. Why should they unnecessarily bring morality into picture? Morality, in their view, is a needle in a haystack; it is futile to attempt a search for it. And when it also helps the common people to overcome the unwanted adverse effects of their desire to stroll freely without chains of morality, why should they raise voice against it, even if in their minds and hearts they do not feel particularly comfortable about it? What a way to live the life! Immorality heaped on immorality. To get away with one immoral act, take the help of another even more immoral act. And if there is a danger of the people becoming unduly distressed on account of their immoralities, change the definition of immorality! So that moralities become immoralities and immoralities become moralities.

There have of course been several admirable efforts by some groups to challenge the crime of abortion. There is a sturdy anti-abortion lobby in the US that endeavours to maintain at least some pressure on the government to take appropriate measures to discourage abortion. This lobby deserves kudos for at least trying to get to the thin end of the wedge. The US government has stopped funding those agencies that promote abortion for family planning. Several countries have now explicitly excluded abortion as one of the contraceptive methods. But this effort is too little and too late to make any appreciable impact on the situation, which is going from the bad to the worse. Unwanted pregnancy still remains a legally justifiable reason for its termination. Unwanted pregnancies include not only pregnancies in the wedlock but also those outside it. Abortions are discouraged only as a method of family planning. There is no discernible move to ban them altogether (allowing only for medical and humanitarian reasons). And despite the declared policy not to promote abortion as a method of family planning, the "positive" impact it has on the population stabilisation would stall an aggressive campaign against it. Population stabilisation of course remains one of the major concerns for reasons that are many more than what are publicly counted.

Children that survive the initial threats from drugs and scalpels, have to face several other threats in their bid for survival. Even if they are not killed by miscarriages, they have to face a certain threat of mortality or morbidity, in case their mothers happen to be the victims of HIV/AIDS or domestic violence. As has been discussed elsewhere in the book, domestic violence is one of the major causes of defects in the newly born. The impact of AIDS is also discussed elsewhere. Let us now concentrate our attention to the next phase in the life of children.

From purely an evolutionary standpoint, it seems ironical that among the new-borns of all animals, human children are one of the frailest and take the longest to be able to sustain their lives themselves. For years, they have to remain dependent on the parents or guardians who have to make huge efforts to develop them physically, mentally and socially. Right from the birth, they need special measures for protection from various diseases and other threats. Tender as they are, they are not in a position to defend them against any kind of assaults. The only arsenals they have are their innocence and natural love for them in the hearts of their guardians. Ideally these weapons should be potent enough to safeguard them against any kinds of threat. But thanks to the Sexual Revolution, these extraordinary weapons appear to have been becoming increasingly ineffective.

The most luscious sight for a child is the sight of its parents enjoying each other's company and jointly sharing with it some of their moments. It wants its parents together to play hide and seek games with it, listen to it when it lisps, answer all its questions without delay, sing lullabies for him, let it ride their backs without any protest, take it out for swings and rides, and let it sleep ensconced by them on both sides. When its father is out, it desires its mother to attend to it. If sometimes she also happens to be out or busy, it expects its grandparents to do the duty. If anything it detests most it is loneliness; if anything it never longs it is distancing from its parents. Alas! Children of today especially living in West, for the most of their paediatric age, have to live only under the false shadows of their parents, not parents themselves. They are too busy for most of the time sweating for all kinds of industries to have any time for their own home industry. And when they return back, the intensified demands of their physical desires are too commanding to allow them to give sufficient space and time to the puerile demands of the products of their desires. By the time they return exhausted from their work, children could already be asleep. And today 'parents' does not necessarily have to be a pleural number. Parents quite often means one, not usually as the result of a fatal tragedy but as the result of separation or divorce. Mother and father combine into one single body. Obviously single parents in the majority of cases are women. According to surveys, in the US about one in three children live in one-parent families and nearly 40 per cent live away from at least one biological parent. The impact of estrangement of parents on the lives of children is terrific. Broken marriages lead to broken children. Child poverty is an obvious outcome. Studies have shown that were marriage rates at the levels of the early 1970s, by the end of that century, the US child poverty rate would have been 3.5 percentage points lower, as would income equality among children. The condition would have been worse if the low-income single parents would not have often been able to draw support from some family members, either formally or informally. Children living in married couple families are more likely to receive transfer wealth from their relatives. Even among the poor it has been noted that material hardships are much lower in married couple families with children than in other families with children. Surveys have proved that divorce increased the incidence of health problems in children by as high as fifty per cent. Maggie Gallahanger in his report on "Marriage and Children's Health and Longevity" makes several interesting points that I quote here:

" _Sixty eight per cent of white married parents say their child is in excellent position, compared to just 46 per cent of white single mothers....For babies marital status can mean the difference between life and death. White babies born to unwed mothers are 70 per cent more likely to die in the first year...The negative health effects of parental and non- marriage and divorce linger longer into their adulthood....one recent study found that adults raised in single parental homes are about one third more likely to die over the study period....40 year old men whose parents had divorced were three times more likely to die than 40 year old men whose parents had strayed married...Overall, children who grew of outside intact marriages have higher rates of mental illnesses..."_

The above clearly demonstrates the importance of intact marriages for the proper growth of children. Regular brawls when parents are together, and dreadful distance when they are apart, are poisons that vitiate the whole lives of children. But who cares? For children's long term needs, why should couples strangulate their immediate needs? If they were not able to enjoy each other's company and need a better one, it would be stupid to continue to live together just for the sake of children. Children are important to them; but the golden years of their vivacious youth cannot be sacrificed at the altar of good parenthood. They argue that they do try their best to be fair to their kids, but often the demands of their new relationships compel them to make undesirable compromises.

The neglect of children also includes the inability of mothers to breastfeed their children for the ideal duration of two years. Studies have demonstrated that breastfeeding for an extended duration of about two years supports proper physical, mental and psychological development of children. They are expected to live longer and more peacefully. But this would hardly be any ground to keep parents hanged together. In a significantly large number of cases, mothers would have already been experiencing the trauma of a disturbed relationship with the fathers of the children whose concern for their kids is usually not enough to keep the relationship intact. A very minuscule percentage of children are given the opportunity to suckle their mothers' breasts for more than a few months. Mothers have other concerns too that would prevent them from giving suckle for long. With the kind of aggressive sexuality men and women have become habitual of, women have to maintain their figures in order to keep their current or future partners glued to them. Breastfeeding could obliterate the shape and contour of their breasts. They are of course the most or perhaps the second most wonderful assets of their body. Breasts, they believe, are meant more for suckling and nibbling by their paramours than by their kids who can alternatively thrive on the products of the breasts of animals like cows and buffaloes. If breasts become pendulous on account of the pushes and pulls by the kids' mouths, it would make their whole figure unattractive. And if a woman somehow feels inclined to feed her child for good enough a period, friends and relatives would always be there to advise her against her "obsession". Even otherwise, a working woman would not find it feasible. The demands of her job would hardly be of any help.

Table 15 SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

### SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

  * In 1995, local child protective service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse; of these, 75% were girls. Nearly 30% of child victims were between the ages of 4 and7. [Dept. of Health and Human Services, Child Maltreatment, 1995]

  * Approximately, one-third of all juvenile victims of sexual abuse cases are children younger than 6 years of age. [Violence and the Family. Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, 1996]

  * "The earlier studies found that one-third of juvenile delinquents, 40 percent of sexual offenders and 76 percent of serial rapists report they were sexually abused as youngsters." [Dr. William C. Holmes of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine."

  * "The suicide rate among sexually abused boys was 1½ to 14 times higher, and reports of multiple substance abuse among sixth-grade boys who were molested was 12 to 40 times greater." [Dr. William C. Holmes of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine."

  * "Holmes said a review of the studies leads him to believe 10 percent to 20 percent of all boys are sexually abused in some way. But widely varying definitions of sexual abuse in the studies and differences in who was being studied make it difficult to accurately gauge the prevalence of sexual abuse, he said." Dr. William C. Holmes of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine."

Table 16 IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

### IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

  * 67% of victims of sexual assault were juveniles (under age 18); 34% of sexual assault victims were under age 12 1 of every 7 victims of sexual assault were under age 6. (Bureau of Social Justice.)

  * It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America today. Source: Forward, 1993

  * Approximately 31% of women in prison state that they had been abused as children. Source: United States. Department of Justice, 1991.

  * Approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused. Source: CCPCA, 1992.

  * Children with disabilities are 4 to 10 times more vulnerable to sexual abuse than their non-disabled peers. (National Resource Centre on Child)

  * Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behaviour, poor self esteem, tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships. .Source: Browne & Finkelhor, 1986.

  * Clinical findings of adult victims of sexual abuse include problems in interpersonal relationships associated with an underlying mistrust. Generally, adult victims of incest have a severely strained relationship with their parents marked by feelings of mistrust, fear, ambivalence, hatred, and betrayal. These feelings may extend to all family members..Source: Tsai and Wagner, 1978.

  * Guilt is universally experienced by almost all victims. Courtois and Watts described the "sexual guilt" as "guilt derived from sexual pleasure." (Tsai and Wagner, l978.)

  * Sexual victimisation may profoundly interfere with and alter the development of attitudes toward self, sexuality, and trusting relationships during the critical early years of development.. Source: Tsai & Wagner, 1984.

  * Adolescents with a history of sexual abuse are significantly more likely than their counterparts to engage in sexual behaviour that puts them at risk for HIV infection, according to Dr. Larry K. Brown and associates, Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence.

  * Young girls who are forced to have sex are three times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol and drugs in adulthood, than girls who are not sexually abused. Sexual abuse was also more strongly linked with substance abuse than with psychiatric disorders....sexual abuse may lead some girls to become sexually active at an earlier age and seek out older boyfriends who might, in turn, introduce them to drugs. Psychiatric disorders were from 2.6 to 3.3 times more common among women whose CSA included intercourse, and the risk of substance abuse was increased more than fourfold,. Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., et al, Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University)

  * Girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys; (Mental Health Journal)

  * "1,500 children die from abuse each year. There are 140,000 injuries to children from abuse each year. There are 1.7 million reports of child abuse each year." (Mental Health journal)

  * "...about 1 in 4 women in North America were molested in childhood." (Mental Health journal)

  * "More than 2 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported each year in the United States. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 new cases of sexual abuse occur each year." (Mental Health journal)

  * "...approximately 1 in 7 males will have been sexually molested before the age of 18. (Mental Health journal)

As children grow, the chances of their abuse grow. Their problem is that their plight is mostly invisible. This is particularly true for those children where signs of abuse are not visible on simple examination. These include cases of neglect and sexual abuse. In the latter case, shame often overtakes them preventing them from reporting. Often they fear the abusers so much that they would prefer to remain tight-lipped. Naturally, the official statistics about the abuse of children are nothing more than the tip of an iceberg. Media also tend to complicate matters. It has been argued that if, according to some reports, there appears to be a decreasing trend in the cases of child abuse, it does not necessarily mean that people have been learning to behave. It may in fact be due to the growing tendency of adults hiding their abusive actions for fear of being stigmatised. The National Incidence of Child Abuse and Neglect reported that the number of cases of child abuse doubled from 1.4 million in 1986 to 2.8 million in 1992. The number of cases with serious injuries during that period quadrupled from 143000 to 570000. The report accepted that " _there is certainly a reason to suppose the number of cases of actual abuse might be rising, since child abuse could be expected to rise when drug and alcohol abuse were increasing and when broken homes were becoming more complex_." The number of child abuse fatalities has also shown an increasing trend with more than a thousand deaths every year in the US.

Child abuse has fortuitously attracted sincere attention in the Western countries. This is not entirely due to love for them. Had love been the only factor, feticide must have had received a much greater attention. The big business knows that there are always certain elements in society that are afflicted with the mania to unearth societal problems. To manoeuvre them is easier than silencing them. Grants of funds by funding agencies for specified agenda keep these restive souls busy and satisfied. The agenda for them is approved with the explicit or tacit approval of forces that rule. By concentrating more on Child Abuse, attention can be diverted from women's abuse. Furthermore, child abuse is not always negative in intention. Physical abuse of children often results from the desire of parents to protect their kids from the corrupting influences. They tend to beat them, often severely, for failing to live up to their norms. But in children lie the hopes of merchants. They know on which side their slice is buttered. Children would soon grow to an age when their habits would determine the course of the "progress" of economy. Strict discipline would spoil them. If they developed huge respect for morality, how would they be lured in the market for one reason or the other? If parents could use force to keep a strict vigil on their movements, how would adolescents be trapped in the entertainment industry? If they continued to grow under a harsh supervision, they would not be able to go to watch films, dance in clubs, go partying, play all sorts of funny games, drink their first peg of whisky and experience first burst of sexual passion as early and as frequently as the industry would desire. Youth ensconced in the comforts of morality would be a deadly blow to the industry. They are the mainstays of all the industries and parents cannot be permitted to "abuse" them in order to transform them into some kind of saints. Saints are not what is required for industrial development. Few saints in society that go on haranguing lectures on "do's and don'ts" are tolerable; but if society has a substantial number of them, it could be disastrous.

Child abuse in principle is bad indeed. Children are too tender to be maltreated. But we have to draw a line between child beating of a benign form aimed at rectifying their proclivities and child abuse aimed at exploiting them and that caused by disturbances in the family leading to obstreperous behaviour of parents and relatives. The factors that lead to the abuse include alcohol and drugs, disturbed relations between fathers and mothers, abnormal attitudes (including sexual behaviour) of fathers and maltreatment by husbands of their mothers. The worst form of course is sexual abuse. And sexual abuse is not limited to abuse by family members. This has become a big sociolegal problem at the global level. An estimated one million children, mostly girls, according to UNICEF, enter the sex trade each year. A report suggests that one in five adolescent girls become the victim of physical or sexual abuse, or both, in a dating relationship. Globally, at least one in three women and girls had been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. (UN Commission on the Status of Women). In Uganda, HIV infection is 6 times higher among young girls than boys with the difference in rates beginning as early as 9 years old. This is due to old men seeking younger girls for sexual exploitation. An estimated 325000 US children of age 17 or younger are prostitutes, performers in pornographic videos or have crumbled to commercial sexual exploitation (University of Pennsylvania). Richard Estes has been reported as saying that "the depth of the problem almost took my breath away at times." According to this report published in USA

Table 17 CHILDREN IN SEX TRADE

### CHILDREN IN SEX TRADE

  * An estimated 325,000 U.S. children age 17 or younger are prostitutes, performers in pornographic videos or have otherwise fallen victim to "commercial sexual exploitation (USA Today,9.9.2001)

  * The largest group, about 122,000, is made up of children who have run away from home and turned to prostitution or pornography to get money for food or drugs.

  * The second-largest group, about 73,000, is made up of children who live at home and are used by family or friends in exchange for money, food, drugs or other benefits.

  * The third-largest group, about 52,000, is made up of "throwaway" children who have been abandoned by parents or guardians and turned to the sex trade to survive.

  * About 90% of the children are born in the USA (USA Today,9.9.2001)

  * The United Nations says one million children are drawn into prostitution annually. It estimates that 100,000 children and women in the Philippines, 400,000 in India, 100,000 in Taiwan, 200,000 in Thailand are subject to commercial sexual exploitation in the region. (CNN.com, 17.12,01)

  * It is difficult to estimate how many people are working in prostitution because so many women working as waitresses, hotel maids, salesclerks, bar girls, and golf caddies are forced into prostitution as part of their work.

  * In Thailand, it has been estimated that at least 200,000 women and children work in prostitution. At least one-third of Thai prostitutes are under the age of 18, and most adult prostitutes started when they were only children. Children as young as six years old work in prostitution. Prostitutes are primarily women and girls, although some men and boys also work in prostitution. (Third World Women's Health)

Today dated 09/09/2001, children pornography originates in three ways. First is the group of those children who have run away from home and turned to prostitution or pornography to get money for food and drugs. The second group is of children who live at home and are used by family or friends in exchange of money, drugs or other benefits. The third group is of children that have been abandoned by parents and guardians and turned to sex trade to survive. The report says that 90% of these children are born in the US. According to the UN estimates, one million children are drawn into prostitution annually. These include 100,000 children and women in Philippines, 400,000 in India, 200,000 in Thailand and 100,000 in Taiwan. The extent of the problem can be further gauged from the estimates that there are over 40,000 individual URLs containing child pornography, paedophilia and pro-paedophilia content on Internet.

The figures given above seem to be too disturbing to believe. But the reality is surely far, not less, worse. Pugwashes are organised, survey reports presented and resolutions passed. Hard speeches are made. Like the one when UNICEF Executive Director Caol Bellamy thundered: "The commercial sexual exploitation and abuse of children is nothing less than a form of terrorism-—one whose wanton destruction of young lives and futures must not be tolerated for another year, another day, another hour.....Millions of children throughout the world are being bought and sold like chattel and used as sex slaves..." Hard statement really! Had Bushes and Blairs listened to him and waged a war against commercial sex in a way they have been doing against "terrorism", the problem would have surely minimised, if not finished. But the problem continues with an upward trend and it is expected to continue not for minutes, hours, days or months but for decades; maybe, forever. Tears are flown for women and children; but measures mooted are hardly of any significance compared to the scale and extent of the problem. They are too soft to have any worthwhile effect. Even if these measures are honestly put into practice, there may be some visible changes. But they soon become embedded in the tonnes of files stored in offices and libraries. Children continue to be harassed, exploited, sexually abused and trafficked because the benefits from this are huge for the business. And where business matters, nothing else does.

Children who have been fortunate enough to survive physical or sexual abuse would not be left alone. They too would not be allowed to grow into normal human beings. If they have not entered the sex trade as prostitutes or pornographic actors, they must at least watch pornography. If they have succeeded in avoiding physical abuse, they cannot be permitted to avoid psychological abuse. This is the minimum they are required to do as the cost of being born in the free world. They must learn as early as possible in their lives what sex and sexuality are all about. Only then will they become fit citizens of the New World. Where entertainment is the keyword and the key to the most exhilarating entertainment is sex. They have all kinds of avenues open to them: cinema, TV, VCR, and above all, Net. According to surveys, 53% of teens have encountered offensive websites that include pornography, hate and violence. When sex is all around in the air, sights of naked women are common, couples can be seen everywhere lip-kissing and hugging, fellow-friends are talking nothing but sex, who can overcome the temptation to watch sex action? Almost all the students have computers and access to Internet these days; and they have sufficient time after schools to surf Net without being watched by parents. This is hardly surprising then that children become adults mentally much earlier than they do physically. And still less surprising is that they become adult practically much earlier than they do legally.

#  Garden Devastated

The Superexpress of business fuelled by the sexoil started posing stiffest challenge of the history to the very existence of the garden. Not only did flowers wither and buds dry, the plants were also uprooted by the cruel death comfortably seated on the train. The situation is so pathetic now that the whole garden can be seen splattered with the corpses of plants, flowers and buds. But nobody sitting on the train has the eyes to shed tears at this ghastly sight, the hearts to feel and mourn it and the souls to lament it. The survival of the Superexpress is more important to them than the survival of the garden. Come what may! The train must roll on.

Health is perhaps the most important gift of nature to man. Without health, life becomes an unmeaning burden. But to maintain health requires exactly what the economic fundamentalists loathe: discipline in life with plenty of restrictions on activities. The worship of Hygeian is not tolerable for Mammon. "Restrictions" and "prohibitions" are words that do not exist in the lexicon of bazaar. Health is also perhaps the most easily recognisable criterion of right and wrong. In the simplest terms, right and wrong can be defined thus: what has a good overall impact on health is good, and what has a bad overall impact is bad. This definition may create some complications; but it holds good for most of the cases. Health itself is a comprehensive state of well being. Normally, it is defined in terms of physical, mental and social well being, with spiritual well being added as en essential constituent recently. Ideally this includes family health as well. This is essential for family is an organised unit of society comprising individuals. A person, male or female, child, young or old, is an individual, a member of the family and a member of society.

West deserves ovation for the amazing advancement in sciences that the world has witnessed during last few centuries. It has undoubtedly helped man to overcome a large number of problems. Western scholars are worthy of encomium for their tireless, selfless and dedicated efforts to determine and apply natural forces and resources for the benefit of mankind. They successfully imbued the 19th century with a scientific temper in human approach. But alas, this scientific spirit did not last long. The concourse of scientific development and economic fundamentalism, after travelling some distance side by side, positioned the latter in the driver's seat. The scientists were naive and guileless doves. They could not decipher their enormous potential as the ultimate guides for society. They could not muster courage, conviction, desire and wit required to thwart the onslaught of the economic fundamentalists who were full of intrigues, and used their money power to take control of almost all the departments of social existence. While scientists toiled day and night at the expense of their comfort without receiving much in return, except mention of their names in books, their inventions and discoveries were hijacked by the merchants for their own zooming. If they had done so without disturbing the delicate environmental and social poise, it could not have been as devastating as it ultimately turned out to be. What the earth had to witness and bear was the most blatant misuse of scientific and technical information for the sake of money. Thus the most amazing source of energy, the nuclear, was misused for manufacturing nuclear bombs capable of decimating the whole of mankind. Atomic bombs were hurled on the innocent citizens of two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, murdering thousands of thousands of men, women and children, and crippling forever as many. Other highly destructive weapons — combat aircraft, missiles, chemical bombs, etc. came into the hands of man. The objective behind their development was to impose the uncanny will of certain powers on the rest of the world so that they may be forced to acquiesce or cringe to their economic plans. Business houses started using the advanced equipment to boost their sales. Cameras are now used to take pictures of persons in the nude, and the electronic equipment is used to dispatch vulgarity and shamelessness in the houses of the common people. Technology is misused to loot and plunder in the name of fashion. Masses are made addicts of insalubrious or highly damaging items. They are made to drink what is unworthy of drinking and eat what is unworthy of eating. The precious time of men, women and children is killed with indecent, hazardous programmes.

Consequent on the blind race for money, what has suffered most is health—physical, mental, spiritual and social. While medical scientists have been perpetually engrossed in efforts to find out the aetiologies and remedies of various health problems, magnates have been relentlessly engaged in popularising whatever suits their interests, irrespective of their impact on human health. And the tragedy is that medical scientists too have lately become mere tools in their hands. They sometimes resist. But, subdued as they are in disposition, their viewpoint is published only in medical journals. If at all it becomes public, merchants find alternative ways to submerge it into oblivion. The medical world is not dynamic enough to aggressively push its concerns. The problem has further been compounded by the privatisation of medical institutions and research laboratories. The industries are now buying medical specialists for their own ends. They have the money power to lure experts who too seem to have found a heavenly haven in the garden of materialism.

The callousness of medical experts and the passive nature of the medical education have strengthened the resolve of the economic fundamentalists to market everything the demand for which already exists or can be made to exist through stage-managed propaganda. They are least bothered about the adverse effects of their actions on the individual, family and social health. The doctor has proved unequal to the dire challenges of the bazaar. The bazaar has continued to grow. Health has continued to suffer. Thus first tea and coffee hit the shops, and such was the "quality" of the campaign to popularise them that they rapidly assumed the status of household beverages. The medical world was seized with the health problems related to these developments, and pointed out that these drinks had undesirable effects on heart, nervous and gastrointestinal systems. It is now well established that they are significant etiological factors in the rising incidence of heart attacks, peptic ulcers and certain neurological problems. Yet, their social glorification continues. Tobacco and cigarettes of various tastes have seized the market. They have become symbols of high standard with increasingly large numbers of people becoming addicted to smoking. To multiply their demands women who were previously disinclined to smoking were also encouraged. Equal as they are, if men can smoke why can't women? Doctors have declared in unequivocal terms that smoking is not just harmful but is extremely hazardous to health. They have established that cigarettes can cause lung cancer that still remains almost incurable, bronchitis that leads to asthma causing severe distress in breathing, and are a highly significant factor in the development of coronary heart diseases. Each one of these diseases is either fatal or severely crippling. Similarly, tobacco has been associated with mouth cancer and Buerger's disease, a disease of the veins of legs that may lead to the gangrene of foot. But all these caveats have failed to discourage smoking to any remarkable degree; for doctors are not assertive enough to pressurise parliaments to pass bills proscribing the production and sales of cigarettes, cigars and tobacco. Instead, doctors themselves have succumbed to the propaganda by the manufacturers and their henchmen. It is unfortunate but true that a sizeable percentage of doctors do also smoke. Smoking women are rapidly on the rise despite the accumulating evidence that smoking badly damages the health of their foetuses. But for a "forward-looking" woman, health of foetuses is not as important as the elan that she attaches with her smoking.

Similarly, such has been the glorification of alcohol that any person trying to prove his credentials in society has no choice but to serve drinks to his visitors, especially on the occasions of celebrations. The medical sciences inform us in categorical terms that alcohol is damaging to the health whatever the amount imbibed. Yet, with the support of some partisan investigators, the campaign that it is harmless in small doses has gathered momentum. Some have gone to the extent of declaring it beneficial for the heart, capable of increasing a specific kind of cholesterol that seems to have a soothing effect on the cardiovascular system. It need not be emphasised that this sort of flagrant advocacy has chiefly been goaded by financial motives and has little to do with the medical truth. At the most, they are truncated facts. What the medicine tells is that once a person starts taking alcohol, the level at which the desired euphoria is attained rapidly increases necessitating an increased intake. No person becomes an addict the day he or she smokes the first cigarette, or takes the first sip of bear, whisky, rum or wine. All the present addicts had small beginnings. Those who introduced it to them had argued that these were injurious only if taken in huge amounts and regularly. It is very well known that alcoholism may lead to fatal diseases like cirrhosis and Korsakoff"s psychosis, and has a damaging impact on almost all the organs of the body. It disturbs the power of reasoning thus leading to crimes, accidents and suicides. Ironically it can also lead to impotency; yet alcohol is presented as an essential adjunct to hot and wild sex. Alcohol directly or indirectly kills millions of people every year, destroys innumerable families and leads to countless rapes. It causes severe financial losses to the well-established individuals who often get ruined on account of their intemperate drinking habits. Divorces are common outcome; and the wives and children of habitual drinkers have to pass their lives in an environment of extreme fear, insecurity and tension. Children too often start drinking in their teens. The party culture coupled with women's propinquity to try their hands at whatever men do as a manifestation of 'equality' and the encouragement by men for their own rejoicing have made alcohol popular among women too.

As has already been discussed, the campaign for freedom of sex is a direct product of economic fundamentalism. The medical sciences have been mute spectators to the rise of sexual perversity despite the incontrovertible fact that it causes no less mortality and morbidity than do smoking and drinking. In many ways, its effects are much more dangerous. Time and again, epidemics or endemics caused by promiscuity or sexual perversions have devastated the mankind. Many of them have proved to be the decimating killers. Syphilis was the first sex-related disease that killed people in large numbers. The homosexuals and the promiscuous heterosexuals were the common victims. Syphilis is a bacterial infection that leads to severe cardiovascular and neurological complications. Before the discovery of penicillin, death was not an uncommon end. Up till 1940, it was a major disease in Europe and the US. The incidence in 1943 in the US was about 4 per 1000 population. Despite the availability of highly efficacious antibiotics and tremendous fall in the number of cases in 1975, there were still more than 25,000 cases of primary and secondary Syphilis; 26,000 cases of early latent Syphilis were reported. The number of unreported cases was presumed to be several times greater. The gynaecologists and obstetricians in Indian subcontinent still regard Syphilis as one of the major causes of repeated miscarriages, and get VDRL test routinely done in all females with a past history of abortion. Chancroid, Gonorrhoea, Lymphogranuloma venereum, Herpes and Reiter's disease are other sexually transmitted diseases having varying severity and often producing crippling complications.

When the discovery of Penicillin was announced, sex merchants had heaved a sigh of relief. A new thrust to the sex market was then observed in West. The tycoons usurped the historical achievements of medical experts to advance their own stratagems. This was in spite of the unambiguous warning that uninhibited sex had always an inherent tendency to produce new infections. And when the sex-bazaar had touched new heights, it was jolted with another concussion in the form of AIDS. AIDS had the potential to paralyse the industry forever. But, within a short course of time, lines of the campaign were drawn. It was decided to emphasise the use of condoms ("safe sex"), so that the sex-industry remained intact, expanding the market of condoms at the same time. What the world has witnessed in last few decades is the emergence of condom culture. Western countries might have been its birthplace but it has not remained incarcerated there; now it pervades every society of the world. Condoms are being presented as wonderful little bags that have in them all that a wholesome life requires. They "help" in avoiding pregnancies and infections, the two biggest obstacles in the uninterrupted fun, and therefore in the expansion of sex industry. Do whatever you like! But don't forget to have a packet of condoms in your pocket!

Table 18 GLOBAL SUMMARY OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC DECEMBER 2002

GLOBAL SUMMARY OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC DECEMBER 2002

Number of people living with HIV/AIDS

Total 42 million

Adults 38.6 million

Women 19.2 million

Children under 15 years 3.2 million

People newly infected with HIV in 2002

Total (million) 5

Adults 4.2

Women 2

Children under 15 years 8,00,000

AIDS deaths in 2002

Total (million) 3.1

Adults 2.5

Women 1.2

Children under 15 years 6,10,000

Economic fundamentalism in the medical world has percolated right down to the lowest level. Pharmaceuticals thrive on the spread of diseases, and so do doctors, the owners of nursing homes and hospitals and paramedical personnel. Prevention has therefore been able to grasp much less attention than cure; for prevention, especially the primary prevention is perilous for their commercial interests. Primary prevention can be defined as the avoidance of such activities and attempts to prevent such environmental conditions to emerge and grow as may be conducive to the development of diseases. Secondary prevention can be defined as the prevention of diseases through the use of certain materials, medicines, vaccines, or equipment. It has received greater attention for it is beneficial for the industries. While the mouth hygiene and body hygiene have been emphasised upon as these propel the sales of thousands of varieties of tooth-brushes, tooth-pastes, lotions, soap, sanitary pads etc., a term like 'sexual hygiene' has found no mention anywhere. The result is that, while all other infections in the US have shown remarkable decrease in the last half century, Sex transmitted diseases are on the rise. Out of the top 10 infections in the US, five are STDs and about every fifth of adult has an STD. More than 15 million Americans contract STD annually. Staggering figures for a superpower that has the biggest medical network in the world. Sexual hygiene means having sex only with one's spouse, avoiding rectal sex and sex during menses and immediate postnatal period. If this were popularised, the sex-market could have crashed. Hence, only the secondary preventive methods that invariably indicate the use of condoms were chosen to allay the fears of the promiscuous and the pervert. The odour emanating from the mouth of a person not properly brushing his teeth gives sleepless nights to the industries, but the foul smell from the mouth of smokers and drinkers have never caused any alarm. The health of mouth and skin (that is to be kept healthy through creams, lotions and powders) has always kept them worried but not that of liver, heart, brain and lungs. The death and destruction on a much greater scale due to alcoholism have never bothered them. Similarly, the problems due to the steady increase in human population has been a matter of huge importance necessitating world-wide campaign, but the much greater and severer problems owing to the rapid increase in the population of vehicles have not even come to their notice. Such indeed has been the perfection with which the economic fundamentalists have been promoting their plans that their interests may be easily visualised in almost all the campaigns being pushed by the government or international agencies.

At the highest level, the expertise of professors and scientists are misused to assist the government and the industrialists in making policies that more often than not are complimentary to one another. Medical sciences can arguably be described as one of the major contributors to the emergence of "Sexual Revolution". Medicine is for Sexual Revolution what Physics is for technological development. Thus when the liberalisation of sex posed problems by the way of unwanted pregnancies, the medical experts came to the rescue of concupiscent men and women providing them a number of effective contraceptive methods including abortion. Similarly, when the growth of population was sought to control, the newer and more advanced contraceptive techniques were put into practice. Surgery was not only commissioned for abortions but also for tubectomies and vasectomies. The economic fundamentalists had enough cogency to entice the saviours into believing that the abortion did in no way tantamount to killing; and for the sake of the reproductive rights of women and the benefit of mankind, it had become unavoidable. Not many doctors advanced the argument that once a human being came into existence, none – not the parents even, on whom it depended for several years- had the right to deny it the right to be born and grow. The duty of doctor is to save and not to kill anybody; if killing an infant is ghastly, killing a foetus is ghastlier.

The emergence of social and preventive medicine (also called community medicine or public health) as one of the important disciplines of medical sciences has as much to do with economic fundamentalism as with the health of society. Here it is the medicine that is used to propel social and economic policies, and not vice versa. Major policies are formulated separately, or in tandem by the secretaries of the government and the tycoons of the industry. The bureaucrats in fact act largely as connoisseurs of the big business. The population control, the AIDS control and the control of communicable diseases—all these programmes have been fine-tuned to suit or adjust to the market forces. If endeavours have been and are being made to eradicate small pox, chicken pox, polio, rabies and other such diseases for which vaccines are available, it is because no medical cures are available for them in the market. And vaccines can be sold on a much higher scale if the government and other agencies working in social fields are properly convinced of their importance. This has also been one of the ways to pull back the money, which the government might have exacted in the form of taxes or the agencies might have collected as donations from the rich. The ostensible human spirit behind these programmes would vanish in a few moments once alternative ways having bigger market potential are found.

The international AIDS prevention programme leaves an unmistakable impression that it has been designed keeping in view the commercial interests of the business world where sex with all its ramifications has become a colossal industry, whose interests cannot be sidetracked. Consequently, the whole emphasis in anti-AIDS programmes has been on "safe sex". The so-called safe sex is doubly advantageous for the sex-industry. First, it does not stop people from swimming in the pool of sexual "recreation". Second, it helps boost the sale of condoms. An overwhelming majority of the anti-AIDS messages exhort the people to use condoms during sex rather than avoid liaisons with anybody other that one's marriage-partner. The result of this strategy is that the sales of condoms are rapidly multiplying, the persons involved in the campaigns are earning handsomely and magazines, advertising agencies and video-companies are reaping huge profits through their "fight" against the killer disease. But the volcano of AIDS continues to storm with devastating speed and force.

Table 19 MORE FACTS ABOUT HIV/AIDS

### MORE FACTS ABOUT HIV/AIDS

  * Fewer than 4% of people in need of antiretroviral treatment in low- and middle-income countries were receiving the drugs at the end of 2001. And less than 10% of people with HIV/AIDS have access to palliative care or treatment for opportunistic infections.

  * Best current projections suggest that an additional 45 million people will become infected with HIV in 126 low- and middle-income countries (currently with concentrated or generalised epidemics) between 2002 and 2010—unless the world succeeds in mounting a drastically expanded, global prevention effort. More than 40% of those infections would occur in Asia and the Pacific (currently accounts for about 20% of new annual infections).

  * Implementation of a full prevention package by 2005 could cut the number of new infections by 29 million by 2010. It could also help achieve the target of reducing HIV prevalence levels among young people by 25% by 2010 (as set in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, which the world's governments adopted in June 2001). But any delay in implementing a full prevention package will slash the potential gains.

The emergence of AIDS as a major killer at the end of the twentieth century is the direct result of the commercialisation of sex. HIV found a natural habitat in the sexual environment promoted by and at the behest of the Big Business including Sex Industry. The "great" Sexual Revolution has brought the greatest sexual killer to the world. The demon of HIV needed several boosts for the stupendous spread of its dominion. Sexual Revolution supplied to the Demon what it desired: promiscuity, homosexuality, oral sex (not as a complimentary part which may be tolerable but as the final destination of discharges), anal sex, sex during menses, mass sex, an environment blazing sexual passions, a legal set-up that is permissive, not dismissive of uninhibited sex, and the support of the mightiest, the richest and the greatest among men. With such a huge support at its disposal, bringing men and women under the umbrella of its rule was a task performed with remarkable ease. The real world is crying, moaning and mourning. The surreal world of the Demon inhabited by the tycoons and their stooges is laughing, dancing and rollicking. Millions have already died of AIDS in the last two decades, and tens of millions are waiting in anguish and pain for the end in not so distant a future. People organise summits; some of them even cry for them. Some do even go to the extent of begging for them from the rich. But none has the wisdom and courage to demand the eradication of the biggest contributor to the menace of AIDS: the commercial sex. The last World Summit on AIDS discussed everything about the disease and its overwhelming impact. But not a single word was uttered in the condemnation of the merchants of sex. None had the guts to admonish them and sound a clear warning that they must to stop what has virtually transformed them into the merchants of death.

Tourism has become the most important breeding ground for sex-transmitted diseases including AIDS. Away from home, nobody watching activities, provocative environment and easy availability of sex make it almost impossible for tourists to escape. According to a report, about one third of the Swiss travellers returning home admitted of having had sex with local prostitutes. Another report says that in an intention-to-have-sex study of young Australians travelling alone to Thailand, only 34% of the sample reported a definite intention not to have sex. And it can be safely assumed that this definite intention has substantial chances of erosion in the face of intense provocation. The study tells :

"... _.among 1744 US Navy and Marine corps personnel deployed abroad for 6 months, 49% reported having had sexual contact with a prostitute. Of those who reported having had sexual contact during deployment, 70% reported that they had had multiple partners, and almost all of those who used condoms reported that they had used them inconsistently."_

The threat to the world from prostitution can be gauged from the following figures about the prostitutes having HIV infection. These figures also confirm the vulnerability of prostitutes to the killer disease. The report says:

" _Commercial sex workers are at very high risk for infection. Prevalence rates in this population are remarkably high in major centres around the world: Nairobi, 81%; Kinshasa, 35%; Bangkok, 44%; and Port au Prince, 69%."_

In Mumbai, as mentioned before, it is as high as 80%. STDs are very common even in developed countries. The US tops the list of STDs among Industrialised nations. The report prepared by Kaiser Foundation in 1998 had several important findings. Its conclusions are as follows:

" _Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have a significant health and economic impact on the American people. The most widely quoted estimate - 12 million annual new STD infections - was published by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1988.....Foundation calculates that the actual number of new cases of STDs is approximately 15 million annually........ The number of new reported chlamydia cases are estimated 4 million to about 3 million a year....650,000 cases of Gonorrhoae occurred in 1996.... 70,000 new cases of Syphilis.... Trichomoniasis. "Trich" is the most common curable STD among young, sexually active women, with an estimated 5 million new cases a year._

Table 20 REGIONAL HIV/AIDS STATISTICS AND FEATURES, END OF2002

REGIONAL HIV/AIDS STATISTICS AND FEATURES, END OF2002

REGION TOTAL CHILDREN SEROPREV

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 29.4 m 3.5 m 8.80%

NORTH AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST 5,50,000 83,000 0.30%

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA 6.0 m 7,00,000 0.60%

EAST ASIA & PACIFIC 1.2 m 2,70,000 0.10%

LATIN AMERICA 1.5 m 1,50,000 0.60%

CARIBBEAN 4,40,000 60,000 2.40%

EAST EUR&CENT-LASIA 1.2 m 2,50,000 0.60%

WESTERN EUROPE 5,70,000 30,000 0.30%

NORTH AMERICA 9,80,000 45,000 0.60%

AUSTRALIA & NZ 15,000 500 0.10%

TOTAL 42 m 5 m 1.20%

... _.Genital herpes, the lifelong viral infection has grown by 30%..in the last two decades, to at least 45 million cases. Genital herpes now affects more than 1 in 5 Americans over the age of12. One million new cases occur each year.......Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Some 5.5 million new infections occur each year, with at least 20 million people Cervical HPV infection has been linked with cervical cancer..... Despite the availability of a vaccine, hepatitis B remains a leading STD, with 77,000 new cases a year acquired through sexual transmission. A total of 750,000 people are infected with hepatitis B as a result of sexual transmission....The annual number of new HIV cases in the United States has been stable for several years, with about half-20,000 infections per year - of new cases acquired through sexual transmission....About 500,000 Americans are infected with HIV as a result of sexual transmission....The panel reviewed published data on the economic costs of individual STDs and estimated the direct medical costs of STD treatment for all estimated cases in the United States per year to be at least $8.4 billion. In addition to the economic impact of STDs, the panel noted that STDs have a high human cost in terms of pain, suffering and grief......Of the top 10 most frequently reported infections, five are STDs.... More than half of teens aged 15-19 have had sex, and these teens are at high risk for STDs. About a quarter of all new cases of STDs occur in teens; two-thirds of cases occur in people aged 15-24 (see figure 3).... By age 24, at least one in three sexually active people will have contracted an STD.... teenage girls are highly susceptible to contracting chlamydia and gonorrhea, because these diseases easily infect the immature cervix..... Biologically and socially, women are more vulnerable than men to STDs. Genital infections including HIV are more easily passed from men to women than from women to men...... They are then more likely to experience long-term consequences such as infertility, tubal pregnancy and cervical cancer... Virtually every STD can be passed from a pregnant woman to her foetus or infant, often with tragic consequences. Because infants' immune systems are still developing, infections that are serious for an adult can be life-threatening for an infant. Common STD-related problems....Despite these advances in treatment and prevention, however, the United States continues to have the highest STD rates of any country in the industrialised world..."_

The above report about STDs in the US clearly demonstrates the fact that technical advancement and high literacy rate have only a limited impact on the propagation of sex-related diseases. Even if high-class latex condoms are consistently used, their efficacy in preventing STDs and HIV is hardly 40-60%. Moreover, despite the bonanza around condoms, less than half of the sexually active persons use condoms. A report has rightly mentioned that "Celibacy and sexual monogamy with a "known" partner carry a much lower risk than the safest of "safer sex" practices." The high prevalence rate of STDs must be enough to warn Americans that they must not feel complacent about the relatively low level of HIV infection in their country. There always remains a very high probability of a new more threatening kind of infection emerging, which can be much more difficult to control.

The diseases carried through sexual route are not only the ones that are normally described as STDs. Sexual transmission of hepatitis B and C is well documented in both developed and developing countries. The antibody prevalence rate for hepatitis B is over 50% in some countries in Africa and Asia, and surface antigen (HBsAg) carriage rates are described as high as 25%. In a study involving commercial sex workers in Asia, 6.1% to 17.9% were found to be HBsAg carriers.

Another retrovirus, HTLV-1, which is responsible for tropical spastic paraparesis and human T-cell leukaemia, is transmitted sexually as well as by other routes. Prevalence rates range from 5% in the Caribbean to 2.2% to 31.5% in Japan.

AIDS is killing people all over the world. But the devastation it has already caused and is causing in Africa is unparalleled in history. People are dying in such huge numbers that it is difficult to find their replacements in employment. A large number of children die before their first or second birthdays. Surviving children have to live under the scourge of orphanage. There are villages where the demon of sex has left no parents to look after their children. Only grandparents and grandchildren are visible. Describing the plight of children, a report, "African AIDS Orphans' Lives Focus on Basic Survival" by Linda Green says:

" _There were households throughout the township headed by children who were looking out for their siblings the best way they knew how. The children, especially those orphaned because their parents died of AIDS, needed to be fed, school fees paid and part of their medical bills met."..... During a United Methodist News Service visit, the children of the trust perform a variety of skits and songs that give a realistic and poignant look into their daily lives. They sing about death and the scourge of AIDS while asking the Holy Spirit to enter and comfort their souls "I survive through the help of those who are merciful," says 16-year-old Naomi. "I also believe that I am here because of God's grace.".....Asked to provide a glimpse of what her life is like, she becomes sombre and tries to choke back her emotions. "My life is very hard to describe because my parents passed away and the most difficult part is that my mother died before I had time t get to know her." Namo lived with her father but grew up under the guidance of aunts. When her father died, she and a younger brother were on their own...."...She and her brother do what they can to eke out a daily living. Sometimes they have little or no food. "But," she says, "through God's grace and people's mercy, we survive."...Twelve-year-old Delia describes her life as the Cinderella story without the happy ending. Instead, she says, it is filled with pain. She and a sister live with an aunt and her family. "I ask for soap; there is none for me but there is soap for the others," she says. "There is nothing for me, no money to go to school, but there is for the others. It is painful, but there is nothing that I can do about it. There is no love in the way I've been treated. I feel unwanted."...Another girl describes having to fight off a father who "drinks heavily and when he is drinking, he comes into my room, wakes me up and wants to get in the same bed with me." Her mother died last December, and "my father does not provide." She stopped attending school in the seventh grade to help care for herself and her sister's 2-year-old son. ..Trust, 14, lost both parents in 1999 from AIDS, and he tries to earn a living by making and repairing watches. He and his three siblings live with an elderly grandmother. "We have to do everything on our own," he says. "Each one of us looks for food and money to pay our fees to go to school."_

In the US, about 17, 000 people die every year of AIDS. The prevalence of AIDS among adults and adolescents was 312, 000 at the end of 1999 (140 per 100, 000), compared with 76, 000 at the end of 1990. Persons living with AIDS during 1999 were much more likely to be female, African American, or infected through heterosexual contact and much less likely to be White than were persons living with AIDS in 1990. At the end of 1999, the numbers of Whites and African Americans living with AIDS were similar (approximately 120, 000 and 125, 000, respectively), but the prevalence rate among African Americans was 6.7 times that among Whites. The number of people living with diagnosed HIV in these states (including those with AIDS) increased from 122, 000 at the end of 1994 to 173,000 at the end of 1999.

The CDC has used informal methods to estimate recent HIV incidence as approximately 40000 infections per year and current prevalence as 800000 to 900000 persons living with HIV. Since there were approximately 16000 deaths among persons with AIDS during 1999, HIV prevalence may have increased by approximately 25000 cases during that year. Such an increase is small compared with the large population involved and could not be detected with the available data sources.

The sex education and awareness are the mainstays of the world AIDS control programmes. And almost invariably these educational and awareness programmes describe not about the sexual liaisons that must never be pursued and those that must be avoided, but about how people can fully realise their sexual desires by adopting certain preventive practices. A teenager is not enlightened about the true nature of sex and reproduction. About the fact that sex must always be enjoyed within the legal and moral boundaries of marriage. That one must never venture to have sex before the marriage sanctions it. That premarital and promiscuous liaisons do pose extraordinary risks to society in general and to the vagrant in particular. And that the attempts to normalise sex perversions are fraught with highest dangers. What they are explained in detail instead is how to avoid pregnancy and STDs by artificial means. This almost always means the knowledge about the types of condoms, the ways to properly use them and the ways to possess them. 'A packet in the pocket' is what they seem to suggest as the road to safe sex. The sex educationists will not even bother to tell them that condoms have an efficacy of less than 50% in preventing STDs and HIV. Ask one hundred teenagers the questions about condoms. All may have knowledge about their use and efficacy in preventing pregnancies and infections, but hardly a few will talk of their limited usefulness. Thanks to sex education and awareness programmes, these balloons have emerged as gems for wanton youth. And young boys and girls do not miss the single opportunity to have full use of them. Girls are conscious enough to keep packets in their purses lest a lover boy comes their way not having them in his pocket. It would of course be nonsense to wait till he fetches one. Better be safe by having a few themselves! And condoms are not the only way to avoid pregnancy or STD. There are fantastic alternatives. Why do let the boy insert in your vagina? Why not use your mouth or anus instead? For your own discharge, you have to make your boy lick you causing a passionate burst in you unequalled in other forms of sex. You can also use artificial penises. Girls are also advised that if they happen to conceive, they must not hang back to visit the doctor at the earliest and get liberated from the unwanted burden. This is the age to enjoy, not to have an unnecessary responsibility on shoulders. And the growing fashion is to impart this "great" sex education right in the schools. Waiting till boys and girls reach the college level would be rather late. What they are not taught in sex education classes, they learn from the media. Their knowledge about sex is more perfect than about anything else. They have been instructed in one way or the other various positions and postures, restrained sex, oral sex, use of body lotions of various kinds, use of various other objects (like ice, petals, wax etc.,) to arouse, sex in rains, tubs, swimming pools, sand, side-huts on beaches and many others. As young inquisitive minds and as students, boys and girls must explore each and every one of these. Sooner than later. They have of course already learned striptease and catwalk. Performed exclusively for the boyfriend would go a long way in the initiation of what would finally lead to an ecstatic orgasm. They fear that if they do not know all these dimensions of the art of sex or deliberately refuse to do, their boyfriends may kick them out. So in order to keep them glued, they must learn to be as much sexually aggressive as they can imagine. Despite all this, as reported above, one third of adolescents catch infection by the time they get into the twenties.

The diseases related to sex are not limited to sex transmitted diseases. The aetiology of scores of psychiatric problems can be traced to sex. Young boys and girls often develop anxiety neurosis due to false notions about sex in their minds and their desire to have perfect sex. This often means to them that they must have large penises. They tend to think or are made to think that a few inches shorter organ would spoil their whole sexual life. Girls would simply not be satisfied; for they love larger penises. In order to enlarge their organs, they use all kinds of devices and medicines available in the market. They also tend to develop an exaggerated notion of long sex. Premature ejaculation is perhaps the most common sex-related psychiatric problem, men seek medical attention for. Other forms of anxiety, depression and nervousness too are often related to failure in love and estrangement with partner. Divorces, domestic violence, single parenthood and child abuse lead to severe psychiatric deficiencies and personality disorders.

In brief, it can be safely asserted that the so-called sexual revolution has created much greater hazards to human health than anything else has.

#  Challenges Challenged

There are attempts by some inhabitants of the garden to stall the march of Devil's Superexpress fuelled by the sexoil. They are anguished by what the train is supplying. They feel asphyxiated by the fumes of sexoil polluting the whole atmosphere. They want to mourn the deaths it is causing. They wish to lodge protest against the total disregard to the health and harmony of the garden. But the owners of the train would not listen. The grand march of the train must continue whatever the cost. The challengers have to be dealt with in one way or the other. They may be scared away or appropriately bribed. If they persist they may be silenced in more brutal ways.

There is little doubt that economic fundamentalism has established its deep roots in the present world. Its march towards its destination has, till now, been extraordinarily rapid and without facing any formidable resistance. It can be said without any hesitation that sex has become the raison d'etre for the economic fundamentalism now. The plan of its growth has been so meticulously designed and so subtly executed that the opponents have not even been able to fully realise what actually is transpiring and why. It however does not mean that the economic fundamentalists do not face challenges at all. Several problems—big or small, temporary or permanent, confront them. They have to find ways to manage them in a way so that they either remain unscathed or the damage is minimised. These problems are multi-fold.

**First** , they do not wish to be viewed by the masses as exploiters, oppressors and killers. They long to be respected and remembered as saviours, not the tormentors of mankind. Moreover, they want to distract attention of the common people away from the real issues. They are therefore often in search of such issues as look or can be made to look humanitarian; at the same time, their solution has some inherent advantages for the market, or at least has no destructive effect on it. More often than not, these are the problems of industries. But they project and propagate these as if they are maladies of the whole world. This helps malevolent merchants to masquerade as benevolent humanists. And if a problem of the industry happens to be a problem of the world as well, it encourages the fundamentalists to redouble their efforts. It can be easily seen that no campaign that is being assiduously promoted at the global level as a major issue on the pretension of humanitarian grounds is without a commercial motive. Many of these are related to the problems of sex trade as well. Let us briefly discuss some of them.

The most notable campaign, in terms of its extensiveness as well as intensity in the post-War era that has, in one form or the other, become an essential ingredient of the national policy of almost all governments functioning in any region of the world has been the population control programme. It has been pursued in varying intensities not only by the countries that have been under the influence of West but also by several hard-core socialist countries including China, non-aligned countries like India, Egypt and Cuba and the Islamic countries like Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. That the programme is not valueless is also evident from the fact that it had its inception when capitalism and socialism were at loggerheads with one another. If communist countries have also adopted and aggressively pursued it, it could not essentially have been anti-people. Yet, if during the last few decades, the implementation of the programme has received an extraordinary thrust, it is because the big business has developed several interests in its pursuance. It may be true that the population is growing at a rate considered fast by the experts. It may also be true that such a rapid growth of population escalates several problems. If infectious diseases cause mortality and morbidity at alarming rates, mothers still die during deliveries, a sizeable percentage of infants do not remain alive to celebrate their first birthday, and out of the rest, many more die in their paediatric age owing to the lack of nutritious food and unavailability of good medical care, and cities are becoming overcrowded, the population growth may be a significant contributory factor. But there are other factors related to the issue that are conveniently forgotten. Disinformation is generously used to further the birth control programme. For example, the impression has been usually disseminated that a steep rise in population would create the shortage of food. The studies by the organisations monitoring food production have been categorical in proving that the rise in food production in the last half century has been greater than the rise in population. If the people still starve, it is because the food is not allowed or made to reach them. It can be said with confidence that, if the distribution of food becomes equitable, no human being on earth will remain hungry. The earth allows birth of only as many humans as it can sustain. The economic fundamentalists know this. This is why some economists have gone to the extent in their argument that increase in food production must not be allowed to occur; for if the food production rises, the population will naturally expand to consume it. It can thus be the reason why food is not allowed to reach all the corners of the earth; for if it reaches all humans, it would save many a life from starvation. This would obviously cause an increase in population. Once there are no more deaths owing to starvation, the drive for population control will receive further setback. Why exactly the economic fundamentalists seek to keep population under control is ex-plained below.

Another point that has been missed is that the total bio-mass of the earth remains the same. If the human population grew, the population of animals would decrease and, if the human population were reduced by natural or artificial means, the animal population would increase. The question arises: should we reduce the number of human beings and increase the population of beasts? If the human population has always continued to increase, it is because Nature designs to replace the less developed creatures with the better developed. Should we endeavour to interfere with this natural preference? Similarly, in order to popularise family welfare programmes, the advertisements suggest that early marriage is detrimental to the health of the girl. This again may be disputable; for, if Nature has made her physically capable to reproduce, the probability of damage to her body would be minimal, provided of course, she takes adequate diet and receives appropriate medical care, which are essential as well for the older mothers. Ironically, girls are never discouraged to have sex before a certain age. It has been very well documented by the gynaecologists that the chances of congenital abnormalities in children and certain kinds of malignancies (cancers) of women rise with increase in the age of the mothers. The best period for procreation is below thirty. Family welfare programmes are definitely worth following as far as their objective is to save the mothers and children from diseases and death. Proper spacing is essential. Avoidance of pregnancies in mothers who are ill, or when their other children are not healthy, and if the income of the family is too meagre to sustain a large family, is also understandable. But, is the programme really aimed at alleviating the problems of common people? Unfortunately not. There is much more to what meets the eyes. Behind the "mercifulness" for the poor are several undeclared motives.

One, by fixing the blame of every problem of the world on the population growth, the economic fundamentalists are able to divert attention of the people from their own sinister games that are in fact responsible for the sweeping poverty. When less than five per cent have more than ninety per cent of the country's income (and wealth) in India, for example, how a population growth of less than two percent per annum is going to aggravate the problems? Despite the high rate of population growth, the country has become self-reliant in food production, and is now in a position to export it. Yet the poverty haunts more than half of the nation. Even if the population growth becomes zero, with the continuous flow of wealth from the poor to the rich and from the richer to the richest, would the situation show any signs of improvement even in decades? The situation warrants harsh measures and requires that the holders of ninety per cent of the wealth of the country be made, either through force, or through change in policies, to share the benefits of their wealth with the rest of the countrymen. It is not the explosion of "population bomb" but that of the bomb of myth that frightens the economic fundamentalists. Lest the people should know the truth, it is better to keep them engaged in debates on the adverse effects of population growth.

**Two** , the big industries know that a big family uses a big portion of its income to purchase food items. Rest is utilised in purchasing clothes that too are usually of cheap variety produced by small industries. Little money is left with it to buy costly consumer goods manufactured by the big industry. It tends to assist agricultural growth (and that of small-scale industry) at the cost of industrial growth. It is essential therefore that the size of the family remains small so that it can save enough money to bestow on the big industries.

**Three** , the popularisation of contraceptive devices through promotion of small family norms is a great boon for the industrialists. Through these programmes, men and women are informed and habituated of the use of methods for avoiding unwanted pregnancies. This awareness helps the commercial sex. If women had not become fearless on this account, promiscuity could never have become common. Furthermore, through the marketing of various contraceptive devices, the industries earn billions.

**Fourth** , encouraging men and women to marry as late as possible again immensely benefits the sex market. For the sustenance of the flesh-trade, demand and supply are essential; and if the people start marrying as soon as they attain puberty, the market would take a nosedive. It is hardly surprising therefore that, to achieve success in population control, encouragement to promiscuity as a method to discourage people from early marriage has been advanced by the Western experts. It is also for the same reason that the so-called champions of human rights do never raise their voice against the killing of millions of children by way of abortion every year. The truth is that the so-called family welfare programmes are aimed at the disintegration of the family system; for the family system is not consistent with the "development" model. The weaker the family system the more likely the members of the family are to spend money in the consumer and sex-market and therefore to help the "development".

After population -control, human rights have been the most popular issue at the global level. The modern concept of human rights also originated from West. Superficially, it again looks a very attractive slogan. West feared that the kind of economic fundamentalism that it had decided to aggressively pursue had same very serious adverse effects. It would engender barbarism in society in the form of steep rise in all forms of crimes including mur-der, rape, robbery and bribe. It would also enhance societal tensions as well as psychiatric illnesses. If these really happened, it would give a bad name to their ideology. To counter this, the economic fundamentalists sought to impart a new meaning to 'human rights' so that the darker face of their civilisation could not come to the fore, and they could use the brighter side to fusillade those systems that were unwilling to accept the West's economic hegemony. The result of such re-orientation has been that the human rights situation in a country is not assessed on the basis of crimes in that area; but on how the accused in various crimes are being treated by the governmental institutions and agencies. Apparently the human rights organisations argue that they safeguard the people against excesses. But, in reality, they only serve the criminals and saboteurs of social peace. What happens to the victims of a crime and their relatives does not bother them; their function is only to follow the trial of the accused. It has already been discussed that the economic fundamentalists have vested interests in the paralysed legal system, for the criminals and crimes form an indispensable part of their operations. The criminals are supported in more than one way. If they or their crimes have any political dimensions, the champions of human rights are quick to label their trial as 'political vendetta'. It is true that the governments tend to be less kind towards their opponents, and often use the stick of law to punish them. But it is equally true that all political forces have some nexus with the criminals who are used to creating ugly situations for the ruling party or coalition. This side of the coin is however intentionally overlooked. The human rights organisations never publish reports on the crime-situation in different countries, and never pressurise the governments to drastically reduce them so that the common people can pass their lives without fear; for such reports would unveil their own faces and fingers will then be at against Western ideologies.

'Women's rights' is yet another extremely favourite subject with the Amnesties and the Human Rights Watches. And it is needless to repeat that the major aim behind all the raucous that is regularly made is to assist the merchants of sex and barons of consumer industry. Why is it that "purdah" (veil) annoys them, but prostitution does not? Why has the Amnesty, the self-proclaimed champion of human rights, never bothered to tell the world that there can not be a bigger crime against womanhood than its sordid commercialisation? Why does it not shout that a civilisation cannot claim to be a true human civilisation if it creates a social environment in which women have to willingly or unwillingly sell their bodies? Amnesties and Human Watch groups take extraordinary pains to highlight the cases of rapes in police custody or in prisons. But their eyes do not bleed at the thousands of rapes that the innocent women have to suffer daily all over the world. If they begin to unveil the nefarious strategies of the commercial exploitation of women, nothing else would be required to prove their credentials. But the truth is that the amnesties are damnesties, which are only the mouthpieces of the economic fundamentalists. Their goals are only to glorify Westernism and degrade every other system. One of the issues that Amnesty and other organisations have con-tinuously been raising at different platforms is that of child labour, an issue ostensibly inspired by humanist sentiments. There can hardly be anybody not moved by the concern shown for the innocent children who, instead of going to schools, have to earn their livelihood in factories and fields. They often have to work in wretched conditions. The situation needs prompt redress. But, is this concern for child labour the only or the real motive behind the world-wide campaign?. The actual motivating force, on the contrary, is the strategy of big industries to throttle the small sector so that they can expand their own market. They know that the small-scale industries may be individually small but combined they have a sizeable share in the world economy. They reckon that these industries survive only because they can get relatively cheap labour in the form of young children; once this labour goes beyond their reach, they would not be able to compete with the big industries, and would be left with no option but to wind up. Why should the circulation of money remain confined between the owners of small-scale businesses and their clients, without the involvement of the big business? The economic fundamentalists neglect the fact that these children are the bread-earners for themselves and their extremely poor families where each member has to financially contribute to survive. If child labour has to end, better ways should be found so that small-scale industries do not face virtual extinction.

There always exist some elements in society whose hearts bleed at the sight of the plight of the weak, the oppressed and the downtrodden. They also possess the brain required to recognise the real forces behind oppression, poverty and exploitation and the will and courage to challenge them. Their desire to set things right and alleviate the problems of the common people often bring them face to face with the economic fundamentalists. And the fundamentalists, who have many skeletons in their cupboard, prefer to avoid a direct combat; they use alternative methods to outsmart their opponents. This will be explained with the help of a few examples.

Medical experts discovered that cigarette smoking was extremely dangerous for health, and caused several diseases like lung cancer and chronic bronchitis. It enhances the chances of heart attacks and peptic ulcers and, in case of the mother being a smoker, has also a damaging effect on the foetus. This led to an outcry against smoking all over the world. Several health-organisations and institutions campaigned for a blanket ban on smoking. The enormity of evidences against smoking as a killer was too much to give the industries any chance to muster argu-ments to the satisfaction of the foes. But they were not ready to bear the loss that would occur if the tobacco indus-try were closed. Money was dearer to them than the lives of people. And they had handy support for them in the governments, which also benefited from the tobacco industry. The media was already in their hands; and there were a large number of intellectuals who had the pen to manufacture logic. If money comes their way, they would mill fascinating arguments against the ban on smoking. The first of their arguments was the old one that the individuals had the right to choose, whatever they liked. Others had no business to occlude them. If smoking adversely affects their health or kills them, it is after all their own life. The second argument, again "well-established" in the armoury of the economic fundamentalism, was that awareness was the right way to wean people away from smoking. Education rather than compulsion will be the method of choice to keep them away from cigarettes. When they finally realise the damaging effect of smoking on their health, they will be more than willing to give it up for ever. To make it sure that before they hold a cigarette between their lips, they knew what they were up to, the cigarette packets could have a statutory warning: smoking is injurious to health. In some countries, when the opposition grew, it was also conceded that the advertisements promoting cigarettes would not appear in the government-owned media. The tobacco manufacturers were confident that, if legal ban could somehow be averted, with the passage of time, the campaign would slow down; and whatever the impact of awareness programmes could have been upon the consumers, would be neutralised by the glorification of smoking through films and other media. And they have proved right. The masses have almost compromised with the situation. Cigarettes continue to attract the consumers, and earnings through them have been multiplying. Wills sponsored national and international sports events, the 1996 World Cup in India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka. Benson & Hedges regularly sponsor the one-day matches in Australia. When recently several cases were filed for compensation against the tobacco companies in the US, and the companies came under tremendous pressure, they conceded to pay compensation to the smokers suffering from lung cancers and other diseases. Yet again, they have succeeded in thwarting the campaign for total ban on manufacturing, and very soon the world would know that these companies have lost virtually nothing.

The third argument advanced by the cigarette producers was that they were one of the major sources of revenue for the government that charges excise duty on cigarettes. As will be seen below in the case of alcohol industry, this argument, too, holds no water.

Drinking, too, like smoking, has time and again, been the target of moralists and social activists. In most of Islamic countries, the sale of liquor is legally prohibited, and in India too, prohibition is in force in several states. The evidences have continued to accumulate to show that mortality and morbidity due to alcohol-related diseases are ever on the rise. Alcohol is responsible for a sizeable percentage of accidents, and there are conclusive proofs that under its influence the chances of committing crimes, including murder, rape, and suicide increase manifold. But again, the alcohol industry has advanced the same outlandish logic to keep their business intact, as have the tobacco manufacturers. In addition, there have also been brazen attempts to increase social acceptability of liquor by stating that it is useful for cardiovascular health. Yet another logic advanced by the alcohol lobbyists is that, if prohibition were enforced, house-made cheap liquor would become common signalling threat to the lives of consumers. Thus while the media hardly if ever gives coverage to alcohol-linked deaths, crimes, accidents and suicides, as soon as the sales of liquor are banned in some part of the world, it starts carrying out the news about marketing of illicit liquor and the diseases caused by it. The alcohol industry and its protagonists, like the cigarette industry, have also played the card of loss of revenue to the government. Their claim that prohibition would cause huge economic loss has little substance. It superficially looks well founded, for many important points are intentionally ignored. Distinction has to be made between the national loss and the governmental loss. In the case of prohibition, there is no national loss, as the money of the people that used to be spent in buying the bottles is now saved. The money remains within the country and its reallocation takes place. A substantial part of it would go to banks that are mostly nationalised; the rest would be spent in purchasing other items like fruits, milk, icecreams, cold drinks, clothes and other consumer items. Furthermore, money will not go out of the country in the exchange of foreign-made liquor. The government would not only benefit from the money deposited in banks, but would also receive sales tax and excise duties from several items purchased by the money saved. Thus it would improve the health and socio-economic status of the common people, and the loss of revenue to the government would be much less than what is projected. The government will also save money it spends on the hospitals dealing with the patients of alcoholism. The accidents and crimes would witness substantial decline. One of the major advantages of course is that the family lives of those who used to drink would immensely improve. Their women and children will be the greatest beneficiaries. The ban, in fact, will not lead to any loss to the nation. On the contrary, production would improve. The marginal unemployment generated as the result of the closure of alcohol industry would in due course of time be plugged. Whatever little loss the government may face can be compensated through alternative routes of revenue generation. It must be accepted that huge losses to the nation cannot be allowed to occur for providing a few coins to the government. Furthermore, public health and social order are too important to be sidelined by pure economic considerations.

All the above arguments have been advanced in the case of sex-related activities as well. Prostitution must not be banned because, they argue, banning it would be counterproductive. It is not possible to eradicate prostitution at all. When it is not possible, why then try it? It would lead to a more sinister kind of underground trade. Medical and social activists would find it harder to educate them on the use of condoms. It will be difficult to regularly check them, and customers will face greater hazards. And as great lovers of prostitutes they are, the probability of their losing bread and butter would worry them. It is therefore not at all advisable to campaign for the ban on prostitution. Instead the better course would be to legalise it. Scores of such ready-made arguments would counter any "moralists" that might have any "ill conceived" notions of the service to the mankind. Pornography too does not require ban, their argument goes on, because the ban would not be effective. Better alternative is to talk to your children so that they do not watch it. And now technological assistance is available to parents in the form of computer programmes that would help them keeping their children away from the porn.

Disallowing children of less than 18 of course remains the most favourite method of controlling the adverse effects of pornography. How wonderful! Children who do not understand the meaning of the explicit sexual actions, or cannot at least hope to translate the visuals into practice are banned from viewing them. Those who have the physical capability to emulate what they see are welcome. They must see because they are free to see it. I wonder why red light areas have not so far been embellished with the messages, "ONLY ADULTS ARE ALLOWED". Or why has a statutory warning not been printed on the packets of condoms: "CHILDREN ARE NOT PERMITTED TO USE THEM"? The truth is that, compared to adults, children may have only a marginal effect of watching the porn. It may of course cause some psychological problems among children. But adults are certain to be affected. They would like to follow what they see. Pornography instigates adults, not children to rape or sexually assault women and children. It takes adults, not children to the red light areas. It makes adults, not children agents or victims of sexually transmitted diseases. It threatens adults, not children of the bitterness in relationships with their spouses and girlfriends. It encourages adults, not children to look for promiscuous relations. It propels adults, not children to the perversions of all kinds. But this is what the merchants work for. So why adults must not see the excitement at its best? Sex trade banks on adults, not children. Children of course are not totally out of the picture. The great planners of sex industry have already begun the campaign to normalise paedophilia. They hope, with the passage of time, this too would normalise, as sodomy, lesbianism, felatio and cunnilinguus already have. But for present, it is better they feel not to endorse paedophilia, at least in the public. By diverting the ire of the public on paedophilia they expect to at least safeguard all the other forms of sex trade. Intelligent people!

The economic fundamentalists have also realised that a number of social organisations have been playing a significant role in mobilising the people against their exploitative practices. Most of these organisations have either leftist inclinations, or are motivated by ethical and religious sentiments. They understand that there are always some people even in a society full of Bohemians who derive immense spiritual pleasure in working for the welfare of the people. No amount of efforts can completely materialise the thinking of all the inhabitants of the earth. For example, the environmentalists have evinced great dedication, and have been successful in pressurising the parliaments and assemblies to enact laws for safeguarding the environment. Recently even environmental issues seem to have been hijacked by the big business to asphyxiate small-scale industries though. Similarly, labour unions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have many a time succeeded in mobilising labourers and common people against the interests of the big business. The mill-owners use certain overt or covert methods to weaken the labour unions; threats and allurements have been used to sow seeds of discord among the leaders of the unions. In countries like the US, the promulgation of the right to work has also been misused for distancing the workers from labour unions. As the activities of the NGOs in the past have mostly been detrimental to their interests, the economic fundamentalists have recently discovered a highly effective method to put brakes on the NGOs. When you cannot make a hole by simply pushing, screw it! They know that the NGOs are, most of the time, in want of money; and many social activists have political and financial motives. If these organisations are offered money for continuation of their activities, most of them will not be able to resist the temptation. It will then not be difficult to engage them in activities that are ostensibly humanistic but have hidden emoluments for the "growth" of economy. This new concept of involving the NGOs gained momentum in the late 1980s and 90s, and a large number of socio-economic programmes (of course, of the choice of the big business) are now being implemented through them. These include population control, literacy, vaccination, AIDS control, child labour and other social awareness programmes. Obviously, almost all these programmes are in tune with the point of view of the economic fundamentalists. Social activists are now increasingly involved in the campaigns planned either by the government or other funding agencies, most of which are supported by international institutions. They are now least interested in highlighting the real problems faced by society and are busy motivating the people in accordance with the borrowed plans. Many of them, for example, are intensively campaigning to mobilise public opinion in the favour of legalising prostitution. The funny argument that is being advanced with ever-increasing intensity is that, as it is not practical to outlaw "the oldest profession", it would be far more advantageous to give legal sanction to it. Once "sex-workers" are licensed, it would be easy to get them medical-ly examined at periodic intervals; it would reduce the chances of their acting as pools of sex transmitted diseases including AIDS. The arguments are in fact manufactured to suit the interests of businessmen; often mutually contradictory arguments are produced to prove the indispensability of a specific action. For example, in the case of polygamy, it was never said that, as promiscuity was impossible to contain, polygamy should better be made legally permissible. Likewise, the question of practical difficulties has never stood in the way of population control programmes. Similarly, practical problems in the use of condoms have never been questioned. This has also not occurred to them that licensing prostitutes is even more difficult; bogus licensing would soon emerge. Furthermore, the number of "sex-workers" is so big, usually in millions, that it is almost impossible to examine them at short intervals; and the cost will be very high. And even if they are regularly examined say at an interval of 3 months, the examination cannot guarantee that they are not in the window period, the period during which the blood test for HIV remains negative despite the person having already been infected. Even during this period, such a person is capable of transmitting the infection to the partners. Prostitutes entertain 10-15 clients every day; and may therefore infect as many as 1000 persons before being detected. Nobody likes licensing, and the sex-workers would be least likely to take the pains of obtaining a license and reporting for periodic examinations. To locate them would be an onerous task, as they work not only in brothels but also in hotels, streets, slums and houses. The logic behind the demand for legalisation seems to be that their clients must be protected against sex transmitted diseases.

#  From the Diary of a Twig

Though the devastation caused by the Superexpress spared none but one particular twig was sensitive enough to pen down her unending agony, her excruciating pain and her ordeal, which like the game of revolving chairs continued to encircle her with a disciplined regularity. Here are a few excerpts from her diary:

##  I.Bond of blemish: her rape, my rape

Sadly, like all the other men who passed through the doors of my mother's life, my father too found a way out. I was two years old. Not to worry though, as that revolving door never seemed to cease. Although there were men coming and going, soon thereafter a young man came into her life. He was tall and handsome, and adored her even with all of the baggage she carried. That including myself. He was charming and addictive. After they married he moved us eastward, far from the life we had grown so accustomed to. The town we would soon call our home was quaint and peaceful. Trees and flowers lavished the countryside, and Mother Nature wore perfume that smelled of honeysuckle. At the age of five I developed what my mother said was an Oedipus Complex. My stepfather became my idol and the admiration I felt for him was immense. That is perhaps why I carry such guilt for events that would soon take place in my life.

The pain in my legs was excruciating that cold night in November. I awoke from a dead sleep, my legs felt as if every muscle were twisting into knots. I sat up and began rubbing them. The pain only increased. Sobbing, I walked down the hall into my mother and stepfather's bedroom. "Momma, my legs are hurting again", I said as I shook her shoulder. "Go lie on the sofa", she replied in a sleepy don't-disturb-me-again tone. The doctor said I was potassium deficient; thus, the mystery behind my leg cramps was solved. I turned away from their bed, wishing for some sort of relief that would dissipate the pain. I lay down on the couch, as was instructed, and tried to keep my crying to a minimum. It was near impossible. My stepfather came into the living room and sat at the opposite end of the sofa. "Where does it hurt?" "Here", I said; running my small hands down my legs. I remember his hands the first time they squeezed my calves. Enormous and strong. He began massaging my legs, and the pain decreased with each of his masculine grips. He looked at me and smiled -- his blue eyes were hollow, yet somewhat comforting. He moved his hands up to my thighs and grasped them working his way upwards. Pushing my night-gown up, he exposed my panties. Pink and lacey. His finger slipped beneath them and rested on my private area. I can remember wondering how this touch could render the pain that had taken over a completely different part of my body. He began rubbing me. And my eyes, that once were closed, now opened. His eyes were closed and the look on his face was one I had never witnessed. He pulled his hand out of my panties. Innocently satisfied. He lowered my night-gown and covered my private pink lace. He put his index finger on his lips, the one that began the corruption of my innocence, as if to say "don't tell". Looking back, I often wonder if he would return to bed to finish the "job" on my mother. From that night I became his pawn -- a toy for foreplay. I hated him for using my pain to get his cheap thrills. For two years I was his play pretty. A day did not pass that I longed to return home. Where the land was flat and desolate and Mother Nature did not wear perfume. Finally, the summer before I would begin second grade, my father received a job offer. In this matter I thanked God, whom I had already begun to doubt. This job would take me back home.

In returning home, I began staying with my grandparents on the weekends. Eventually moving in throughout the weekdays. I was finally content with the home life they provided. Their love for me was sincere unlike the so-called love of my parents, which always seemed to contain ulterior motives. With enough hired help within their business and a need to socialise for political reasons, my grandparents began travelling quite frequently. During the school session I was not able to travel with them, therefore I was sent to stay with my parents. The one who bore me and the one who would subconsciously kill me.

The flowers of adolescence had started unfolding with awkward results on my body. I hated this time in my life. Eyes were upon me again - hollow and blue. I had dreams like others to be possessed by a wonderful young man who would at the same time care for me. I had fantasies that would electrify every inch of my existence. I had no inkling however that my virginity would be broken, not by a man of my choice or desires, but by a man whom I could never imagine doing such a thing. During the aforementioned week in which I stayed at the home of "Mrs. Life and Mr. Death", I had to stay after school every day for athletic conditioning. One particular night I returned to their home and found my stepfather to be the only one there. My mother had joined a friend in going to the cinema. The "little secret" of my past would surface each time I looked at him. I never gave any hint of remembrance to that period of my life. I felt it was safe locked inside of me. Where he thought I had forgotten, and I so desperately yearned to forget. I went upstairs to the guest bathroom. It was actually my bathroom, though claiming ownership would only make one consider me to be a permanent resident of that household. And that, I certainly did not want. Being a guest at least gave me the freedom to come and go as I pleased. Going occurred more than coming. In going, I could breathe again.

I turned the shower on and slipped my clothes off. I was exhausted and smelled of sweat and dirty work out equipment. I stepped into the shower and the hot water pounded my sore muscles. I was so relaxed I forgot where I was for a moment. The door opened and I jumped. Opening my eyes, I found my stepfather standing in front of the shower door. I grabbed a towel and attempted to cover my body. I shouted at him, memories of honeysuckle and hell flowing, his eyes vomiting lust. I told him to go away and screamed for help. Running past him, he pushed me against the wall, and my head crashed against the hardness. My efforts to escape were all done in vain.

It's strange, but after losing consciousness, I fell into a dream. I was a toddler again. I was alone, yet I felt safe and happy. Skipping and singing. I could have stayed forever there. Reality would see to it I didn't. When I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital. The aroma that surrounded me made me nauseous. Death and despair. I knew from the moment I awakened that I was no longer a girl. Without my consent I had become a woman. Too soon, too late. The pain was unbearable. I could not believe I had lost my virginity. Not in the manner I had dreamt, but in the cruellest way one could ever imagine. I later signified my dream to be my last walk with purity. The white night-gown was gone and the little girl beneath it began her walk with death.

The rape, or the "It was all just a bad dream" (as everyone around me had dubbed it), brought to mind another incident. I was three years old. Another "It was all just a bad dream", a different recipient. It is said one cannot remember most events that take place as a toddler. I go along pretending to believe that, knowing inside I very well remember. I was in the living room sitting with my legs crossed in front of the television; (My baby-sitter) not watching it, not caring to. I was stroking Baby's hair with my mother's brush, knowing, as each bristle broke in her strands of fake doll hair, I was being disobedient. I was three; to obey - to disobey, it was all the same to me.

A knock at the door brought the company of a gentleman. Not one of the "normal" men that visited from time to time. The one's who wore plaid pants with matching polo shirts, who perhaps had just finished a game of canasta or a round of golf. This man was clad in a business suit that was pin striped and had that "newly bought" odour to it. My mother smiled at his sight, she was obviously expecting him. He glared over her shoulder and grinned. The grin was not new to me. "They" always smiled in that manner. A sweet smile as if to say: "thanks for sharing your mommy". My mother closed the door behind him, smiled that same sweet smile and whispered, "be down in a bit". I began brushing Baby's hair violently. Bristles breaking, diaper wetting. Disobedience at the peak. They climbed the stairs, and I could vaguely hear their discussion. One of those "yes I did, no you didn't" conversations. Childish and arrogant .The discussion turned into an argument. I heard slapping, slamming and voices growing intense, so I grabbed Baby and walked up a couple of stairs. Not too high, not too low, but somewhere in the middle. A comfortable level for a three year old. I had never heard my mother say "no" so many times except when the demand was aimed towards me. Soon I heard crying. Not one of those "he left me again cries", but a sobbing, miserable cry. Then there was a blood curdling scream. One that startled me so that I soiled my diaper. There he was again. The business man, no longer smelling of a "newly bought" suit, but of a woman who did not surrender, yet was taken anyway. The odour he now wore was that of my mother. She did not follow him proudly as she did when he first appeared. I crawled up the stairs and stood at her bedroom door. She was lying on her bed writhing in pain. Emotional and physical pain. Holding Baby, with my mother's brush now fully embedded in her hair, I watched sadness and pain spew from her body for hours it seemed.

Who would have guessed someday we would share something so similar? Her rape, my rape. Our only bond.

##  II.Daughters of deprivation

As I stand before my mirror, my eyes set on a scar; the vestige of my womanhood, the place where pale, wrinkled children emerged into existence. I love them, yet at times I resent their presence. I often look for an opening, longing to return them. As they cling to me, taking my blood, my breath, my youth, I realise I am the opening.

Months ago, their father left for greener pastures. The stress of being a husband and father was robbing him of his youth as well. Carrying his luggage, he opened the door to freedom and in return gave me a life-sentence. As the door slammed behind him, I heard the shatter of glass. I knelt down to pick up a family whose nail could no longer hold them to the wall of "happily ever after". I made a vow I wouldn't cry, and I held to the promise - for a short while anyway.

In the days that followed I spent my time working longer hours, and reassuring my children everything would be alright. My family offered to help financially, but I refused to let his absence take my last bit of pride. I told myself I could do this on my own, and I did. Financially I would survive, but emotionally I was slowly dying.

I had always been pretty reclusive, and enjoyed my time alone. But the children began to demand more time from me; thus, even my moments of solitude were inhabited by them. I would cook for them only to have them snarl their little noses in detest to what lay on their plate. I helped them with their homework and wondered why their little brains wouldn't soak in what I was teaching them. I would iron their pants, and listen to them whine about how they wanted to wear shorts instead. I read annoying fairytales to them -- lies of beautiful women meeting their princes and living happily ever after. While I slowly became the old woman who lived in a shoe. I would tuck them away for their nap and breathe a sigh of relief. With their slumber came time for myself......

I walk outside and the breeze carries the smell of wet soil from the few drops of rain the stingy clouds have allotted. I pass each flower-bed where months before I planted seedlings. Flowers do not grow there; perhaps they want to stay in the womb of their mother - the soil. Perhaps they are fearful of this cruel world of existence, as I know it. Turning, I notice that one vine has produced its offspring. The flowers are pink and purple with vines that intertwine. Farmers despise Morning Glory, and eradicate any trace of its life. I am happy that it lives and gently touch its leaves. I walk to the patio and sit in what I've dubbed my "reading chair". I cover my legs with a navy blue, wool blanket. My daughter unintentionally removed this blanket from the aeroplane that brought her home from Holland. I pull it up around my shoulders, and the scent of a far-away land gives me a yearning to escape.

I notice that the sun has begun to force its heat upon me, and I think back to a day when I was twelve years old. My mother had taken me to a field to pick vegetables for a family friend. The field was miles from town and secluded from the rest of the world. She assured me she would return by noon. Noon came and went - the sun came, but its heat never went. I remember an overwhelming feeling of panic because I knew I had been forgotten. The heat was almost unbearable, but I continued with my duties. I longed for hydration, for anything to quench the thirst that was beginning to render me into weakness. I walked around, not thinking clearly, and my eyes set on a watermelon patch. I pulled a melon from the vine, plucking it from the umbilical cord that once gave it life. Lifting it over my head, I slammed it on the ground breaking it in half. I sucked the life out of it, pouring its blood into my mouth. Sitting down between the rows, I began to cry uncontrollably. Hours passed, the sun began to set, and I finally noticed headlights approaching. My mother, the owner of those headlights, was smiling as if this day were meant to be. My skin, the colour of porcelain that morning, was now red from the cruel rays of the sun. I never asked why, and she never offered an explanation. I convinced my self, in a desperate attempt to salvage a mother-daughter relationship, that she did not forget me intentionally.

The wind chimes begin to sing their lonely song, and I come back to the present. I open a novel and begin to read lyrical words that flow like a jazz song. I tend to morph into the characters in the novels I read. I am young Ammu in Roy's "The God of Small Things," I am the lover in Dostoevsky's "White Nights". Here in my chair I can become any number of people, as long as I am not myself.

I look up at the sky and notice the sun has begun to plummet, making its way to a place I will never see. Its colour has begun to turn orange-red, reminding me of melon juice on the lips of a lonely forgotten child. As the mosquitoes begin to swarm, like buzzards hunting their prey, I light a candle. The warm glow makes up for the smell of citronella that has begun to burn my nose. I continue reading my novel when I hear the voices of children arguing over something petty. I walk in the house feeling somewhat angry, and my eyes catch an expression of fear on my children's faces. Their eyes, lonely and afraid, gnaw at me and remind me of my youth. My strength vanishes and is replaced with tears of guilt.

I fall to my knees and grab my children. I realise I have wasted so much time resenting them for their father's absence, and for a life they had no control over. My eldest daughter hands me a piece of paper where she has drawn a family of four: a mother, who also doubles as a father, and three innocent children. I walk in the living room to hang it on a nail that was once weak, but now has a stronger foundation.

#  Let's Revive the Garden

Hahahahahaaha...The devil is having a paroxysmal fit of laughter. He has every reason to guffaw on what his viceroys have achieved and are on the way to achieve. His Superexpress fuelled by sexoil is a stupendous success. Its every bogey is bringing a fresh entertainment to the garden. Every time a new bogey passes through the garden, the inhabitants dance with sheer delight; their delight makes the Devil ecstatic with joy. He is able, even if for the time being, to tease God. He seems to say: "Look God, what I have made of your dearest creation! They have no interest for the eternal peace you offer for they have joined my theatre and I will keep them too busy to think of anything you offer." Thanks to its insatiable lust for money and weakness for sex, mankind has prostrated before the Satan. Exceptions are there who still challenge him. But their challenge appears to have been fading. At present, at least. Sex now rules the world. Had it been normal sex, it would not have been wholly unwelcome. Alas! It is the weird, abnormal, perverse and pervert sex. Sex that kills. Sex that torments. Sex that hammers. Sex that devastates. Sex that decimates. Sex that enslaves. It kills people, torments men and women, hammers children, devastates families and decimates moral and social fabric. "Free" sex does not free any body. It enslaves humans in the chains of death and diseases. It makes them the captives of their weaknesses. The merchants of sex have spread their tentacles so far and wide that it is nigh impossible for anyone to avoid the entrapment.

Merchants have done everything to boost their plans. Sex brings them money, fame and glory. What else do they want? Let the people be killed, families demolished and society devastated. Their show must go on. And for keeping the show running, they have all the paraphernalia in their hands. They have a long list of pro-development (hot) and antidevelopment (not) items:

*Sex within marriage is anti-development, sex outside pro-development;

*Women's working at home is anti-development, women's working out pro-development;

*Women's serving husbands and children anti-development, theirs working for customers pro-development;

*Normal sex is anti-development, abnormal sex pro-development;

*Sex within the boundaries of houses is antidevelopment, in hotels, beaches and tourism centres pro-development

*Vaginal intercourse may be good but oral and anal are better for development;

*Marrying early is anti-development, having early sex is pro-development;

*Polygamy is antidevelopment, promiscuity pro-development;

*Conceiving is antidevelopment, aborting pro-development;

*Restraint in sex is antidevelopment, using condoms pro-development;

*Covering body is antidevelopment, nakedness pro-development;

*Heterosexual relations are also pro-development but nothing like homosexual.

Merchants work in exact accordance with what is required: promote all the pro-development activities and campaign against all the antidevelopment ones. If "development" stopped, the world would stop. The wheel of the cart cannot be turned backward. To make their plans hit the goal, they have taken innumerable steps. There are general steps to maintain the crescendo of the big business and specific steps to commercialise beauty and sex.

Aristotle said: " _Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all; since armed injustice is more dangerous, and he is equipped with arms, meant to be used by intelligence and virtue, which he may use for worst ends_ ".

The extent to which economic fundamentalism has ruled every bit of life is pretty evident from what has been elaborated in the preceding pages. The world today has become the oyster for economic tyrants. Their domination is too complete to allow any appreciable resistance to build. The media are in their total control. Politicians derive political mileage out of their money-power that supports their demagogy. Bureaucrats willingly or unwillingly play into their hands pushing plans and policies of their choice. Technocrats serve their designs painting the picture in the colour of their liking. Economists float theories, criteria and data suiting their game plan. World organisations - political, scientific or financial, implement the programmes the way they want. Judges are made to contemplate the way merchants want and pronounce judgements according to the laws formulated by political bodies at their behest. Religious scholars have become either their slaves, or are bereft of any physical or moral authority. And social activists have been successfully motivated to engage in the "welfare" programmes sponsored by them. The majority of the people do not have any inkling as to what has been transpiring at different levels. The few who have some idea do not posses the will, courage and resources to influence the public opinion; their hands are too tightly tied to cause any transformation in the course of events. What is happening in the world today is like a one-day cricket match, where the populace has nothing in its power except to pay to watch the proceedings of the match. Players who seem to play the game are being made to play by the organisers, who remain behind the scene, and yet they control everything, from the selection of date, time and place to the selection of players and sponsors. As soon as a player fails to live up to the expectations, he is sacked; if he wants to continue in the team, he will have to perform according to the standards set by the organisers. The whole world has been reduced to mere spectators of the spectacle they are being shown: the spectacle of development, prosperity, entertainment and fun. They fully know their weaknesses and strengths and how to exploit them. And what else can propitiate the senses of humans more than the spectacle of sex or sex itself? The result is:

*More than 3 million deaths every year due to sex related ailments

*More than 50 million cases of STDs

*More than 50 million of killings of humans-in-making by way of planned abortion

*Millions of rapes of women

*Millions of children being sexually abused

*Millions of families broken

*Hundreds of thousands of suicides and murders

*Millions of children living in single parent families

*Millions of women working as prostitutes and porn actors

*Hundreds of thousands of women working as club dancers, stripteasers and massagers

*Millions of people developing psychiatric illnesses owing to the problems related to sex or extramarital relationships.

The situation is undoubtedly gloomy. Yet, the world has to change, and change for the better. What has been going on cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged. Despite the all-pervading influence of the big business, one fact that stands out is the ultimate dependence of the economic fundamentalists on the money provided by the masses and their inclinations. The masses still hold the key. If billions of them decide to hit back, hundreds of Corporates cannot face their wrath.

If the world is to be saved, the transformation has to be effectively brought about. But for any worthwhile change to occur, first the methods to bring it about are to be properly screened. The best method of course will be to undo whatever wrong the economic fundamentalists have done for establishing their empire. Before that, however, it is imperative to clearly visualise the aims of the whole exercise. The first and foremost objective of any developmental—economic, scientific or social activity must be to ensure a wholesome life for the mankind. Though the ability to avail as many items of comfort as possible may be desirable, the ultimate goal must be to build a world where every individual is free from diseases, tensions and external threats to life, property and honour. To be free from diseas-es requires an environment that is pollution-free, surroundings that are dirt-fee and eatables and drinks that are germ-free; in addition the eatables and drinks must be nutritious, and must not be injurious to health. To be free from tensions requires the peace of mind that comes from the ability to earn, at least, as much as is essential for one's family, and proper relationship between parents, spouses and children, the three essential components of family. To be free from external threats to life, property and honour requires a society that is free of crime, oppression and exploitation. To be concise, **individual health, family peace** and **social** order must be the three basic aims; all the activities, whatever field they may be associated with, must be guided as well as limited by 'the trio'. Any good or action that seriously hampers any one of the three must not go unchallenged in a civilised society. If society permits them, it may be anything but civilised. If it encourages them, it is nothing but barbaric.

Having categorically stated that, it automatically follows that there can be absolutely no room for absolute freedom or liberty in society. Those that campaign for this have ulterior motives; they, in fact, seek absolute freedom only for themselves, their employers or their patrons. Absolute freedom must be the end not the means. And the end in the absolute freedom means what has been mentioned above: total freedom from all sorts of problems at the individual, family and social level.

The size of the earth is limited; the resources available to human beings are just moderate; and their desires and ambitions are mutually destructive. If every individual becomes absolutely free to act in whatever manner he chooses, all humans will consume one another. It also means that all humans are inter-dependent. Aristotle had commented: "No one would choose the whole world on condition of being alone since man is a potential creature and one whose nature is to live with others" (Ethics). If all the human beings have to inhabit together, and all the needs and ambitions of all of them cannot be realised, there is no alternative but to erect well-defined boundaries. The question remains what these boundaries should be. There may be three kinds of system. System number one allows uninhibited liberty putting no restrictions whatsoever on human freedom except such (administrative laws, road traffic, etc.,) as are essential for the very existence of that system. In this system, individuals have the right to harm themselves; and even if they kill others, they still continue to have the right to live. They can engage in any business even if it damages others the only condition being that the people may only be lured, not forced – at least apparently, to use the products of that business. This kind of system is destined to become barbaric. Human beings are selfish by nature. The ensuing competition between individuals would ultimately result in suppression, exploitation, crimes, tensions and diseases. System number two allows individuals no action of their choice except what is permitted by the system and the authorities working in that system. Here, individuals do not remain humans but become machines in the hands of authorities. Such a system is also bound to fail, as it does not have enough scope for individuals to fulfil even their rightful and healthy desires. Human system is different from the mechanical systems. In spite of freedom from some, not all, diseases and reduced external threats to life, property and honour, humans cannot be free from psychological tensions. Their ambitions always remain unfulfilled; and feeling of deprivation causes several problems. In contrast to these two, system number three allows human beings most of the activities of their own choice, except a few that are either dangerous for their own health and welfare, or for their family, or for society. There are neither undue restrictions nor undue liberties. The aim is to let the people achieve the highest goal of social life — peaceful coexistence, contributing their best to it, and enjoy themselves the fruits of a peaceful society. Naturally, this system is the best; a society having this kind of a system alone can claim itself to be a civilised society. It is this that has to be the system of the future; all economic, social and cultural activities have to be planned aiming at the discovery or rediscovery, survival and strengthening of this system.

Our attitude towards sex and sexuality is also to be governed by the same trio of individual health, family peace and social order. Sex is a normal desire. It has to be one of the strengths not the weaknesses of human souls. Controlled sex is the harbinger of life, uninhibited sex of death. Controlled sex heralds peace and health, uninhibited sex chaos and disease. Controlled sex brings lasting happiness, uninhibited sex temporary pleasure. Controlled sex builds and safeguards family, which uninhibited sex destroys. Controlled sex is benevolent on women and children; uninhibited sex decimates them. Controlled sex depicts accountability and responsibility, uninhibited sex lawlessness and irresponsibility. Uninhibited sex endeavours to exploit humans, controlled sex to prevent it. Controlled sex transforms men into humans, uninhibited sex into beasts. Finally, controlled sex is the symbol of civilisation, uninhibited sex of barbarism. Within the boundaries of family, sex can always be enjoyed in a hygienic way to the maximum, to the highest state of ecstatic love. Outside its boundaries, all forms of sex are unhygienic, whatever precautionary steps taken to maintain relative hygiene.

With these premises, let us now begin to unfold ways that would emancipate the world from the slavery of the economic fundamentalists. **Peace Economics**. These include the following:

##  I.Rejuvenation of the law

The Law may be regarded as the most important faculty of social organisation. Without an adequate and effective legal system, civilisation cannot survive. The law is essential to ensure security of each law-abiding member of society, to provide him freedom and opportunity to fulfil his needs and desires within the prescribed boundaries, and to isolate and, wherever needed, eliminate those elements that pose serious threats to the life, property and honour of others.

The economic fundamentalists found it difficult, in a harsh legal system, to pursue their exploitative tactics. So they mobilised public opinion through a distorted logic all over the world in the favour of a legal system that does not adequately punish the convict, and that allows delay in justice that more often than not results in the denial of justice. This has led to a steep rise in crime rates in all those countries where such legal systems are in operation. It is high time now we recognised the vices of this system and reconsidered alternatives that would establish and maintain a crime-free (or low-crime) society. The orchestra must not just constantly appear to be repeatedly tuning itself; it must appear to be actually playing and achieving the desired harmony.

The most glaring deficiency of almost all the prominent systems is that they emphasise only upon fundament rights, underscore fundamental duties and ignore fundamental prohibitions altogether. This two-dimensional approach is inadequate in maintaining order in society. Besides, it is inherently dangerous, as it unleashes the forces of exploitation. No society can maintain order and tranquillity unless it has its sets of restrictions. Its members must not only claim for their own rights, but must also be duty-bound to help in its survival and development, and they must not be in a position, even if they want, to do what is expressly detrimental for society. **A three-dimensional** approach is therefore mandatory if the totally paralysed and redundant law has to be rejuvenated. The two-dimensional constitutions, without any express provisions of fundamental prohibitions, guarantee rights only for the strong and those rights of the weak that the strong seek to exploit. The three-dimensional approach, on the contrary, with explicit Fundamental Prohibitions, is a guarantee for the rights of all the members of society including the weak and the underprivileged. Fundamental Prohibitions must be aimed at ensuring the same trio of objectives — Individual Health, Family Peace and Social Order, the three essential components of what can be called **Grand Peace**.

The punishment must depend upon the effects of a particular act on individual, family or society. Murder and rape are the most heinous crimes; the persons committing them have no right to live. If a murderer if is not convicted or receives punishment of imprisonment, he is often emboldened to repeat the crime. The ability of most of the murderers to escape the gallows encourages the potential criminals. Presently, in the majority of countries including India, death sentence is awarded in only the "rarest of rare" cases. It must instead be given in all cases where the charge has been convincingly proved except where it has been committed in self-defence or unintentionally, or the heirs of the deceased are ready to pardon him with or without any compensation. Similarly, a rapist must be executed in full public view except when the victim is ready to marry or pardon him. However, "rapes" by husbands are to be differentiated from other rapes. Rape by a husband cannot be termed "rape" because the person committing it has the legal right to have sex with his wife. It is only the use of violence against the wife's wish that makes it objectionable. But the punishment for this kind of sexual assault cannot certainly be equivalent to that committed against a woman who is not a legal wife. While the use of force against an unwilling wife cannot be condoned, the difference between this and the rape of a stranger has to be recognised. Adultery is a big crime and must be recognised thus; because it increases the mortality and morbidity in the population due to several sexually transmitted diseases, leads to devastating effects on the family, produces social tensions of different kinds and enhances the chances of severe crimes like murders and suicides. Severe punish-ment must therefore be given to the adulterers, both male and female. Lesser punishment must be reserved for the unmarried men and women indulging in sex. The persons involved in the commercialisation of sex, drugs, and other addictions must also be given exemplary punishments. Apart from these crimes, thefts, robberies, bribery, gambling and other economic offences must also be included in the list of fundamental prohibitions and must be adequately punished.

It is of crucial importance that the rigour of punishment matches the seriousness of crime; if it is less, it will encourage criminals. It must be remembered that only a punishment equal to the crime satisfies the sufferers; and if justice is denied to them, they often tend to seek alternative modes of revenge.

However, harsh penalties must not begin immediately. Death sentence can be deferred for a period of amnesty, which however must not be unduly long. The social and cultural systems have become so vitiated that it would not be appropriate to start executing persons immediately after promulgation of harsh laws. This should be preceded by a full-fledged campaign warning people against misdemeanours. Sexual relations between an unmarried couple should be allowed to convert to formal marriages. But not more than a few years must be utilised to put the law into practice. After that no nonsense must be tolerated. Homosexual relations, particularly man to man relations, need to be attacked most severely. Lately gay movements have picked up all over the world. Homosexuality is the most unhealthy and unhygienic of all forms of sexual relations, as it carries the highest risk in spreading infections. Syphilis, Gonorrhoea and AIDS \- all have started in homosexuals and spread later to heterosexuals. However, distinction has to be made between lesbianism and sodomy. I think lesbianism cannot be recognised as a full sexual activity, as it involves neither penetration nor an exchange of fluids. At the most, it can be described as a form of mutual masturbation. As it does not involve penetration or exchange of fluids, it does not pose such huge risks to life as does sodomy. It has to be discouraged, as it creates certain psychological and social problems. But the punishment for lesbianism cannot be as hard as for sodomy. Gays should be given exemplary punishments. Their actions threaten the very survival of mankind.

Now the question arises: who should have the right to pardon? The propriety of justice demands that the right to pardon must rest neither with the judge nor with the head of state but with the injured party (or his/her heirs). The duty of the court must be to establish the nature of the crime and the involvement of the accused. Following this, the judge must pronounce the maximum possible punishment that can be given under the given circumstances in accordance with the provisions of the law. The aggrieved party may then inform the court if it wants the maximum permissible punishment to be carried out or intends to dilute it or has decided to pardon the convict altogether. If an accused is set free or given an inadequate punishment by the court, he may feel emboldened to commit another crime or further harass the aggrieved. If on the other hand, his punishment, despite his crime having been established, is diluted or nullified by the benevolent intention of the aggrieved, he would feel extremely grateful towards them, and this positive gesture from their side may have a rectifying effect on his character.

The time has come when the role of prisons in alleviating crimes should be properly scrutinised; it requires hardly any statistical data to prove that this system has been a total failure. Imprisonment reforms very few criminals and hardens most of them. It is also a great financial burden on the exchequer. In addition, the families of prisoners too suffer owing to the fact that they (prisoners) are in no position to earn, except whatever little remuneration they are given in jail for their hard physical work. Instead of being long, slow and ineffective, punishment must better be short, exemplary and effective, from the point of view of their ability to reform the convicts and also from that of the cost of the punishment.

There is one more area in the present legal system that needs scrutiny: the role of advocates. The advocacy for the client rather than justice, and for the falsehood rather than the truth, does not merely cause delay in the judgement; it also adversely affects the view of the court. Lawyers habitually suppress and/or distort the facts to save the neck of their clients. As already said, the two partisan views do not necessarily lead to the truth. The court has no option but to rely on the evidences and arguments given by the two contending lawyers. Will it not be better to provide the judges with a staff of non-partisan investigators, paid not by the clients but by the state? The legal specialists may thus be made to serve justice rather than private interests.

A just, swift and effective legal system is a must to ensure social order. A good legal system must be able to drastically lower the crime rate. This will encourage the duty-bound common people and the upright officers to fearlessly do their work. The economic exploitation of the weak would then surely receive a big jolt, as the nexus between the criminals, politicians and the economic fundamentalists would not develop.

##  II. Universalisation of Religion

Attempts have been made by the economic fundamentalists to marginalise religion in society on account of the fact that it tends to have a sobering effect on consumerism. They know that, for continuous success in commercial pursuits, it is necessary to alter the tastes of the people. Religion too changes taste but usually in a direction opposite to theirs. It has been an unfortunate truth that the pastors too have distorted and misused religion for their personal gains. This has resulted in the emergence of strong sectarian propensities among the religious minded. This has demarcated sections of society. People have been more interested in maintaining a particular culture (by following certain rituals and by associating for worldly advantages) than following the principles of religion. To maintain their supremacy in the community, clerics have tended to be dogmatic and authoritarian. Depravity and division among their ranks and their glaring failure to address to the problems of the mankind have made them unpopular as well as irrelevant. It is this intolerance of the religious patriarchs that has been used by the economic fundamentalists to portray religion in shabby shades. Still, it can be said without doubt that religion has been and will continue to be a powerful force in human life; for where reason fails to guide human actions, belief often comes to their rescue. If properly presented and followed, religion has the potential to drastically alter human society for the better.

Before bringing religion at the centre stage of organ-ised human life however, a general agreement on the following considerations would be of great value:

**First** though one religion may be more elaborate, systematic and developed than the other, all the religions are good, at least as far as they aim to guard human beings against evils. Religiousness is certainly better than irreligiousness.

**Second** , it must be ensured that the religions of the world do not engage in hostilities but compete, or better co-operate, to eradicate evils. They must root out the sources of corruption, oppression, and exploitation. Religion has unparalleled ability to mobilise the masses against _zulm_ ; the economic and political tyrants fully realise this. Once religion appears on the scene in its true colours, the oppressors and exploiters will be scurrying for the shelter.

**Third** , the universal appeal of religion must be availed in its true sprit, and tendencies to parochialise or commercialise it must be eschewed. God of religion is not the Lord of a specific area or specific people; He is _Rabbul-Aalameen_ , the Lord of Universes, as is beautifully described in Holy Qur'an, and Father of the whole mankind, as is depicted in Christian scriptures. The whole mankind is one family, the _vasudhev kutumbukam_ of Hindu scriptures, and the progeny of one father and mother as described by Qur'an and Bible. How can one be superior to others on the grounds of race, community, sect, colour, language, monetary status, etc? Better is one whose deeds are better. Unfortunately, religion-based organisations have often been engaged in arousing communal and sectarian sentiments. These organisations must give up this approach, and if they fail to do so, the law of the land must promptly tackle them.

**Fourth** , there are two major components of religion. One is faith and rituals, which are private affairs, and the second is the social principles. It is the latter that need be emphasised upon, because they are usually neglected.

The importance of religion lies in the fact that, unlike other systems, it has spiritual components also. It is the spiritual status of man that builds his character and strengthens his resolve to perform certain virtuous deeds, even when they may be of no personal benefit to him, and to avoid certain acts, even when they may bring immediate pleasure. A spiritually sturdy person is not easily overpowered by desires. Selfishness is at its lowest in him; and he is always ready to sacrifice his possessions for others. To work for others, and not for personal aggrandisement gives him happiness. Even in ordeal, patience and fortitude do not elude him. He is always serene and calm; his only worry is how to remove the worries of others. Spiritual faith is derived from gnosis of and an unflinching faith in God. God creates all and sustains all, is Bounteous and Merciful; and is Just. A firm believer is also just and kind towards others; if he is not, he has got the wrong end of the stick of faith. He rests his hopes not on any human being but on the Lord of the universe. Faith inculcates accountability, and belief in the Hereafter prevents him from doing evils, even in private, and from harming others.

Character building is thus the essence of religion. Zoroaster, Buddha, Mahavira, Ram, Moses and Jesus highlighted the same truth, and for Muhammad it became a declared objective. If society has to develop, character building is to be the axis of all the schemes of things; and religion must be allowed to play its all-important role in that direction. If that goal is achieved, economic fundamentalism as an ideology will find it hard to survive.

Some economists have argued that self-interest is the primary motive of human actions, though self-interest may have different meanings for different individuals. By advancing this logic, they seek to enamour selfishness with respectability; for self-interest is the chief premise on which the believers in neo-classical theory of economics rely. It can be said that even religious persons act in self-interest when they make sacrifices for others. They do it in the hope of getting due reward, if not in this world, then in the other world. But what is enviable about this self-interest is that, in contrast to the self-interest of the economic fundamentalists, this self-interest derives its strength from the interests of others. It goes to the credit of religion that it understands the psychology of humans. In order to enable them to act for others' gains, it converts others' interest into self-interest. It is this outstanding ability of religion to motivate individuals for service to the mankind that is to be acknowledged; and admired and practised. This alone can provide a befitting retort to the cruel and selfish self-interest of the economic fundamentalists.

Religion is also a strong antidote to sexual misdemeanours. Sex is a massive urge. It tends to captivate even those who are otherwise extremely pious and disciplined in life. But God's fear certainly has a beneficial effect. Though even the clergy has sometimes been found to indulge in sex demeanours, the devout followers of religion surely demonstrate and practise greater restraint in general. When they commit mistakes, they try harder to rectify. The misconception that religion views sex as sin must be dismissed outright. Religion celebrates healthy love and sex. It abhors only the unhealthy sex.

There is a popular adage in India: _kharbuza chaku par gire ya chaku kharbuze par, katta to kharbuza hi hai_. (Whether the melon falls on the knife or the knife falls on the melon, it is always the melon that's cut or pierced.) This is true of religion. It has suffered on account of its votaries behaving irresponsibly and its opponents maligning it for all the problems of society. But the truth remains that this melon was always and will always remain good for the health of society. If society has suffered, it is either because of the melon getting rotten by the yeast of clerical selfishness, or because of the insalubrious but beautiful and tasty fruits being artificially produced by the economic fundamentalists.

If moral and social fabric still survive, we owe it largely to the influences of religion on society. It is the religion that first told us to behave responsibly; it is religion that first exhorted us to be kind and considerate to others; it is religion that always tried to crush the demon of selfishness. Zoroaster or Buddha, Mahavir or Ram, Abraham or Moses, Jesus or Muhammad—all of them taught practical wisdom and selflessness. All of them campaigned for the preference of perpetual gains over ephemeral and of personal interests over social. They practised and promoted self-restraint and moderation. They elucidated to the people the truth of action. They distinguished for them what they could not do themselves: right and wrong. They endeavoured to convince them that the real happiness and peace lie not in following the dictates of self but in making it subservient to their conscience. Real freedom lies not in an unchained liberty but in restrictions and restraints. Religions had an extraordinary influence on society because it was able to joint the good and bad with the pleasure and displeasure of God and punishment and reward in the after-life. Had religions not been successively distorted by the later clerics, they would have continued to be the torchbearers that they meant to be. But despite all the problems, religion still has the best chance to rescue the mankind from the impending doom.

If the so-called Sexual Revolution is to be successfully dismantled, religions have to play a crucial role. Almost every religion modulates the sexual life of humans. They are similar in their approach in the sense that they all permit sexual liaisons within the parameters of marriage. The rules related to marriage and the emphasis on various practices differ. Christianity permits marriage but at the same time promotes celibacy. According to New Testament, even looking at the other woman is as big a sin as committing adultery. Judaism does not allow extramarital relations and severely punishes the culprits. Hinduism regards marriage as an all-time sacrosanct bond that can never be broken. Widow marriage was not permitted before but is now promoted. In Buddhism, the concept of Karuna or compassion encompasses restraint. The whole emphasis is on Karma. Marriage is permitted but leading a secluded life is regarded a bigger virtue. Islam has arguably the best, yet most pragmatic system to regulate sexual life. It regards marriage not as an all-time bond but an agreement between husband and wife. It makes a clear distinction between promiscuity, which is considered highly dangerous for society and polygamy, which is permitted though undesirable, except in special circumstances. It severely punishes promiscuity, fornication and adultery. Unlike Christianity, it does not promote celibacy but permits it. It clearly establishes the norms of sexual hygiene that proscribe or discourage all unhealthy sexual practices including sex outside or before marriage, homosexuality, sex during menstruation and postnatal period and sex with immediate relatives. It describes looking at other women with ill intention as a sin but it is not equal in intensity to committing the adultery. Furthermore, it creates a marriage system that makes it imperative for the couple to pass a period of abstinence, which is at least three months, before parting and marrying again. This is highly important to safeguard the interests of mothers and children and to protect from sex transmitted diseases.

If the fight against the lords of sexual merchandise is to succeed, all the religions will have to co-operate with one another and proactively campaign against it. The pastors have to use their influence in convincing people not to indulge in unhealthy sexual practices and mobilising them against the forces of evil.

##  III.Purging of Politics

Economic fundamentalism has been triumphantly marching ahead owing to the increasing manoeuvrability of politics and administration by the big business. The nexus of industrialists, politicians and bureaucrats has misused democracy for their own advantages. This nexus must therefore be broken at the earliest. To achieve this, the political set-up has to be completely purged. Democracy is good in essence and must be preserved. But what is to be ensured is that it brings to power competent, honest and doughy persons having an emotional consonance with the common people. Their suffering must pain their hearts, and the alleviation of their problems must be foremost in their minds. They must keep aloof from all the tyrannical elements and must be ready to challenge them. Economic development is essential but politicians must ensure that it is redefined to favour the people more than the economic giants.

What must be done to cleanse politics? The answer is not difficult. While every citizen must have the franchise, right to contest elections must be reserved for those who have proved their honesty and competence and have admirable record of service to the nation.

Democracy is good because it represents the will of the people. But it must be kept in mind that the people are usually selfish and myopic. Further, the majority opinion is not always the best option, especially when the vested interests are relentlessly busy in influencing their views and propensities by imposing on them their own viewpoint through high-pitched propaganda. The fundamentals (Rights, Duties and Prohibitions) of the Constitution are therefore to be granted by constitutional experts in concur-rence with scientists, health experts, social scientists and reformers. Legislation in Parliament has to be consistent with the boundaries laid down by the Constitution. Secularism, giving respect to all religions (and not the one that does not recognise religion at all) is good for countries where society is multi-religious. A theocratic democracy may work for the countries where an overwhelming majority of the people belongs to a particular religion. A theocratic democracy must however recognise the right of all the religions to exist. People must be free to perform their religious duties and deal their private affairs in accordance with their personal laws in the matters concerning marriage, divorce inheritance etc. Common laws must govern the criminal laws and the matters concerning social order.

When the people of high values control the political system, merchants of sex would find it harder to continue their reign. The head of the state must not be a simple administrator with great political acumen. He must be the true leader whom people see as a life model. If a Clinton indulges in a sexual impropriety of highest grade, what impact will it have on the masses? Leaders must learn to lead, not just administer. They must be able to fathom what people need, not just what they desire. Their actions must be governed not just by the popular sentiments but also by the propriety of actions and their possible effects on society. The most difficult but the most important part of their governance must be to shrewdly tackle the vested interests who specialise in presenting their self-interests as national or common interests. Merchants try to influence the decisions of the government by arguing that they pay the taxes and have the right to be heard. They must be told in categorical terms that they pay taxes only because the country allows them to use the strengths and weaknesses of the people to earn fortunes. They are the beneficiaries not the benefactors. Whatever little they pay cannot be allowed to be returned to them multi-fold by twisting the governmental laws and policies.

##  IV.Purification of Imagination

One of the major factors behind the phenomenal success of economic fundamentalism in the twentieth century, especially in the latter half, has been the misuse of the print and electronic media to captivate the imagination of the masses. The media has steadily grown in independence. The censors have become increasingly lenient over the years with ever increasing doses of sex and violence in films. Magazines and newspapers are mostly owned by the industrialist giants. They pursue the objectives laid down by their masters in highlighting specific news, the publication of analytic articles and the selection of advertisements. Television has become a big instrument in the hands of fundamentalists for further tightening their hold over the imaginations of men, women and children and to bring a social and attitudinal transformation necessary for "economic growth". The attitudinal transformation towards sex and sexuality has been playing havoc with the world. If economic fundamentalism has to be uprooted, the thought pollution caused by its ideologues through the media has to be dealt with at the earliest.

As has been suggested earlier in this chapter, Fundamental Prohibitions as part of Fundamental Principles of the Constitution are essential for the sustenance and improvement of individual's health, family peace and social order. Those prohibitions must cover the media as well. Any report, serial, film or advertisement violating them must be adequately punished. Censors must view films and serials not only from the angle of sex and violence; but they must also examine the story line, dialogues and characters. Any story or scene glorifying or advocating corruption, drinking, smoking, crimes, violence, premarital and extramarital sex and communalism must not be allowed to screen. The producer, the director, the actors and all those responsible must be brought to the court. The media must purify, not vitiate thought, and must play a positive and constructive role in social building. If it refuses or fails, the law must promptly come into action. Entertainment is good; but pollution of ideas and attitudes leading to deaths, diseases and destruction of family peace and social order cannot be tolerated. Freedom of expression cannot be absolute; the media can be free only as long as it is not harmful for society.

Thanks to satellite television, programmes of different sorts are now available 24 hours a day. These programmes are largely entertainment-based and more often than not have stories and scenes that are enough to disturb the poise of attitude. Though informative programmes are also available and there are certain channels that specifically telecast educative and informative programmes, the fact that the entertainment channels are on the air throughout the day and night, drastically reduce their utility. This is because the young boys and girls, who are in maximum need of informative programmes, prefer to watch dances, songs and sex-based serials and films. The informative and educative channels too have joined the race to cash in on sex. Channels like Discovery are now presenting regular features on the world beaches that give it an opportunity to show women in swimwear. The influence of advertisements has been extraordinary on the perceptions and tastes of the masses. The advertisers must be told not to give false information or convey untrue signals and messages. Disinformation must be declared an offence and every advertisement must be accompanied by an undertaking that the message contained and the information given are not false; if it proves wrong, the advertisers must be punished. The use of sex and nakedness for promotion of business must be severely dealt with.

To ensure that the media play a constructive role in character development, the government must bind all newspapers, magazines and TV channels to carry messages (in between programmes) prepared or screened by it. These messages must inculcate feelings of mutual love and brotherhood, selflessness, honesty, truth, main-tenance of trust and promises, helping others, decency of behaviour, sweetness of talk, etc. and must discourage falsehood, disloyalty, selfishness, breach of trust and attempts to sow seeds of discord in society. These must also include information relating to health and social laws, particularly on the dangerous consequences of social evils like drinking, gambling, promiscuity, abortion, crimes against children, women and weaker sections of society. But it must be remembered that we have to learn to avoid the trap laid by merchants who tend to argue that it is good to make people aware but it is not good to police their choices.

Pornography has no place in a civilised society. It is extremely detrimental to the normal functioning of individuals as well as families. It turns humans into beasts and normalises abnormal and perverse behaviour. It instigates the watchers to go sexually berserk and vent their sexual frenzies in whatever way they can. It denudes love making of any element of love and converts it into an unalloyed and unadulterated sex. Pornography is the most sophisticated arsenal in the armoury of the devil. Through it the devil takes full control of human sentiments that then refuse to distinguish between right and wrong. It kills men and women in a way that they do not even know it. It is a poison that begins to act instantly and continues to damage for long. It pulverises conscience and readies a man to rape. Acquaintances are often the targets. It bedevils men who feel inclined to have a lustful desire for even their mothers, sisters and daughters. It demonises even some women who respond positively to advances of their fathers, sons and brothers. It makes them bare themselves and offer to whatever men desire from them. Under its effect, men and women tend to forget what the consequences of their actions would be. Pornography makes the people believe in the enjoyment of actions that in fact have nothing to enjoy. It makes men penetrate the animals. It makes one like one's own sex more than the other. It even makes men believe that sex with children is more delightful than with adults. The wine of porn is much more deadly in effect than the wine of grapes. If the world has to be saved from the monster of uninhibited sex promoted by the merchants, pornography will have to be crushed at the first go. People argue and will continue to argue that it would be difficult to eradicate its menace for variety of reasons. This is only a ploy to keep things going. Once the decision is taken at the international level to uproot it, there are hundreds of ways to flush out the culprits. It is always impossible to achieve a hundred per cent result; but if it is attacked with the ruthlessness needed to combat such a huge and colossal menace, there is no reason why it cannot be minimised.

##  V.Re-establishment of Social Values

The single most important step in the growth of economic fundamentalism has perhaps been the reshaping of social values in accordance with the demands of the market. Thus idealism and equalitarianism were dismissed as impractical and quixotic, and were substituted by pragmatism. Entertainment was presented as the chief aim of life. Pompousness and social aberrations were glorified. Family system was systematically disintegrated in the name of 'freedom for women'; for men and women bound in the ties of family are less likely to squander on clothes and cosmetics and are relatively more difficult to be trapped in the sex market. By remodelling values, the big business has indeed sought to weaken the role of social values in the world. The need of the time is therefore to establish a social system that helps in the development of a healthy, orderly and peaceful society.

The most essential requirement for building a peaceful society is strict adherence to principles—duties, rights and prohibitions. By only emphasising upon rights, the economic fundamentalists wish to exploit human weaknesses for financial gains. It must be realised that, if the rights of every member of society are to be guaranteed, duties and prohibitions are to be strictly observed. All social values must be built on the foundation of fundamental rights, duties and prohibitions. A good civilised society is one, whose members care for one another's needs and sensibilities.

Ideals are extremely important for any civilised society; for though it may be correct that a utopian society is a dream that can never be realised, endeavours in that direction would certainly lead to a near-ideal state. Keeping an ideal state of affairs in mind at least prevents society from degenerating into a state of chaos and anarchy. If an absolute zero cannot be achieved to have the zero entropy, temperatures can at least be substantially reduced to minimise it. Ideals cannot be abandoned on the ground of its impossibility to achieve. If ideals are respected, mankind will continue to produce reformers and social activists whose actions will influence innumerable lives. Honesty and integrity are highly desirable virtues; if virtuousness is not duly honoured, the whole social fabric will disintegrate. To be pragmatic is good only as long as it helps to attain the cherished goal. If it stoops to become merely a tool for selfish ends, its consequences on mankind are bound to be hazardous. Ideals must however be supplemented by an effective legal system, without which it cannot attain a dignified status in society. Every inhabitant of the earth must understand that life is not just for eating, drinking and mating. Life is indeed for attaining grand peace. Human beings may be regarded nothing more than biologically advanced animals, if they do not combine to form a peaceful, civilised and orderly society. If an individual does not care for norms, it is not only society but also he himself or some of his successors, who will have to bear the brunt.

Materialism has perhaps been one of the biggest detractors of human values. Morals are being increasingly devalued; they have become the viruses for which sophisticated scanners are required to keep the computer of the New World Order fully operational without any encumbrances. Integrity of character has little importance in the present world. A man is judged by his material assets and not by his moral possessions, his nature, behaviour and character. Evils are considered to be the essential exuberance of the rich. There are hardly any stigma attached now to moral degradation and debauchery. Penury and resourcelessness are considered biggest curses. Once social and moral values get re-established, persons of knowledge, character and high spiritual status will regain their lost glory. They, not film actors, models and entrepreneurs, will become role models for the younger generations. The whole of the business class cannot however be faulted. The industrialists that manufacture or serve what is good for society and maintain propriety must be admired and rewarded.

Peaceful family is sine qua non for Grand Peace. Family for society is what cell is for life. Mankind has three essential tiers of organisation: individual, family and society. All the three have to be preserved. Family is the most important one of the three essential tiers, as it occupies a position midway between the other two. " _The most ancient of all societies_ ", Rousseau says, " _and the only one that is natural is the family_." Hagel, in his " _Philosophy of History_ ", argues, " _The piety of the family relation should be respected in the highest degree by the state; by its means the state obtains as its members individuals who are already moral (for as mere person they are not) and who in uniting to form a state bring with them that sound basis of a political edifice — the capacity of feeling one with a whole_." Rousseau, in his famous work, " _Social Contact_ ", further adds: " _The family then may be called the first model of political societies; the ruler corresponds to the father, and the people to the children; and all being born free and equal, alienate their liberty only for their own advantage. The whole difference is that, in the family, the love of the father for his children repays him for the care he takes of them, while, in the state, the pleasure of commanding takes the place of the love which the chief cannot have for the people under him._ " Family system is unavoidable, because it is the natural and the healthiest method to ensure replacement of one generation by the other. Every man or woman has to be a son or a daughter of a father and mother. There is no other way. So, parents and children are the natural components of family. None can nourish children better than parents (both father and mother) whose love for them is natural and largely selfless. Parents regard children as their extensions, and leave no stone unturned in their development. Of course, there are exceptions, and unfortunately these exceptions are growing in number in the present times. Thanks to the "great" Sexual Revolution, many parents now have little concern for their children. Some even sacrifice them for the fulfilment of their own desires. Single parenthood is on the rise. Evils like drinking, drugs, smoking and gambling in conjunction with sexual perversity are turning parents especially fathers into abusers. When one or both of the parents become addicts to one or more of these, they turn psychologically too slender to look after their children; they prefer to satisfy their own desires rather than the needs of their sons and daughters. And often such are the demands of their bodies that they turn monsters ready to engulf their own children.

Woman is safest in her family. This does not mean that she does not have the right to go out and seek career for herself. Of course, she has. But as a member of family, her parents, husband, brothers and sons guard her against her exploitation. It is when she as an adult severs her links with her parental family and does not establish her own that she is under maximum threat of being abused. It is during the same part of her age that her beauty is exploited for commercial purposes; often she is entrapped in sex market. And when, around 40, she realises her follies, it is too late. Once her charms are overtaken by the ruthless age, she has hardly anyone to look after or share some moments of pleasure with her. She longs to be with her children but they, if there are any, prefer to go their own way rather than care for their parents. Woman has, and must have, the right to earn. But this must not be and she must not be made to feel it as a duty imposed on her. She must realise and must be proud that she has the greatest, grandest and finest job on the earth to do; to give birth to, nourish and cherish human children. No other duty can be more important and more sacred than that; from no job other than this can she imbibe such wholesome and long lasting satisfaction. And men must realise this, and must create harmonious conditions for her to accomplish her work in a tranquil environment. He must know that whatever he spends on her cannot be an adequate compensation for the work she does. And more than her financial requirements, he must therefore compensate by providing her psychological relief and happiness. He must know that the only essential task of the sustenance of human species — not only the biological species but also the socially highest being, is performed by her; all other functions, some of which are performed by men, are of complimentary nature. He must also know that woman is not just a reproducer and her only work is not looking after children. She needs love and she desires man's company. Woman must be expected to earn only when it is needed to sustain the family, or when she herself feels psychologically or financially compelled to do so. She must be given freedom to choose or make a career for her if she so desires. But she must not be lured or forced to do jobs that encumber her with additional responsibilities.

No society can ever be happy if its women are unhappy; and women cannot be happy if they do not live peacefully in the safe environs of their family. It is interesting to see that the Creator has apportioned woman's biological life span into three distinct phases: pre-fertile, fertile and post-fertile. The best way to give full expression to the natural talents of woman will therefore be to plan activities in accordance with these biological phases. In the paediatric (pre-fertile) age, woman must concentrate on her education that must have prominence of personality and character development. In her youth (the fertile age), she must be concerned more than anything else about the proper development of her family and realising her dreams with her husband. She has every right to enjoy her sexual desires with the man of her choice. But her decisions must be within the safe boundaries of marriage. (The same has to be the case for men.) From the time she first conceives to the entrance of her last child into adolescence, she must preferably concentrate on her family. But if she can pursue other activities without adversely affecting them, nothing is better. In the post-fertile age, she may, if she wants, concentrate on her other talents. Women of more than 45 may join good decent jobs, get involved in their own businesses, or engage themselves in social services and spiritual pursuits. This may cause some minor problems. Break of education or service may harm their efficiency. It can also be argued that their professional careers would suffer. But hundreds of ways may be found to minimise these problems. Even in their houses, they may keep in touch with the books of their choice or those related to their careers. Before rejoining, refreshment courses can be arranged. To make up for their lost period, retirement age for women can be increased. Even during the fertile phase, they may be given the option to work for half the normal hours with decreased salary (or full salary compensated by work in the latter part of life) so that their family life is least disturbed. Such arrangements will be a boon for society. These will ensure a peaceful family – family, which is not just a family of some individuals but also the best school for civilising the members of society. Children will receive the attention they deserve. Husbands and wives will also find moments of pleasure to share. The chances of their getting involved in extramarital affairs would greatly diminish; for women above 45 are less likely to develop such relationships. With the wife waiting at home and fewer young women around, husbands too would be able to avoid promiscuous relationships. Families will generally be free of matrimonial tensions; separations and divorces would substantially decline. The commercial exploitation of women will also diminish. Prostitution and pornography will not remain easy to sustain except at a low scale. Sexually transmitted diseases will become uncommon. The crimes against women will continuously decrease. Mankind will achieve Grand Peace that must be its ultimate destination.

Freedom or liberty can never be absolute. Describing how the word 'liberty' is being converted by the vested interests into tyranny, Lincoln said, "With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labour, while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men and the product of other men's labour. Here are two, not only different but incompatible things called by the same name—liberty. And it follows that each of the things, by the respective positions, is called by too different and incompatible names— liberty and tyranny." Certain groups campaign for absolute freedom because they want their sinful activities and exploitative practices to be sanctioned by society. A man is not just an individual; one is also related through blood and acquired relationship to the members of one's family, and forms part of society. Neither an individual can exist in absolute loneliness severing all contacts with society, nor society can ever be formed without individuals. Whatever one does, with very few exceptions, affects one's relatives, friends, neighbours and other sections of society. A person ceases to be an individual as soon as it steps out of its personal room. In one's house, one has to abide by the rules and regulations laid down by the family; outside, one has to act within the fences erected by society. Even if one commits suicide, drinks, smokes, or indulges in sex, these personal actions are not going to affect themselves alone; one's spouse, parents, brothers, sisters and children and to a lesser extent other members of society are also bound to suffer. The world may be compared with the traffic system. Every one moving on the road has to confine oneself to one's lane and follow the traffic rules. The more the people flaunt the rules the more the chances of accidents will be; the number of people injured or killed in the accidents will correspondingly increase. Why do the champions of absolute freedom not campaign for freedom in driving? The truth is that the real freedom lies in following restrictions and not in disregarding them. Absolute freedom leads to nothing but chaos and an-archy. The only beneficiaries are the mighty, possessing physical, financial, or political power. The overwhelming majority of the people are the ultimate sufferers. To achieve the goal of Grand Peace, the world needs a system that provides full opportunity even to the weakest to enjoy a truly wholesome life.

##  VI. Sanctification of Sex (De-commercialisation)

The colossal transformation of social values that has taken place during the twentieth century all over the world, particularly in West, owes itself to the ever-increasing prospects of the commercialisation of sex. This may in fact be regarded as the most abominable, the most exploitative and the most threatening manifestation of economic fundamentalism. Sex in varying degrees is being used by large number of newspapers, magazines, films and consumer industries for their own growth. The worst forms of course are prostitution and pornography that have become big industries. If mankind is to be saved from death, diseases, distress and destruction, an end will have to be brought to the commercialisation of sex without any further delay. This monster cannot be tolerated in a civilised society. It has to be chained at the earliest and permanently demolished. Steps have to be taken at the international level with an earnestness of purpose that requires all the states, organisations and men of morals to contribute in their respective ways. Only a concerted, well-organised and co-ordinated fight can successfully challenge the merchants of sex.

The first step that has to be taken is to declare sexual exploitation in all forms illegal all over the world. Resolutions to this effect must be duly passed in the United Nations and other international forums. The world must clearly know that human beings including women and children are not meant for sexual abuse. The feminist groups, if they are genuinely interested in the welfare of women, must rise and pressure international organisations to take all the possible steps to thwart the designs of the merchants of sex.

The owners of brothels and the middlemen must be severely punished; the clients visiting brothels or soliciting call girls must also be penalised and their names made public. Prostitution is so heinous a crime and its adverse impacts on health, family peace and social order are so dangerous that the owners of brothels and middlemen deserve no less punishment than hanging in full public view. But before putting that into practice, a period of amnesty should be given during which time (that must not be more than a few months) they must wound up. Prostitutes must be dealt with compassion, and efforts should be made to rehabilitate them so that they can lead a happy family life. (The method for this is discussed elsewhere.)

The arguments that it is impractical to ban prostitution and it would continue despite ban are fallacious. Similar logic is not given in relation to the population control, which is an infinitely bigger problem than controlling the flesh trade. The truth is that the real problem is not in the impracticability but the lack of will to eradicate it. If there is a will and the world decides to put an end to it, there is no reason why it cannot be brought to a negligible level. The question of legalising the flesh trade does not arise. There cannot be a bigger travesty of justice than the idea that women sell their body under the legal umbrella only to ensure that their male customers do not contact certain diseases. I wonder when women would realise that the modern era is more male chauvinistic than ever before. Never before in the world had women been slaves of men's desires in such numbers as now. There are others who argue that poverty must first be removed if women have to be stopped from falling prey to the flesh traders. This is only a ploy to perpetuate 'the business'. Prostitution is more dangerous than poverty and has no direct relation to it. There are several rich countries where the flesh trade is running at a very big scale. And there are many poor countries where prostitution is uncommon. While the poverty alleviation programmes must be pursued at war footing, at the same time, all possible loopholes in the legal and executive set-up must be plugged to bring an end to the ugliest trade.

Tourism has been thriving in recent years vastly on commercial sex. Visitors are lured with the prospects of sharing moments on the beaches with beautiful, scantily clad women and having "sexiest" partners as bedfellows. Tourism industry has to be cleansed of all this filth. To make people enjoy the beauty of nature, unhealthy practices must not be promoted. It may cause a temporary loss to the market of tourism; but once sex market becomes unavailable all over the world, healthier methods to attract visitors would bring the life back to the industry. Even if the desired results are not achieved, commercial profits will have to be sacrificed to preserve the sanctity of women, protect health and safeguard the institution of marriage. Life and honour of people in general are much more important than the coffers of a few merchants.

Prostitution and promiscuity are promoted by pornography. Pornography survives on prostitution, because if women are not available for acting in these films (in case prostitution is effectively banned) or for posing nude before the camera, it would automatically scale down. Pornography fans sexual frenzy. To alleviate promiscuity from society, pornography, in all its forms including eroticism, has to be effectively banned. No man or woman must be permitted to appear naked at any place other than in absolute privacy. Strict dress code has to be formulated for men as well as women. Freedom of nakedness in public must be eschewed because its effects are not confined to the person appearing naked. It activates electrifying signals in the bodies of all the watchers intensifying their sexual appetite. Needless to say that nakedness breeds promiscuity; promiscuity leads to the commercialisation of sex, which invariably means the commercial exploitation of women and children; and the commercialisation of sex threatens the very survival of human beings as individual, as family and as society.

The censors must not restrict the use of their scissors for obscenities in films; they must also ensure that the practices deleterious for society—promiscuity, gambling, drinking, smoking, etc—are not glorified. In addition to the censors, there should be legal provisions for punishing producers, directors, cameramen, storywriters and actors in case they override the guidelines. All the forms of literature publishing nude photographs and other sexually provocative materials must be banned; those violating the ban must be appropriately punished.

Here let us also discuss the sexuality and the pros and cons of its forms. As I have said at several places in the book, sex is not to be abhorred. It must be celebrated. But it has to be within the prescribed limits. On the basis of the effects of various forms of sex, we can make a list of prohibited, undesirable (but not prohibited) and desirable acts. A brief outline is as follows:

  1. ### Prohibited

*Sex outside marriage

*Promiscuity

*Homosexuality and anal sex with wife

*Sex with animals

*Sex with children

*Incest

*Rape

*Mass sex

*Use of torture

  2. ### Undesirable

(highly undesirable but not punishable in the court))

*Oral Sex (especially ejaculation in the mouth)

*Sex during menses and postnatal period

  3. ### Desirable

(All other forms of sex within marriage that give pleasure to both partners)

Oral sex needs some elaboration, as it has become so common now especially in West that men and women will not accept any curbs on it. Generally people do not regard it as hazardous to health. Though it is true that it is not as hazardous as anal sex but it is wrong to assume that it is perfectly safe. Studies have clearly indicated that oral sex poses certain risks. According to HRPC, Herpes is the biggest risk associated with oral sex. While it can cause a lesion in the mouth itself, the more distressing is the genital Herpes that can be passed from the oral to genital route. In the US, more than a fourth of the people have Herpes. Oral sex clearly increases the chances and extent of Herpes. Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can cause painful infectious lesions in the mouth. If fluids spill to eye, severe eye infections may be caused which are serious problems. HIV can also pass through oral sex. HPV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B can also be passed to the mouths. Oral to anal route is particularly dangerous in the transmission of Hepatitis B. HRPC clearly says, " _Limiting exposure to semen reduces risk of infection, so ejaculation away from partner's body is the safest. That said, the mouth is the place most likely to contract something like HIV, so the conventional wisdom is, "swallow or spit, just don't let it sit._ " In an article, captioned, " _Oral Sex threat underestimated_ ", Lisa Klay reported that, in 8% of Gay cases of HIV, oral route was the likely route of transmission. She quoted a CDC press release that stated, " _researchers have found evidence that a significant percentage of new HIV infections in some groups of men who have sex with men are due to oral sex, a mode of transmission too often regarded as posing little or no risk._ " She also quoted Gayle as saying " _oral sex is equated with safe sex. However, for the individuals in this study, and for countless others, this false assumption has led to tragic lifelong consequences_." The report quoted Mayer as saying, " _It still comes back to: If you have no way of knowing your partner's [HIV] status, you put yourself at some substantial risk if you engage in some behaviours repeatedly and without protection_." A recent study from Texas indicated that the risk of transmission through oral sex increases as the volume of ejaculate increases. Mouth should not be allowed to become a receptacle for fluids. If this can be avoided, oral sex is not much of a risk though one case of HIV has been reported in whom the HIV passed through pre-ejaculate fluid. This can be safely concluded that it would be better to avoid oral sex; but if the couple is desperate for it, the ejaculation must be avoided as far as possible in the mouth. Furthermore, as mouth is not the natural receptacle for ejaculate fluids, there will therefore always remain the possibility of oral sex becoming a dangerous cause of some sex-related diseases in future.

##  VII.Moralisation of Education

The hijacking of the whole educational system has also been one of the steps taken to boost economic fundamentalism. The aim of education is threefold: to earn money by commercialising education, to train employees of different kinds for industries, and to produce good consumers. In order to groom hard-core commercial approach among students, moral education has been successively eliminated from the curricula; it has been replaced by either purely technical or managerial subjects, or by programmes like sex-education, family planing awareness, etc.

If society has to progress in the right direction, education has to be manumitted from the slavery of the economic fundamentalists. Feeling the necessity to mend the education, Milton, in " _Ready and Easy Way_ ", says: " _To make the people the fittest the chosen, and the chosen fittest to govern, will be to mend our corrupt and faulty education, to teach the people faith, not without virtue, temperance, modesty, sobriety, parsimony, justice, not to admire wealth or honour; to hate turbulence and ambition: to place everyone his private welfare and happiness in the public peace, liberty, and safety_ ". To achieve this the government must intervene. Small children are being compelled to go to schools and shoulder an unnecessary burden, just because it helps the managers of schools. A child below 6 must not leave home and must be trained by the parents, not the teachers. The emphasis must not be on the outward appearances like dress, shoes, belts etc., but on the quality of education. Moral education must form a part of curricula at all levels—primary, secondary, graduate and postgraduate. Children must learn how to become decent human beings and not corrupt consumers or partisan salesmen. Their training must be directed at keeping them away from all the social evils like drinking, smoking, gambling and promiscuity. They must be instructed that honesty and obedience are the most important treasures of a successful and peaceful life. They must be encouraged to lead a virtuous and not an aristocratic life. What must be clear in their minds is that the goal of life is to attain and maintain Grand Peace. Assistance of religious teachings and history should be taken to inculcate moral values among them.

There has been an animated debate on the desirability or undesirability of sex education in colleges. More important than whether the students should be imparted sex education or not and at what level it should begin is its form and contents. If it is aimed at training the students in the science or art of sex so that they can indulge in sexual activities without physically harming themselves, it cannot be permitted; for it would encourage young boys and girls to experiment with sex before marriage. But if its aim is to make them aware of the potential risks involved in illicit sex, to remove their misconceptions about their physical developments, and to make them stand on high moral pedestals, it must be welcome. Adolescent boys and girls tend to be tense about menstruation and nocturnal ejaculations and have other fears and doubts. These must be allayed. But this must be done in separate classes for boys and girls; the teacher should also preferably belong to the same sex. They must be explained that the sexual development and the desire to have sexual relations are normal parts of life. But they must be told in unambiguous terms that there are certain boundaries for this; that these boundaries are essential for the development of healthy families and peaceful societies; and that the violation of these boundaries is responsible for several problems. They must be told in detail why marriage is the only correct way to satisfy sexual needs. As marriage brings certain responsibilities, one must wait till one is competent to shoulder these responsibilities; but if one cannot keep chaste till that time, one must choose to have matrimonial alliance rather than indulge in pre-marital sex. They must also be told about the medical, legal and social implications of sexual misdemeanours on their part.

Moral education must not end with the culmination of the professional or academic courses. It must continue even during services and all the employees must be encouraged to join moral training classes. Half an hour daily for moral and spiritual enlightenment will serve the purpose remarkably well. This will ensure a better life and will be quite beneficial in overcoming various forms of stresses. It will also strengthen their resolve to live peacefully with the members of their families and those of society; and will curb any violent or criminal instincts in them.

##  VIII.Democratisation of Economy

The importance of money lies in the fact that it is needed for a comfortable, healthy and peaceful life. But, if instead of achieving this, it begins to destroy these very objectives, it no longer remains a boon. It is therefore essential that, while planning the economic growth at any level—individual, family, national or global, these objectives must never be lost sight of. Any economic activity that produces serious hazards to health, leads to the disintegration of families, or promotes societal tensions cannot and must not be permitted. The economic planning must entail the truth that man is neither a machine nor an animal. Human beings have a propensity to misjudge; they are selfish, and tend to be ruled by ephemeral gains. Society and therefore the government must keep in mind human strengths and weaknesses before taking various measures. The role of the government in all the affairs including the economic must neither be that of a dictator nor that of a helpless spectator. It must act as a perfect guardian who grants sufficient freedom to his wards, but is alert enough to see that this freedom is neither misused nor becomes dangerous for their own lives. The government while allowing the economic freedom must see that its benefits are shared by the people, and are not misused by the vested interests harming the interests of the common people.

The development of modern economy has been mainly the result of an aggressive economic fundamentalism, an ideology with emphasis only on economics in general at the cost of health, family peace, and social order, and on the interests of the big business in particular. The economic fundamentalists have grown in power by following well-defined objectives, which may be enumerated as follows:

1. To **increase demands** of goods in the market by

(a) Changing perceptions of the people

(b) Creating false standards of life

(c) Fanning human desires

(d) Disinformation

(without of course caring for their adverse impact on individual, family or society);

2. To **monopolise supplies** through extensive advertising and friendly governmental policies that give them the right to use specific brand name

3. **To monopolise assets** and money by (a) saving their own money and converting it into long-lasting assets (that would continue to increase in value); and (b) using public money for their own business

4. To **attract public money** by encouraging them to (a) squander whatever they earn; (b) to invest whatever they save in banks or stock market

5. To recover whatever they have to part with either as taxes or interests to financial agencies by regularly **increasing prices**

6. To **pay to their employees** much less than what they deserve

7. To **throttle all those sectors (agricultural and small-scale industry)** , which are doing business without the involvement of the big industrialists

8. To **mastermind welfare programmes** , which do not adversely affect their interests and/or help their cause—directly or indirectly

9. To commercialise every strength, weakness and need of human beings without caring for their effect on health, family or society

In contrast, the objectives of "Healthy Economics", or "Peace Economics" may be summed up as follows:

**1**. To visualise economics as not the only but one of the important parts of human life

**2**. To ensure that all the social and economic developments must be aimed at safeguarding the health of all individuals, family peace and social order

**3**. To ensure that the industrialists do not earn at the cost of labour and consumers

**4**. To ensure that the money of the rich is so used as to benefit the common people, and not the vice versa, by

(a) changing the tax structure (imposing assets tax rather than income tax);

(b) giving due representation to the small shareholders in policy decisions;

(c) distributing the profits among all those who have contributed in the success of the company

**5**. To guarantee that the susceptibilities and weaknesses of human beings are not misused for commercial purposes

(a) by banning commercial exploitation of all the forms of addiction and sex;

(b) by strengthening the legal system so that the exploiters and oppressors find it impossible to continue their activities;

(c) by continuously preaching the need to support the good against the evil

**6**. To ensure that political and legal set-ups promote healthy economics

**7**. To ensure that social values are shaped in accordance with their impact on health and social conditions, and religion plays an effective role in reducing tensions at all levels

##  IX.Resurrection of the Scientific Spirit

In the nineteenth and the early twentieth century, science achieved preponderance in the affairs of the world. But, with the march of the twentieth century, economics outsmarted sciences. This was an ominous development as it led to misuse, in extremely dangerous proportions, of the various disciplines of science. The scientific spirit is no longer visible anywhere. Scientific researches are being misused to exploit the masses in order to attain the economic and political supremacy. The outcome of the misappropriation of sciences and medicine has been that a large number of life-threatening diseases are increasing in incidence at an alarming pace; people are killing one another; and family peace and social order are conspicuous by their virtual non-existence. It is therefore high time now that the vessel of scientific and medical spirit were set into motion without any further demurrage. Let us see what science means.

Science is the name given to the efforts for arriving at the truth and knowing the realities. It unfolds the mysteries of nature and explains how scores of natural forces combine to maintain perfect harmonious equilibrium that is essential for the sustenance of the universe and for the survival of all living beings. It teaches us how to avail ourselves the materials and energies for different purposes. It would however be dangerous to presuppose that science is merely an informer and has nothing to do with our morals. What is incontrovertible is that science too, like religion, has been and is being misused by the vested interests. The dagger of blame falls not on science but on those who misappropriate it. Scientists themselves have often tended to refute the greatest truth of the universe. A general empathy towards religion that was the outcome of maledictory campaigns against it by the forces of economic fundamentalism influenced scientists too, who strove to present science as an antidote to religion. Religion had already been equated with orthodoxy and retrogression. It was therefore natural for the emerging edifice of science to maintain a safe distance from the Faith. Hence, when science discovered that there exists a most wonderful equipoise in the universe that keeps life intact, that there seems to be a common cause of all the causes (a common force behind all the forces), and the common cause has to be cognisant of the needs of all the creatures, they named this common cause Nature. Had it been called God, the avowed antagonism of religion by science would have suffered a major setback. The acceptance of the One by science could have been a big boost for moralists. Materialists could have faced encumbrances in their naked pursuit of money. Thus numerous laws governing the vast universe were labelled not as God's or Creator's Laws but the laws of Nature. The laws of gravitation and motion, for instance, were called Newton's Laws of Gravitation and Motion rather than the Creator's Laws, as if Newton created these laws, who in fact only tried to elucidate them. Despite all these attempts to banish God from the realm of science, the truth is that science cannot move an inch without assuming the presence of a being who is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal, wise, calculating and all-pervading. It has only tried to infatuate itself by calling this omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient being as Nature. Can science enlighten us how the particles, or the space, or the waves forming "Nature" possess faculties of intelligence and wisdom? Can it explain why all the physical laws remain the same everywhere in the universe. (Einstein's theory of relativity postulates that physical laws are the same in all co-ordinate frames all over the universe.) Science claims itself to be the truth and nothing but the truth, or an effort to arrive at the truth. But its signal failure has been its inability to recognise the greatest truth of the Universe. It is not that science transformed its exponents into atheists. In fact, the greatest scientists of the world including Einstein, Darwin and Newton had an unshakeable belief in the presence of the One. But what their hearts were cognisant of, their pens could not describe in a scientific jargon. It was less perhaps because they found their belief scientifically untenable and more because they were scared of becoming targets of anti-religion elements that had a dominating presence in society. Both capitalism and socialism, the two great faces of economic fundamentalism had anathema for God Whose fear and love created "unnecessary" impact on human morals.

The ethical denudation turned science amoral. Scientists started thinking that science was above religion and ethics. It had no role to play in the on-going course of social history except providing or striving to provide means of comfort or supremacy to those who seek them. They have continued their work despite the fact that self-seekers misuse their inventions and discoveries to rob common people of their hard-earned money, or to kill humans for political supremacy in the world. Scientists have incarcerated themselves in laboratories, computers, books and journals; the barons of economic fundamentalism roam free. Seldom do the beacons of science protest against the on-going desecration of nature and life. The few who display some determination and conviction to vent their feelings, like environmentalists or epidemiologists, are tackled either diplomatically or through lucrative offers.

Thus there is little to doubt that the scientific spirit does not govern the present world. It is the economic spirit that prevails and pervades everywhere. The question may here be put forward: what does the scientific spirit actually mean? Sciences can be broadly divided into material sciences and life sciences. Material sciences explain the phenomena occurring in nature and inform how precisely the matter follows certain principles. Thus the laws of physics remain the same in all the frames of reference throughout the universe. The laws of motion, the law of gravitation, the laws relating to light, magnetism, electricity, nuclear physics and chemistry never change. Rules are the rule, and exceptions are exceptional. These laws are not only universal but also eternal having continued unchanged from time immemorial. Thus every particle of the atom follows with uncompromising precision the duties imposed on it. It has no individual rights. It has to stick to the duties and prohibitions applied by "Nature". It is because of adherence to the principles that the huge universe maintains an incredible equilibrium that sustains billions of mammoth planetary bodies that too in their turn follow the prescribed course. They all are having peaceful coexistence because each one of them knows its specified boundaries, which it never infringes. When one studies living sciences, one finds that it is life that brings billions of billions of atoms together into one single entity. The living cells also follow the rules but the precision of material sciences is not visible here. Instead, they work within certain boundaries. Blood pressure, respiratory rate, cardiovascular impulses, etc. are not pinpointed, (as in the case of material sciences) but have upper and lower limits. No pulse count can be termed as exactly normal. The range of 60 to 80 is taken as normal. Similarly, the systolic blood pressure normally ranges between 110 and 150 mm Hg and the diastolic between 60 and 90. There are also normal ranges for the time and amplitude of different waves appearing normally in an electrocardiogram, viz., P, Q, R, S, T and U waves. The same is true for total leukocyte count, red blood cell count, differential leukocyte count, haemoglobin percentage, serum bilirubin, blood sugar, cholesterol, creatinine, globulin, albumin, T3, T4, TSH, insulin and thousands of other indicators. An individual remains healthy till all these remain within the normal ranges. As soon as any of them either shoots up beyond the upper limit, or falls below the lower limit, deterioration in health begins. And these indices tend to remain in the normal range, if the individual's routine activities including eating, drinking, physical work, sleeping, etc. remain normal. No sooner does one engage in an abnormal activity, one's body starts exhibiting signs of weakness and disease. Excessive or deficient eating and drinking, swallowing of such materials as have no role to play in the functioning of the physical system, extraordinarily exacting or sedentary work, uninhibited sex, or no sex at all—all these pose threats to the normal functioning of the body.

**Economic fundamentalism banks on change.** Change, they do assert, is the essence of a successful life; and society must continue to change with the time. Their emphasis on change is the obvious outcome of their conspiracy to rob the masses by luring them to buy new fashionable clothes and household items and to adopt new social mores. But science has different ideas to disseminate altogether. Natural laws always remain precisely the same and do not change with time and place. Living beings, if at all they change, do so extremely slowly and for the better; these changes are aimed at adapting in accordance with the new environmental conditions. The corporate world, on the other hand, insists on rapid changes. In fact it deliberately brings transformations in the surroundings for its own interests, and then pressurises the masses to follow suit. The new changes often bring disaster, not any real betterment in life. Magnates want the organs of the body to perform functions that they have not been created for. They want stomach to digest the indigestible, lungs to inhale what is unworthy of inhalation, mouth and tongue to lick or suck what is unworthy of licking or sucking, anus to receive what is not worthy of receiving, and brain to think what is unworthy of thinking. Yet, they harangue fantastic arguments to allow these in the name of personal freedom.

Science, it can therefore be confidently concluded, instructs that it is more important to perform duties and avoid prohibitions than asserting rights. Life sciences tell us that it is more important for the living being to work within the boundaries and never overstep limitations. This follows that the scientific spirit in synonymous with discipline, probity, truth and self-restraint. The economic spirit, on the other hand, which is so assiduously propelled by the modernists especially the corporate, asserts that rights have to prevail upon duties. Absolute freedom is the most cherished goal, whatever its consequences on society. Discipline is important only as far as it helps the business. It also follows that the scientific spirit adores health, peace and order, and detests anything that jeopardises any one of these. The logical conclusion is that, in a world ruled by the scientific spirit, there can be no room for alcoholism, smoking, gambling and promiscuity, as these are the harbingers of death, diseases, destruction and disorder. If still these are glorified, one can rightly infer that the economic or commercial spirit has totally banished the scientific spirit. The modern world has the body of science ruled by the ghost of commercialism.

Science, in general, is the name given to understanding the truths of the universe and to utilise them in the best possible way for the peace, progress and prosperity of mankind. Medical sciences, in particular, aim at alleviating the sufferings of men and to create conditions favourable for a disease-free and tension-free life. Montgaine (Essays, II) says: "Health is a precious thing, and the only one, in truth, which deserves that we employ in its pursuit not only time, sweat, trouble, and worldly goods, but even life; inasmuch as, without it life comes to be painful and oppressive to us. Pleasure, wisdom, knowledge and virtue, without it, grow tarnished and vanish away." It is therefore essential, in keeping with the scientific and medical spirit, that all the developmental, political and administrative activities must be aimed at ensuring health, family peace and social order.

All the disciplines of science are invaluable as they discover the know-how to produce the materials of all hues and colours required by the human beings. But medical sciences are the most important, for the onus of keeping a close vigil on the emerging threats to human existence and inventing remedial measures falls on their shoulders. With the control by the economic fundamentalists on all the offshoots of social life, the capability of medical experts to influence policy decisions at the national and international level has undergone substantial erosion. If the world is to be rescued from the imminent doom, the medical fraternity must immediately assume a leading role in society. It must become the true Doctor of the World. It must tell the world what is right or wrong in different fields. It must not feel shy of holding the reins of administration along with the experts in other scientific fields. Medical scientists must at least put themselves in a position where they do not have to follow the directions of politicians, bureaucrats and economists; instead they must be able to mould the policies in a way that is consistent with healthy life. To achieve this grand objective, certain constitutional and administrative measures will have to be taken.

The first major constitutional step that has to be incorporated is to enshrine "Right to Health" as a Fundamental Right. This will go a big way in guaranteeing that no activity related to any field whatsoever, that can directly or indirectly cause serious harm to health, will be permissible; and all the governmental policies must take into consideration their impact on health before becoming operational. The production, trading and use of all such items and activities, as may cause fatal or paralysing dis-eases will then become forbidden. Those items and activi-ties that are harmful but do not cause a fatal or paralysing illness must be discouraged, but not forbidden. To keep a watch on the developments, an autonomous National Health Commission must be constituted in every country. This Commission will conduct health impact studies of all the developments taking place in the country; it must be given constitutional powers to determine whether to allow or not different activities and its decisions must be binding. The Commission must have medical specialists of distinguished career as its members. Similarly, a World Health Commission must be formed to assess the impact on health of the various social, economic and political developments at the international level. The Commission must not be financed by any nation or group of nations; it must be funded through equal contributions from all the countries. The Health Commissions of all the countries must be the members of the World Health Commission; and its chairmanship must be rotational.

When the right to health becomes a fundamental right, smoking, drinking and uninhibited sex would automatically become unlawful; for each one of these is responsible for increase in annual mortality of millions of people. This will result in a momentous fall in the incidence of diseases like lung cancer, mouth cancer, cirrhosis, ischaemic heart diseases, peptic ulcers, bronchitis, Korsakoff psychosis, syphilis, gonorrhoea, Chancroid, herpes, AIDS and a number of psychiatric diseases. The crime, accident and suicide rates would also decline substantially.

The study of the ways in which the medical sciences can guide and control the social and economic developments on the basis of their real or potential impact on health can be named " _Therapeutic sociology_ ". This will prove to be an extremely absorbing subject. At the same time, it will be of immense utility for the development of a healthy human society. An aggressive pursuit of knowledge in the field is the crying need of the hour.

The World Health Organisation has failed abysmally in its role as the saviour of the world. It has become mere pawn in the hands of some powers. The economic fundamentalists are able to influence in a big way the decisions of the WHO. The sad truth is that it has outlived its utility and the sooner it is wound up the better.

The whole AIDS control programme has to be revised. The nonsense of safe sex being promoted as the mainstay of the strategy to control AIDS cannot be tolerated any more. As has been elaborated earlier, safe sex is only a ploy to perpetuate commercial sex and the free sex it promotes. Safe sex is not safe enough. The effectiveness of condoms in preventing sex transmitted diseases and AIDS is hardly 50-60%, if it is used properly and constantly. The failure rate of condoms as contraceptives is as high as 12%. The size of HIV is much smaller than sperms, and their probability of crossing the barrier is quite high. Furthermore, it is used by hardly ten percent even in those countries where the level of awareness is substantially high. Sex workers cannot insist on the use of condom, as they risk losing business. The promotion of safe sex is in fact counterproductive. It often tends to ensure a false sense of guarantee against HIV. Adolescents feel inclined to explore sexual liaison thinking that by using condom they would protect themselves. Condom promotion can however be utilised in specific areas:

(1) Where a person is already promiscuous, and before he gives it up, he may use condom;

(2) where one of the spouses suspects the other to be involved in extramarital relations; and

(3) where one of the partners has already tested positive and the other partner does not want to severe relations.

There is hardly any justification in justifying the on-going strategy on the basis of reports that the situation has stabilised in many countries. The stabilisation does not mean a drastic downfall in the seroprevalence rate. Even till now, about 20,000 people die of AIDS in the US annually. That is no small figure in a country where infections other than STDs have been on the decline for several decades. The strategy to control AIDS has to be multi-pronged, multidisciplinary and multi-sector. Only a comprehensive approach can help.

One of the most important steps in the fight against AIDS will be to popularise the concept of total sexual hygiene. Thanks to the globalisation, while other forms of hygiene like oral hygiene and body hygiene gained substantial popularity, a term like sexual hygiene has not even been proposed. How can it be when total sexual hygiene would signal serious consequences for the whole idea of free and commercial sex? Total sexual hygiene comprises physical, mental and social sexual hygiene. Physical hygiene includes proper washing of private parts and mouth after intercourse, avoidance of anal coitus and avoidance of intercourse during menses. Circumcision may also be included, as it has a preventive role in several diseases. Mental sexual hygiene includes conscious attempts to keep the mind free of polluting thoughts by avoiding provocative images, literature and talks. Social sexual hygiene means avoiding of casual liaisons of all kinds and restricting oneself to one's spouse only.

The other major steps comprise a total and effective ban on the commercialisation of sex particularly prostitution and pornography and strengthening of family system through measures that promote healthy sexual relationship within the ambit of marriage. There are certain legal issues that have to be tackled.

**First** , a person must have the right to divorce if one's spouse tests positive.

**Second** , a woman must have the right to refuse intercourse if her husband does not take adequate measures to safeguard her from the threat of AIDS.

**Third** , sterilisation may be made compulsory for an HIV positive woman.

**Fourth** , spouses must have the right to know each other's HIV status before or at the time of marriage.

If AIDS has to be controlled, the strategy has to be planned keeping in consideration three essential objectives:

(1) preventing people from getting infected;

(2) stopping infected persons from spreading infection; and

(3) creating an environment conducive for healthy sexual practices.

The current international programme addresses only the first objective and that too partially. The other two are ignored altogether. An alternative comprehensive programme is being proposed here that alone can be effective in the prevention of AIDS.

##  X.Comprehensive Programme for Control of AIDS

  1. ### Sexual Hygiene

  * Washing of private parts after intercourse

  * No anal sex; oral coitus (ejaculation inside mouth) to be avoided

  * No sex during menstruation periods and postnatal period

  * Male' circumcision

  * Avoidance of corrupting influences

  * Use of condoms whenever suspicion of catching infection

  1. ### Strengthening of Family System

  * Marriages to be promoted; laws to be suitably amended

  * Premarital and extramarital sex to be actively discouraged and punished

  * Promiscuity to be suppressed

  * Moral and family values to be strengthened

  1. ### Concerted and effective campaign against commercialisation of sex

  * Total ban on prostitution and rehabilitation of prostitutes

  * Total ban on all forms of pornography

  * Campaign against nudity and obscenity in public

  * Cleansing of tourism

  * Effective and concerted campaign against drugs

  1. ### Medical measures: Sexual quarantine

  * Proper screening of blood

  * Sterilisation of syringes

  * Effective sexual (not social) isolation of HIV positive persons: HIV status of a person to be informed to marriage-partners (present and future), boy/girlfriends, clients

  1. ### Legal Measures

  * right to divorce if one's spouse tests positive

  * • right to refuse intercourse if her husband does not take adequate measures to safeguard her from the threat of AIDS

  * sterilisation compulsory for an HIV positive woman

  * right to know each other's HIV status before or at the time of marriage.

  *

For the purpose of the rehabilitation of prostitutes, they have to be kept in an asylum for a period of three months. At the expiry of this period, they will be thoroughly examined for any evidence of sex-transmitted diseases and HIV. If they have no disease, they must be helped to join the mainstream preferably marrying as early as possible. If they have any disease other than HIV they must first be treated before allowing them to join the mainstream. If they are HIV positive, they must be sexually isolated. Apart from these medical measures like proper attention to screening of blood to prevent spread of HIV through blood, availability of anti-AIDS drugs to all and legal measures discussed above have to be incorporated. Promotion of condoms has to be done as a supplementary not the chief weapon of defence.

##  XI.Humanisation of Civilisation

The most succinct definition of civilisation is that it is the state of being civilised, and being civilised means refraining from barbarism and receiving instruction in arts and refinements. Thus civilisation indicates a higher state of conscience, altruistic sentiments and responsiveness. One is considered civilised if one's demeanour in public and private does not harm or embarrass others; one displays one's concern over the problems of others; and makes efforts to help others in their pursuits, or in their hours of crisis. Those whose selfless commitment to the mankind persuades them to make greatest personal sacrifices, who suffer to remove distresses of their fellow creatures and tolerate pain to mitigate others' throes, leave indelible footprints on the course of history. Their glory reaches far and wide. They continue to live even after their exit from the mortal world. They instil hope and courage in the despondent, guide the ignorant, rectify apprehensions, generate endurance in the oppressed and bring pleasure to the weak, the poor and the downtrodden. From places unknown, they control the hearts and minds of men. Historians evaluate them not by the wealth they amassed or the grandeur they splurged, but by the splendour of their ideas and magnificence of their actions. Great is a man whose influence on the mankind has been outstanding. His hymns are sung and his deeds are the delight of story and drama writers.

It is in fact the civilisation of human existence that anoints humans with the status of the supreme among all the creatures. Man is superior because he is not always concerned with his own needs and desires; his heart thumps at the others' grief or joy, too. In contradistinction to humans, animals mostly derive pleasure only in their own attainments. Human beings tend to socialise and live together in villages or cities, animals vie with one another in the jungles. 'Survival of all' is the motto of human society; 'survival of the strongest ' is the law of the forests. Animals do not generally have any feeling of shame and roam nude, mating without following any specific set of social principles; man has learned to cover himself and prefers to make love in the surroundings hidden from the others' view. Animals enjoy rights and follow duties only as their nature; their excesses against one another are not judged by any rule of law, for they are not expected to have any sense of conscience or knowledge of law. Man has to work within the boundaries erected by society; he is expected to know the law and obey it.

Let us examine the present civilisation in the light of these observations. The economic fundamentalists want the world to believe that the present human society is at the zenith of civilisation. Their claim emanates from the fact that man can now boast of more worldly splendour than was the case at any other time in the past. He resides with comfort in palatial surroundings; has variety of colourful dresses to don; travels in high-speed vehicles on splendid roads; can fly in the air or sale the sea with dazzling velocity; has tools to confront the vagrancy of weather; has advanced technology providing him with thousands of items of luxury; can communicate within seconds with any person living anywhere in the world; can watch with delight in his own bedroom the events organised at the farthest places on earth; is better acquainted with the secrets of life and of the universe; possesses thousands of medicines to treat illnesses; and can remove, with or without knife, malformations from inside the human body. They also claim that the world of today has the most developed political, economic and social systems. Big industries, lavish hotels, multi-storey stock exchanges, sprawling, lush-green picnic spots, bars, casinos and busy beaches are presented as the symbols of civilisation. By making these claims, the votaries of modernism aim to give a new meaning to civilisation. To them, civilisation is synonymous with development and prosperity. This absolutely materialistic description of civilisation has no place for moral and spiritual excellence. It is not that the connoisseurs of economic fundamentalism are not aware of the hollowness of their belief; they very much are. This in fact is a conscious, motivated and deceptive attempt aimed at diverting public attention from the dangerous consequences of their strategies and perpetuating their empire. They seek to keep the populace and the intelligentsia bemused. It is for this reason that they assiduously glorify status symbols in society. These status symbols are projected as indicators of one's 'sophistication', the word that is being planted as replacement for 'civilisation'. As soon as a new item or an updated version of the old one comes into the market with a fanfare that immediately captures imagination of the people, it becomes a new status symbol. These symbols modify not only with time but also with the various strata of society. Thus radio, Tape-recorder and Stereo, Black & White TV, colour TV and VCR. motorbikes and cars of varying costs, fans, coolers and air-conditioners, chairs, tables and sofas, kurtas, jeans and suits, frocks, chemises and saris, long hair and short hair, soft drinks, bears and wines, birthday parties and marriage anniversaries, tobacco, cigarette, cigar and pipe — all are symbols of status for different sections of society depending upon their financial, educational and social back-grounds. A man or woman's ability to attend parties, smartness in mixing with the members of opposite sex, readiness to dance on the floor, ken at organising such functions, boldness to crack naughty jokes and keenness to share bed are signs of 'modernity'. Promiscuity, gambling and drinking are no more sins but marks of one's high lifestyle. What Boswell said, while differentiating between the 'civilised' and the 'savage' is true of the modern civilisation. He said, " _It is in refinement and elegance that the civilised differs from the savage. A great part of our industry and all our ingenuity is exercised in procuring pleasure; and a hungry man has not the same pleasure in eating a luxurious dinner_ ". Rousseau, in " _Origin of Equality_ " made scathing remarks about the modern society: " _The case is quite different with man in the state of society, for whom first necessities have to be provided, and then superfluities; delicacies follow next, then immense wealth, then subjects, and then slaves. He enjoys not a moment's relaxation; and what is yet strange, the less natural and pressing his wants, the more headstrong are his passions, and, still worse, the more he has it in his power to gratify them, so that after a long course of prosperity, after having swallowed up treasures and ruined multitudes, the hero ends up by cutting every throat till he finds himself, as last sole master of the world. Such is, in miniature, the moral picture, if not human like, at least of the secret pretensions of heart of cultured man_ ".

As said earlier, the redefining of civilisation in terms of modernity, fashion, advance, smartness and prosperity augers well for economic fundamentalism; for it goes a long way to establish the monopoly of very few in the world. It is through presentation of these symbols and identifying them with the desires and ambitions of the people that more than five thousand million people of the world are being virtually ruled by less than five hundred persons. According to a report, 468 persons own more than fifty percent of the total income of the inhabitants of the earth. On paper, they are neither heads of states nor heads of governments. Nor do they have under their command armies. But they have the hydrogen bomb of money in their possession, which makes them the ultimate rulers and the whole world their subjects. They may not be the kings themselves but are the king-makers; they may not personally participate in the policy deliberations at the government level but their stooges in the ministries ensure that the policies drafted by their masters get the nod of the cabinet. It is through the sheer power of money, ruthlessness in pursuing their goals and the culpability of those at the helms of the government that the wizards of economic fundamentalism perpetuate their undeclared rule. They are the monarchs who enjoy only the privileges of monarchy without owning any responsibility. Their domains include not only the visible but also even the human senses, which in fact are their real zimmis. They cater to the demands of these basic instincts and, in return, the subjects throw their possessions at the feet of their masters.

The other equally important objective behind the redefining of civilisation is to keep under the carpet one of the major products of economic fundamentalism: barbarism that now pervades everywhere. Parts of this barbarism have been intentionally engendered by the big business to enhance its economic prospects, and parts are the unwanted side effects of their policies. Crimes are on the rise in almost all parts of the world, the degree of the rise depending upon the social, political and legal infrastructure of the countries. The countries that have adopted in a bigger way the modern, legal and social ideologies are obviously more prone to crimes. The United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany—all these countries have extremely high rates of crime. Similar is the case of those countries that have fast westernised themselves, at least in terms of the legal framework; these include India, Pakistan, Turkey, Singapore, Israel, etc. The US, the lone Super Power of the current world, has the distinction of having one of the highest rates of murders, rapes and robberies. One tenth of all women have been raped and attempts to rape have been made on one third. Domestic violence and sex-transmitted diseases are posing huge threats. In India, over 50,000 persons, on average, are murdered every year and more than 20,000 women raped. These of course are approximate figures based on the recorded cases; the unrecorded cases may be several times more. The paralysis of legal system is so complete that hardly a few hundred cases of murder result in convictions every year. Most of these receive life imprisonment. Very few cases (in one or two figures) are hanged. Most of the rape victims do not display enough resilience to approach the police. They know it pretty well that their efforts are more likely to fail; justice would elude them. The rapists or their politically influential bosses would not just allow it; they would either bribe the police, or would get the unyielding officers 'suitably transferred'. If at all, the trial begins, the victims will have to undergo through another rape in the form of a barrage of questions that will be psychologically even more agonising an experience than the first. The questions would mostly be too obscene to answer for a lady having any sense of shame. The ultimate result, in an overwhelming majority of cases, would be an "honourable acquittal" of the rapist and unbearable humiliation of the raped, who may have to face life-long persecution by society. The underworld operations continue with impunity; the dons and their cronies loot, stab and shoot people at will. The high-ranking administrators feel pride in attending parties organised by the dons and in sharing whisky with them in their private suits. Ministers and members of parliament and assemblies often go out of their way to keep them at a considerable distance from the arm of justice.

If the medieval period is often degraded as 'the dark ages' by the economic fundamentalists, this is also aimed at justifying new developments. True that the medieval era witnessed a number of wars and carnage. It is also true that the people then did not enjoy the material comforts of today. It may also be right that the masses had almost no rights in governance. But now, when we are in the twenty-first Century, it can be said with as much confidence that the last century was no less dark. It witnessed two of the bloodiest and fiercest wars of all times killing tens of millions of people; and the nations involved in the two World Wars were the same as claim themselves to be the most peace-loving, civilised and developed people living on the earth. Ever since the Second World War more than half a century ago, wars have not been an uncommon occurrence. Hardly any continent (except Australia) can claim to have been war-free. America battled for several years in Vietnam; Nicaragua and EI Salvador have continuously been burning; Rwanda, Zaire, Chad and Libya all have been involved in fierce battles; India and Pakistan have fought three wars; India and China have been at loggerheads with each other, with conflagration into a full-fledged war once; Israel backed by the US and its allies and Arabs have constantly been on the warpath; Iran and Iraq continued to pounce at each other's civil and military targets for several years; Russian troops massacred about half a million civilians in Afghanistan and American forces, in collaboration with the armies of thirty countries, ravaged Iraq, and for the last several years after the cessation of hostilities, has been making life difficult for the people of Iraq. After the September 11, the US has invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to combat "terrorism". There has been civil strife in several European countries including Poland. Bosnia is struggling to keep itself alive after suffering from incessant bombardments for several years. Russia has been using its might to subdue the tiny Chechenya. Cambodia, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Britain, Argentina—all these countries have been engaged in ferocious battles in the recent history. Carnage worse than those committed by the Mongols in Iraq and Nadir Shah in India have reddened the pages of history in the twentieth century. The worst of them was the nuclear holocaust, as the result of which hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children were killed at Nagasaki and Hiroshima by the US. The brutal slaughter of millions of Jews by the German dictator, Hitler and Stalin's and Millenovisk's killings in big numbers are other examples that make the body tremble with fear. There have also been pogroms in Russia, Bosnia, India, EI-Salvador, Sri Lanka and several other places. Recent pogrom was in Indian state of Gujrat where thousands of innocent Muslims were burnt alive by extremist Hindus in a frenzy of communal hatred in the aftermath of killing of tens of Hindus allegedly by some extremist Muslims. In fact, the twentieth century murdered more people than the entire Medieval Age. Still, we remain the "most civilised" people of history!

Terrorism that is almost always the result, at least, partially, of the denial of genuine rights to certain sections of the people and is often sponsored by the hostile nations for their own political gains has been regularly taking huge toll of life and property all over the world. India, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Israel, Algeria, South Africa, Cambodia and many other countries have been the major sufferers. Recently the US has become the biggest target of terrorism. Terrorists become freedom fighters, and vice versa, depending upon the interests of the rival groups or nations. Thus Kashmiris are freedom fighters for Pakistan and terrorists for India; Afghans were 'resurgent' in the eyes of Russia and Mujahideen in the view of Islamic world and the US; Palestinians have been terrorists for the US and Israel, and freedom fighters for Arabs; and so on.

The net result is that peace eludes the modern civilisation; and it is not only peace at the social or international level that is non-existing; man has grown even more devoid of peace at the individual level. He has all the luxuries at his disposal; still happiness has divorced his soul. He has numerous means of entertainment; still tension and anxiety terrorise his mind and heart. Socialism converted the world into a factory and humans into ma-chines. Market economics has transformed the world into a bazaar encircled by wilderness; it has converted humans into wild animals, who know only their rights; neither they know duties nor do prohibitions. When the modern man feels throngs of anxiety, he opts for either a tablet of a sedative or a peg of whisky. When he is sick with boredom, he finds solace in gambling, flirting with women and watching vulgarities on big or small screen. And when his problems become intolerable, he often decides to seek refuge in the valley of death. Everyone is ready to exploit everyone else. Friendship has lost its meaning; relationships are governed by selfish interests. Nobody wants to help the others. Neighbours do not even recognise one another. None is concerned about the sentiments of fellow beings; every one is seeking fulfilment of one's own desires, whatever the consequences for the others. One kills another for the sake of a few thousand bucks. Money is important, man not. The great thinker, Emerson, in his essay, " _Napoleon_ " says: " _As long as our civilisation is essentially one of property of fences, of explosions, it will be marked by delusions. Our wishes will leave us sick. There will be bitterness in our laughter and our wine will burn our mouth_."

It can be said without hesitation that the economic fundamentalists led by West have brought about 'the grand junglisation' of the earth. Sentiments have ceased to be of any worth. Morals are now believed to be a big hindrance in aggrandisement. Yet, despite all the efforts to negate emotions, man by his very nature is sentimental. The man inside this animal often haunts him. He feels sad; he is stricken by grief; he is moved by emotions; he wants to love and be loved; he longs to own and be owned. And it is this battle between the sentimental man and emotionless society that ravages his psychological equanimity. An overwhelming percentage of men, women and children of the present world are psychiatric patients. Minor or major mental ailments affect almost every person; anxiety, insomnia, nervousness phobias, mania, depression, obsession, paranoia, melancholia, schizophrenia—all are becoming increasingly common. Obviously, these diseases are more common in those countries where materialism has completely marginalised spiritualism, and religion has ceased to exist as a driving force in human lives. Still, religion is ridiculed, jeered at and maligned for the problems of the world. No medical scientist has bothered to objectively study the possible role of religiousness in treating the psychiatric patients. Religion does not pay, drugs do.

'Freedom' is the catchword for the megalomaniacs of modern "civilisation". This augurs well for them because it opens a great number of avenues for their business. This is also a tool in their hands to create a fantastic image of the present civilisation vis-à-vis the "black ages" when men and women used to love under "severe restrictions" and "unnecessary inhibitions". Free man tends to do whatever he feels like doing at a particular moment of time, irrespective of its consequences on his own life or on the lives of others. The rationale behind this, according to the liberalists, is that man is himself responsible for the conse-quences of his acts, and others have no business to interfere in his personal matters and to teach him morals. If one wants to drink, it is one's right, even if it causes severe mental anguish and financial burden to one's dependants and well wishers, and makes one vulnerable to several life-threatening health problems. If one wants to lie with a person of one's choice, one must have full liberty to do so, even if it destroys one's family and leads to several other unforeseen problems including fatal or incapacitating illnesses. If one wants to roam in minimal or no clothes, it is one's prerogative to dress as one likes, even if it blazes the passions of onlookers and drives them to rape unwilling women. One must be free to commit suicide, even if it brings intolerable pain and suffering to one's relatives and friends. What sort of freedom is this that kills people, maddens men, women and children, leads to sexual assaults, destroys families, makes parents and children alien to one another, turns the old into destitute and kids into orphans, and gives people sleepless nights? It is absolutely nonsensical to call the modern civilisation 'civilisation'. It is barbarism at its worst. Today's men and women are not humans but another species of animals, the Homo sapiens whose animal instincts are always positioned in the driver's seat. They are in fact even worse than beasts, as beasts do not manufacture weapons, drinks and eatables for their own destruction and their actions are simply the result of impulses and reflexes that ensure their survival. Whatever animals do is without the foreknowledge of the consequences of their actions. Man is mostly prescient of the possible adverse consequences of his actions on himself and on society. And yet, his knowledge does not stall him from indulging in evil acts. The king of jungle rules only due to his sheer physical force and commits "excesses" on fellow-animals only to fill his empty stomach, having no other option to satiate his hunger. Neither do lions exploit the other inhabitants in their territories nor prevent them from availing themselves the products of nature. The rulers of the world of Homo sapiens commit excesses, oppress and cheat their species-fellows for their own nefarious designs. They are worse than carnivores and saprophytes. It is not the compelling necessities but their covetousness that makes them ruthless dictators. They kill people not to silence their hungry intestines but to perpetuate their rapacious hold on the economic or political power; their intention is not just to survive but also not to let the others survive. It will be worthwhile here to reproduce Schiller's remarks about freedom:

" _We all in nature, destitute of reason, only a sister who, more fortunate than ourselves, has remained under the material roof, while in the intoxication of our freedom, we have fled from it to throw ourselves into a stranger world. We regret this place of safety, we earnestly long to come back to it as soon as we have begun to feel the better side of civilisation and in the totally artificial life in which we are exiled we hear in deep emotion the voice of our mother. While we were still children of nature we were happy, we were perfect; we have become free, and we have lost both advantages"._

How then is the present era better than the middle ages? There might have been some areas where the medieval people suffered at the hands of the rulers or administrators; there might have been many wives who were beaten by their husbands. But there was generally no lawlessness. Murders and rapes were few, at least, in those parts of the world that had well-established governments. Murderers and rapists could not go scot-free; severe punishment to them was a big deterrent for other criminals. Cheating and infringement of others' rights were not easy; the law was always there to act decisively. Prostitution was there but it was not the order of the day. Family system was not only alive but also well. There used to be little rancour between different family members who would always be eager to support one another. Women were then viewed not merely as paramours or objects of beauty. They were not just bedfellows. They were also mothers under whose feet lay paradise, sisters who tied the rakhi on brothers' hands and daughters whom parents treated like precious jewels. Today the parents and brothers are exhorted to find ways to lay their daughters and sisters. If wives were beaten by some illiterates then, they are beaten no less now; and not by illiterates but by highly educated and highly placed husbands or boyfriends. Girls were not assaulted in their own houses and any one found eve-teasing them in the streets had to face the wrath of society. The woman of today is free only to be exploited. She is at liberty of course to walk out of any relationship if she is abused in it only to enter another relationship to be abused there as well. She is quick to develop a liaison and quicker to break it. And most of the times, it is not her fault. She jumps to touch the moon with great velocity but realising that it is not the moon she desired for falls back with much greater momentum. It is not only her charm but also her body and physical entity that are abused. In the so-called developed world, woman has much fewer chances of becoming a high-class officer or a leading politician than of becoming a sex-worker, a cabaret-dancer, a strip-teaser, a model, a receptionist and a saleswoman. And if she is working, her ordeal does not end; the more she concentrates on her career the more her family suffers. Mind it: her own family, her own husband and her own children who want to share some moments of enjoyment with her but have to adjust without. As a result, the husband often finds solace in some one else's arms or in a bottle of whisky; and the children grow as psychiatric abnormals or frank juvenile delinquents. The fate of today's woman seems to have been totally sealed. If she decides to stay at home for the sake of her family, she has to live under the weight of unfulfilled ambitions; if she goes out, she faces the threat of assault, even rape, and alienation of her dearest ones. And because it is only her physical charm that sells, it is only between the ages of 16 and 45 that she is wanted most in the market. Once her charm vanishes, her career is almost finished. The people hovering around her decrease in number and she feels neglected. Her "glorious" past haunts her but that cannot return. And it is between 16 and 45 as well that she is most wanted at her home. The truth is that if the modern civilisation developed by the economic fundamentalists has harmed any one most—though it harmed everybody—it is women and children. Woman's liberty has in fact made her a permanent captive of the public. She looks at herself only with the glasses of man; no wonder then that she has miserably failed to discover herself.

If there is one field in which the modern civilisation may claim to have actually benefited mankind, it is the field of medicine. Certainly, there are many diseases that have now become treatable or preventable, namely, the infectious diseases like Tuberculosis, Cholera, Leprosy, Meningitis, Smallpox, Measles, Poliomyelitis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, etc. But economic fundamentalism has largely undone the great work done by medical scientists by making the people adopt a lifestyle that makes them susceptible to a large number of ailments—Chronic Bronchitis, Buerger's disease, Ischaemic Heart Diseases, Hypertension, Peptic Ulcer, Diabetes mellitus, Cancers, especially of lung, mouth and breast, Arthritis, Spondylitis, Cirrhosis, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, AIDS, Psychoses and neuroses, and many others. It is indeed difficult to infer if man today actually faces less threat to his health than in the past. Whatever an increase in the average age has been noticed in the last few decades, it is chiefly due to reduced Infant Mortality Rate. This reduction is counterbalanced by the high rate of feticide; more children are killed every year by way of abortion than are saved by vaccines and antibiotics. Take abortions in consideration and the average age will nosedive.

Thus the balance sheet of the achievements of the modern world is not at all encouraging. It is in fact greatly depressing because, with the scientific knowledge and technical know-how that the world possesses, man must have been physically healthier, socially safer and mentally more peaceful. But he is not. And this is because economic fundamentalism has been rapidly destroying whatever the world has been gaining through the labour and dedication of scientists. The civilisation the modern world boasts of is in truth in a moribund state. It is therefore very much a pertinent question; are we living in darker ages than the "dark ages"? Under the maddening effect of economic fundamentalism, civilisation has taken a back seat. The neo-barbarism of the world has almost gone the whole hog. People make whoopee appearing naked in public; care little for one another; are busy in trampling upon others' rights; and are killing one another with impunity. The big business is always keen to project even the baser instincts as normal human behaviour. The criteria of civilisation have been so devised as to sweep the seamier side of the ongoing developments under the carpet. The solution to this horrendous state of affairs lies in humanisation of civilisation.

It is true that human beings are animals. But it is equally true that human beings are human beings. They may eat, mate and die like animals. But, in addition, they possess an extraordinary healthy relationship with fellow humans, a highly sensitive conscience that censors their activities and supreme spirituality that seeks to instil divine virtues in them. Liberty, in the modern era, has only become an iron chain prepared by the economic fundamentalists for the purpose of shackling the conscience and spirituality of human beings. These must now be liberated and allowed to function without fear. Once the conscience and spirituality are set free, the humanisation of mankind will rapidly progress. Man will then not only enjoy the fruits of material developments but will also ensure that this is done in a way as would not disturb his mental peace and social order.

The ruthless suppression of the human conscience and spirituality, the promotion of materialism and the laxity of the legal system have helped crime to reach dangerous levels. But the economic fundamentalists have purposely based the criteria of development and progress only on the material advances and have omitted the rate of crimes and the level of mental peace for this purpose. Different kinds of approach will now have to be adopted to gauge the level of the progress of civilisation. New criteria will have to be fixed for finding out the conditions prevailing in different parts of the world. One of these, for example, may be the Peace Level that would determine the most and the least peaceful nations of the world. To find out the Peace Level, one can use the following formula: Peace Level = 1/Rate of murder + rapes + suicides per 1000 population x 100.

On the basis of Peace Level, the countries may be categorised into Turbulent, Disturbed, Peaceful and Highly Peaceful nations.

Similarly, another criteria, the Civilisation Level may be introduced. This may be calculated by the following formula:

Civilisation Level = Peace Level x Per Capita Income x Assets Distribution Index. On the basis of Civilisation Level, the countries may be categorised into Barbaric, Uncivilised, Civilised and Highly Civilised nations.

There must be a world body to keep a close watch on these levels. The body must present its report every year. This would automatically bring peace into focus, and the less peaceful nations will be under tremendous pressure to furbish their record. The new criteria will also uncover the hollowness of the "development" of the so-called developed countries.

##  XII.Mobilisation of Public Opinion

Till a few decades back, the leftist tendencies had their impact on the popular campaigns. But, during the last few decades, the non-governmental organisations all over the world have been successfully manoeuvred through grant-in-aids to work on the lines consistent with the interests of the big business. In order to stall the march of economic fundamentalism, a new direction will have to be given to the various welfare programmes that are already running; and new campaigns will have to be started.

Population Control programme is running almost all over the world. In most of the countries, this is being done under the name of Family Planning or Family Welfare. It is true that the inability of the married couples to properly space their children on account of the hesitancy on the part of mothers to actively breast-feed their children for an adequate period of time, and the negligence of mother's health by the husbands have resulted in an unbalanced growth of population producing several adverse effects on the health of various members of the family. There is therefore no harm in continuing campaigns convincing the couples for having only as many children as their physical, social and financial conditions can bear. More important than this is the question: is family welfare limited or should be limited to the limitation of the size of family? The Family Welfare Programme mooted by West is, in truth, aimed at destroying the family system. This is why they do not only convince the people to marry as late as possible, but also suggest premarital sex to satisfy their sexual urges. Similarly, they promote habits like drinking, smoking and gambling that more often than not have adverse effects on their family. A perfect family welfare programme cannot be pursued at the cost of family peace. It must, in fact, include campaigns against all such practices, especially drinking, smoking, gambling and promiscuity, as they are the biggest factors in the disintegration of families. Its objective must be to create an atmosphere in families where husbands, wives and children live in permanent tranquillity respecting one another's rights, needs and sentiments. Preservation of family system must be the top priority if future human generations are to be kept free of severe psychological stresses and social problems. It would make more sense if "Family Welfare" is transformed into " _Family Building_ " and " _Population Control_ " is converted into " _Population Management_ ". People must not necessarily be encouraged to have a very small family but a balanced, healthy and peaceful one. If all the families bring up healthy children, there is proper management of the economic system, and the resources and materials are equitably distributed, Nature will surely take care of all the human needs. If the size of family is made to shrink, but there is no population management, disparities in income would not let humans lead a peaceful life. For example, in a country like India, even if the rate of population growth becomes zero, hardly any improvement can be expected in general conditions in the near future, unless drastic population management measures are resorted to. These must not only comprise the strategies for more equitable distribution of money but also for the equitable distribution of population (urban and rural), assets, facilities (educational, medical, etc.) and privileges. If urban areas are becoming crowded, it is due to continuous migration from villages to cities; the crowding will not stop till the migration is not stopped, in spite of the goals of population control having been achieved. You go a few kilometres out of any city, and you will see few human beings. The whole economic system is presently aimed at directing the flow of wealth from the poor to the rich and from the rich to the richest, which also means from the villages to the cities and from the smaller cities to the bigger cities. And along with the flow flows the population. If we occlude this unidirectional flow of wealth; the flow of population will also stabilise. It will be highly desirable if family welfare was totally detached from population control.

Literacy drives are the order of the day all over the world because the economic fundamentalists are convinced that the rise in literacy level would correspondingly boost their plans. But literacy bereft of moral education would only make them better consumers, not better human beings. All the literacy campaigns must include moral education. Even small lessons of honesty and respect for others' rights would go a long way in making men and women sufficiently civilised.

The non-governmental organisations have to play a pivotal role in bringing about the required changes. They must realise that by playing into the hands of some funding agencies, they are causing great harm to society. They must act not as the agents of International agencies but as the conscience keepers. Their goal must be to mobilise the people for building up pressure on the policymakers to keep the interests of the common people uppermost in their minds while formulating different plans and programmes. These organisations must also ensure cohesion among themselves so that the funding agencies may not use pressure tactics to force them to act in the way they like. The NGOs have the capability to bring revolution in the world; and they must endeavour in that direction so that this goal is achieved sooner than later.

##  XIII.Universalisation of the World

The big business in West required for the expansion of their empire support from their governments. Initially, it was done through military interventions. But after the second World War, indirect methods were preferred Several bodies were formed at the international level that in practice safeguarded only the Western interests, or at the most, the interests of the big business. With the fall of Soviet Empire in the 1980s, the time was ripe for attempting a rapid expansion of their economic domain. Hence, Globalisation came into sharp focus. Globalisation hardly means globalisation of economics but de facto it is the globalisation of Western economic ideology.

To antagonise economic fundamentalism at the international level, drastic measures have to be taken. The first of course must be the reconstitution of the UN. The United Nations must be truly democratic in character; all nations must be equal in rights as well as duties. There is no way a democratic organisation of the countries can run successfully if some of its members have unqualified rights over the others. The growing regional powers like India, Japan and Germany must not campaign for the extension of veto power to few other countries including themselves. They must instead seek the abolition of veto altogether. If the big powers do not agree to this, they must be bold enough to start the process of the formation of an alternative body; and must, along with all the opponents of veto power, resign forthwith from the UN. This is the only way pressure may be mounted on the US, the Britain, France, and their allies. It must be ensured that all the constituent parts of the UN concentrate on the problems of the world as a whole and endeavour to find out the right kind of solutions—solutions that do not have ulterior commercial motives. The call for globalisation of the world must be changed with that of the universalisation of the globe. The universalisation must be directed at the opening of the world's natural resources and know-how, wherever they exist, for the benefit of all those who need it, wherever they live on the earth. The countries holding reservoirs of natural products must seek reasonable price, and must not indulge in blackmailing tactics. The UN must redefine its objectives. To ensure health, family peace, social order and a war-less world must be its basic goals. Strict action must be taken against any country violating the UN code. The office bearers of various bodies must be rotational.

The human rights organisations must stop cheating the world in the name of human rights. Instead of being sympathetic to criminals, they must show concern for the masses. It is undoubtedly important that there should not be any political killings; convicts should not be given punishment more in severity than their crimes; nobody must be lodged in jails without proper trial; the accused should be given proper opportunity to defend themselves; and the abuse of children and women should be stopped. Still more important however is to guarantee that there are no murders, no rapes, no robberies, no bribes and no suicides in society. Furthermore, it should be ensured that no woman or child is entrapped in the sex market; no human embryo is aborted in the name of reproductive rights; an environment is created where women including divorcees and widows find it easier and safer to marry; women do not have to suffer on account of the drinking and gambling habits of their husbands or fathers; and the children develop in a peaceful family, free of tensions due to alcoholism, gambling, separations, divorces, or fights between parents due to their extramarital liaisons.

The world bodies like the UNICEF, UNDP, UNPP, WHO, World Population Fund, etc. must base their schemes, plans and programmes not on the basis of fallacious sets of premises, articulated by theorists under the influence of the economic fundamentalists, but on the basis of objective analysis. Their policies must be result oriented; a policy that gives better results has to be better. A legal system that drastically reduces the crimes, a sociological pattern that remarkably lowers the social tensions and a health policy that effectively prevents diseases have to be preferred and put into action. Polemics are no answer to problems. Problems must be solved by all the possible means; the only golden maxim that should be followed is that the solution must not engender bigger problems than the problem it seeks to solve. A lesser evil can substitute a bigger evil, and not vice versa.

#  At Last Let's Make the Beginning

Revolution implies an extraordinary change. But the change is not always the antibiotic that kills the infection and treats the disease. Instead it may be the hypnotic that sedates, addicts and slowly poisons. For any colossal transformation to be valuable, it has to be for the better. If huge changes do not end into salubrious fruition, they have no credentials to be called a Revolution. "Sexual Revolution" is in truth the nadir of human behaviour. It has proved to be not the antibiotic but the hypnotic. It has heralded nemesis of individual's peaceful existence, family's peaceful sustenance and society's peaceful countenance. It has derailed every body from the right course, nailed every institution and failed every development; it has only bailed the merchants. It has made humanity look ludicrous; it has thinned to almost non-existence the demarcating line between human and animal. It has sacrificed abiding happiness at the altars of instant fun; and has crucified health on the cross of wealth. It has made character moribund by slaughtering the inspector of conscience that sustained it. It has pierced childhood, hanged womanhood and polluted manhood. It has snatched the apron of shyness that used to adore and protect woman, and has transvested her in the lingerie of shamelessness. It has transfigured man from a lover and protector of woman to mere usurper. It has made love without sex to look abnormal and ridiculous but sex without love to appear natural and admirable. It has reduced love to lovemaking, and has made lovemaking a perpetual captive of unadulterated lust. It has trounced parenthood and transfixed childhood. It has buried fatherhood and sickened motherhood. It has bulldozed the world converting it into huge rubble of solace and brought the mankind to the verge of total collapse. Sexual Revolution is the python that must be trapped at the earliest and killed without delay.

Sexual Revolution has taught us that sex is not for life but life is for sex. That sex must overrule every other consideration and overcome every obstacle in its way. If it is the custodian of Law, it must learn to behave; if it is the inspector of Religion, it has to be dismissed; and if it is the police of morality, it has to be confronted. It has made us believe that sex must not necessarily be between a human and a human; it can be between a human and an animal. That sex must not always require two sexes; it may be between a man and a man, and between a woman and a woman. That sex must not have to be between two adults: it may be between an adult and a child. That sex may not unfailingly involve those who are not linked by blood; it may involve a mother and a son, a father and a daughter and a brother and a sister. That sex should not always be limited to two individuals; many may join simultaneously. That sex must not necessarily use organs that are naturally meant for it; any organ that can be penetrated is fit for coitus. That sex must not necessarily be enjoyed away from the public gaze; it may be performed in front of their staring eyes and exhilarating hearts and brains. That sex must not necessitate any formal declaration; any two consenting individuals can have it without warranting any social or legal sanction. That, in extreme circumstances, sex does not even require consent; if one is smart enough to hoodwink Law or bold enough to face it, one may even rape without fearing too much. That sex does not have to be for fulfilling one's legitimate physical and psychological desires; it may also be for filling one's coffer. That sex need not be the corollary of love; it may be purchased or sold in the market. That whatever comes in the way of sex must be mercilessly got away with even if it is a human-in-making. In nutshell, Sexual Revolution has convinced us that sex knows no bounds. The old saying must be redefined thus: everything is fair in love, sex and war.

Let us trace the history of Sexual Revolution! Its history is in fact the history of the rise of economic fundamentalism that has already been described in this book in general terms. Let us focus here on some specific events that are regarded as important " _milestones_ " in the triumphant march of Sexual Revolution! The first major work on the subject entitled " _Psychopathica sexualis_ " was published in 1886. The book discussed sexual oddities like arousal of women by putting on men's clothing and attraction of men to women's gloves. Obviously, it coincided with the early advance of Industrial Revolution that had put economic fundamentalism in the lead in the world developments. It was at about the same time that Sigmund Feud's "celebrated" work shocked the world. He proposed the thesis that adult sexual proclivities had their origin in childhood. In the following years, the gay rights movement was born in Germany. Its founder, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs campaigned for legalising homosexuality. Havelook Ellis' " _Studies in the Psychology of Sex_ " carried the theme forward. He attempted to depathologise masturbation, orgasm, sexual pleasure between husbands and wives and homosexuality. These seeds had for obvious reasons the support of the merchants who had started visualising sex as a great money plant. Celia Mosher discussed the women's orgasm and lambasted Victorian clothing that could distort the internal organs. The first sex institute was founded in Berlin. Margaret Sanger is credited with the legalisation of birth control. That can obviously be regarded as a giant leap ahead in the march towards Sexual Revolution. She founded Planned Parenthood. The first nudist colony was opened in Germany as early as in 1903. The discoveries of sex hormones in the 1920s simplified the birth control measures. The period after the Second World War witnessed huge activities at the sexual front. People perhaps wanted to bury the savage memories of the war in the fantasies of sex. Alfred Kinsey published his massive studies of the males and females in 1948 and 1953 respectively. He proved that about half the men had been unfaithful to their wives and one fourth of women to their husbands. This was a clear attempt to normalise promiscuity. He also tried to normalise homosexuality showing that it was much more common than was believed. This survey sought to convey the message that, if one committed a sexual misdemeanour, one should not hide it. Hypocrisy was worse than the sin itself. Strange argument indeed! To commit adultery is al-right. But it is not right to hide that you have committed it. You can do a major evil. But you must not indulge in a smaller one. This was a conscious attempt to make people express what they had been doing. This would convince people that they were not alone in committing those evils. This would reduce the feeling of guilt from their hearts. More and more people would jump on the bandwagon of freedom of sex. With the demolition of guilt by the normalisation of perverse sexual behaviour, those involved in it would not even think of reforming themselves. They need not because they were only doing what most of the others did.

The media then got into the act with the publication of the first edition of Playboy in 1953. The films started depicting sexual intimacies and naked bodies. Playboy encouraged women to bare themselves before the camera because, "if they are beautiful, they must show it to the world". And if they had a hidden asset, why not cash in on it? By now the researches related to sex had started attracting all the disciplines. The first serious study of the physiology of sexual arousal and orgasm was published in 1960s. This study demonstrated the utility of vaginal lubrication and established a formal mechanism of sex therapy. With the "baby boomers" becoming sexually active, the real Sexual Revolution began in the 60s. Sex education was introduced in schools and colleges. Premarital sex became a norm rather than the exception. Striptease, cabarets and pornography had already started making huge inroads into the private lives of men and women. The increasing promiscuity, homosexuality and other perversities combined to elevate the incidence of STDs. The biggest jolt to the Revolution came in the form of AIDS. But by now, sex had become such a force in the economic development that nothing could stop its advance, which still continues almost unabated. And at the turn of the Century, Viagra made its grand entry. It was hailed as big a revolution as was the contraceptive pill. The pill "revolutionised" sex by substantially diminishing the fear of pregnancy that made women feel safe in sex outside marriage. Viagra sought to "revolutionise" sexuality by taking the libido to new heights. With all the fears gone and exciting prospects, the "Sexual Revolution" is well on the course to ultimate "glory".

As America and Europe can be regarded as the pivots of the revolution, their histories can be a valuable guide to understanding the transformation from a puritanical society to a depraved one. Goodbeer in his book "Sexual Revolution in Early America" has described the difference in the popular beliefs about America's puritan past and the reality prevalent there. A review of the book says:

" _In 1695, John Miller, a clergyman travelling through New York, found it appalling that so many couples lived together without ever being married and that no one viewed "ante-nuptial fornication" as anything scandalous or sinful. Charles Woodmason, an Anglican Minister in South Carolina in 1766 described the region as a "stage of debauchery" in which polygamy was "very common", "concubinage general," and "bastardy no disrepute". These depictions of colonial North America's sexual culture sharply contradict the stereotype of Puritanical abstinence that persists in the popular imagination....Godbeer's absorbing narrative uncovers a persistent struggle between the moral authorities and the widespread expression of popular customs and individual urges..."_

It can be safely argued that "Sexual Revolution" has contributed immensely to the economic power that the US has enamoured itself with. And as described earlier, the US also boasts of being the sexual superpower of the world. This confirms the extraordinary role sex has played in the exaltation of the US. But alas! This zenith in the economic and military fields has run a concourse with the nadir in moral values, social security and family peace. The superpower of the world is also the superpower in terms of crimes, suicides, broken marriages, single parenthood, child molestation and bastardy. Hundreds of times the number the Americans killed on account of Terrorism are killed through the sexuality preached and practised by the forces that control their minds. Yet, the US government seems to be preoccupied only with " _Islamic Terrorism_ " for which it has brought almost the whole world to the brink of disaster. Sexual Terrorism that kills millions of people throughout the world, murders millions of children before they are born, torments millions of families and exploits and assaults millions of women and children is ignored with criminal neglect. Still, I hope American people can play the most powerful role in eradicating this deadliest form of the world terrorism. They have suffered the most on account of this and would benefit the most if they succeed in giving it a fatal blow. They have to convince their government to choose priorities among threats, on the basis of the havoc they cause to health, family and society. And if they fight this terrorism, "Islamic terrorists" will join them—they will have no other option—as friends not foes. The real peace at the international level will then no longer remain a dream. It will become a reality for all to see and enjoy. And it is commendable that there are people in the US already who have been campaigning for sexual restraints and promotion of marriage as the standard method of realising sex. The United States Welfare Reform Act 1996 was a step in the right direction. It recognises marriage as " _the foundation of a successful society_ " and " _an essential institution of a successful society, which promotes the interests of children._ " This is quite remarkable in the situation that prevails in America. The Act emphasises and promotes " _abstinence_ " as the only fully safe method to avoid pregnancies and STDs. It teaches " _abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children_." Endorsing this Act, President Clinton was quoted By New York Times, 5th January 1997, as saying, " _All of you need to help us send the strongest possible message: it's wrong to be pregnant or father a child unless you are married and ready to take on the responsibilities of parenthood._ " Great words from Clinton. Unfortunately, however, there seems to have been little progress on the social field that can attest to any remarkable change in the sexual lives of the people of the US after the Act.

It may be wrongly concluded that I have fixed my guns only at West. The truth is that no part of the world is absolutely free from the ill effects of the modern sexuality and the marketing of sex. Women and children are sexually abused and exploited all over the world in varying degrees. But West is to blame more for it has provided the ideological basis for the so-called Sexual Revolution. The evils are there in other societies as well but they are treated as such; they do not glorify them or justify their commercialisation. It cannot be said that East is free of women's exploitation. Apart from the reasons prevailing in West, they have their own reasons. These reasons are rooted in the denial of the rights that women enjoy in law, social backwardness, poverty and old customs. Eastern women are too subdued to face male chauvinism It can also be argued with conviction that sexuality in East is not fully explored even within the boundaries of marriage. I have heard Western women as saying that eastern men are horrible in bed. And eastern women will naturally be much more horrible for Western men. Western women and men are too aggressive for eastern men and women to pair. There may be substance in the suggestion that the latter must learn to explore their sexuality. But Western people must not underestimate the amount and the longevity of peace and happiness that the eastern couples enjoy within their limited sexuality. There is no harm if eastern men and women take some tips from Westerners for their sexual pleasures; but they must never learn the lessons of promiscuity and perversions from them. And they must not forget to teach Westerners the lessons of fidelity, loyalty and devotion. At personal level, I don't believe in East-West conflict—cultural or otherwise. I believe that an evil is an evil wherever it is committed and whoever commits it. West deserves kudos for its extraordinary technical and scientific development and for its concern for its own people. The scientific and technological development, advances in medical sciences, the building of infrastructure in the countries, the transport and communication and the religious tolerance for others (which though has lately taken a nosedive) are characteristics that West deserves to be emulated for. If they learn to translate their knowledge of sciences even in their private lives, things would change for the better: for them and also for the whole world. Western people deserve respect and love like any other people. What is to be fought are certain dangerous aspects of Westernism.

What is being intentionally or unintentionally ignored is that the huge transformation in sex and sexuality has not been the product of natural human evolution. Evolution is and must always be for the better. In contrast, the so-called Sexual Revolution has been a well planned, artificially monitored and promoted, dextrously and meticulously executed and aggressively pushed transformation by the forces of merchandise who had only their vested interests in mind. People are not changing themselves; they are being made to change. It is not the nectar of their strengths but the hillock of their weaknesses and their tendencies to succumb that is being used as the catalyst for this change. They are being driven to a weird world of phantasm that has nothing to do with reality. It is not sciences or medical sciences that are instrumental in bringing about these pernicious transformations on the basis of their good impact on society; but it is the corporate interests that are creating new values and burying the old ones. The tree of Sexual Revolution is not being watered for the production and distribution of sweet grapes of love among the people but for the ultimate aim of the fermentation of grapes to manufacture the muscatel of "sex" that brings more money. And yet, instead of claiming responsibility itself, the corporate world tends to blame the people and their weaknesses for the growth of the evils as businesses. They ignore the fact that people are largely naive and unsuspecting. They read only what they are made to read; they read the lines, not between the lines. First their weaknesses are purposely exploited and then they are held responsible for succumbing to their weaknesses. People will have to observe the net that is laid to entrap them. They have to learn not to be governed and goaded by the merchants. Otherwise they and their posterity will continue to suffer.

Sex is not something that needs to be suppressed. Sex is the well that gives life. But the need of the hour is to cleanse the well not pollute it. If it gives pure water, it would ensure health; if it is adulterated with pollutants it can kill everybody. The goblet from the well of sex is to be taken to satiate one's desire; it can be sweetened with a sweetener, or made a bit salty by adding a pinch of salt or may be warmed or cooled depending upon the requirement. It is all right to make sex lively and not let it become livid. But don't mix in it anything that poisons it! Sex is the gift of God that must be fully enjoyed. But don't let the Devil wrap this gift in a colourful paper soaked with the cyanide of wild sex. If we have to save the world, we will have to guillotine the Devil of corporate sex at the earliest. If we do not get it doomed, we all will be consumed. Let the business help sex but don't let the sex itself become a business. That is the only mantra for the salvation. I have doubts if the people would be ready to chant this mantra because, as addicts they can understand and even desire to get away with their addiction; but the addiction has shackles that are too difficult for them to break. Sexual Revolution is the monster that requires the sword of Counterrevolution to be beheaded. Insurrections here and there will not suffice. Let its elegy be sung by its progeny as soon as possible! Let this book be an important milestone in that Counterrevolution!

## Let

## Peace

## Prevail!

THE KILLER SEX

### By

### Dr. Javed Jamil & Adrienne Hughes

A highly absorbing account of the development of sex and sexuality in the contemporary world and their devastating effects

---

Sure to become one of the most talked about books of recent times, which will compel the readers to have second thoughts about modern sexuality

Thanks to the global merchants of sex—better call them the global merchants of death and destruction—sex has become the drug more than the food. It can now be regarded as arguably the biggest tormentor of humanity. It kills individuals, devastates family peace and desecrates social order. The Killer Sex unveils the designs of the forces of economic fundamentalism and their insatiable hunger for the moolah, which has transformed sex from an agent of life to an instrument of business.

"Sexual Revolution" is in truth the nadir of human behaviour....It has heralded nemesis of individual's peaceful existence, family's peaceful sustenance and society's peaceful countenance. It has derailed every body from the right course, nailed every institution and failed every development; it has only bailed the merchants. It has made humanity look ludicrous; it has thinned to almost non-existence the demarcating line between human and animal. It has sacrificed abiding happiness at the altars of instant fun; and has crucified health on the cross of wealth. It has made character moribund by slaughtering the inspector of conscience that sustained it. It has pierced childhood, hanged womanhood and polluted manhood. It has snatched the apron of shyness that used to adore and protect woman, and has transvested her in the lingerie of shamelessness.... Sexual Revolution is the python that must be trapped at the earliest and killed without delay.

Mission publications,

A-284, Sarita Vihar

New Delhi - 110076

Phones: 91-11-29949212, 91-8130340339

#  Authors

**Dr. Javed Jamil** (of India) is a revolutionary whose recent works have ensured him a place as an emerging thinker on the world scene. Peace to him is not just a political or military term but a comprehensive idea that encompasses peace at all levels-- individual, family and social, and has also eternal dimensions. He believes that evils cannot be defined in geographical or cultural terms; an evil remains an evil whatever the place, cultural or social environment. The glorification or commercialisation of evils cannot be acceptable in a civilised world.

**Adrienne Hughes** (of the US) is a young peace activist whose concern for peace turns her into a crusader against the disintegration of family system, exploitation of men, women and children in the name of freedom and promotion of a sociocultural milieu that accepts and promotes abuse of women and children. She feels disgusted at seeing the mothers being converted into single parents and children into half orphans.

Sexual Revolution is the monster

that requires the sword of Counterrevolution

to be beheaded.

Insurrections here and there will not suffice.

Let its elegy be sung by its progeny

as soon as possible!

Let this book be an important milestone

in that Counterrevolution!

Detailed Contents

Authorspeak-1

Authorspeak-2

Chapter 1The Devil Emerges

The Premises Changed

The Land Levelled

The Environment Vitiated

Fragrance Marketed

Orchard Demolished

Flowers Defoliated

Buds Nipped

Garden Devastated

Challenges Challenged

From the Diary of a Twig

I. Bond of blemish: her rape, my rape

II. Daughters of deprivation

Let's Revive the Garden

I. Rejuvenation of the law

II. Universalisation of Religion

III. Purging of Politics

IV. Purification of Imagination

V. Re-establishment of Social Values

 VI. Sanctification of Sex (De-commercialisation)

A. Prohibited

B. Undesirable

C. Desirable

VII. Moralisation of Education

VIII. Democratisation of Economy

IX. Resurrection of the Scientific Spirit

 X. Comprehensive Programme for Control of AIDS

A. Sexual Hygiene

B. Strengthening of Family System

C. Concerted and effective campaign against commercialisation of sex

D. Medical measures: Sexual quarantine

E. Legal Measures

XI. Humanisation of Civilisation

XII. Mobilisation of Public Opinion

XIII. Universalisation of the World

At Last Let's Make the Beginning

Authors

Table of Figures

Table 1 Sex Market

Table 2 Prostitution in the US

Table 3 Expected Rates for Sexual Practices

Table 4 Online Pornography

Table 5 MULTI BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY (CONTD.)

Table 6 SOCIAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PORN

Table 7 PORNOGRAPHY IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Table 8 FACTS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Table 9 COHABITATION AND MARRIAGE

Table 10 DISINTEGRATION OF FAMILY SYSTEM

Table 11 INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Table 12 RAPE

Table 13 ABORTION

Table 14 US STATISTICS ON ABORTIONS

Table 15 SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

Table 16 IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

Table 17 CHILDREN IN SEX TRADE

Table 18 GLOBAL SUMMARY OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC DECEMBER 2002

Table 19 MORE FACTS ABOUT HIV/AIDS

Table 20 REGIONAL HIV/AIDS STATISTICS AND FEATURES, END OF2002

