When you have nation-state containers, which are modern counterparts to ancient empires, with a myriad strata of population to control, you can be sure that this state will undertake the role of a nanny watching over its human resource occasionally prescribing legitimate and illegitimate behaviours.
Today's case in point: warning against the usage of tobacco that is being plastered all over television and all forms of video presentation. The state is pushing film-makers to a scenario where it would be cumbersome to include scenes of cigarette smoking in their productions to avoid government mandated notifications which indubitably takes away the immersion of viewing these feature presentations.
Here is a summary of the various requirements put forward to comply by tobacco companies as well.
I am not a shill for any tobacco company and I certainly do condone smoking, especially if you're blowing the smoke into someone else's face. But beyond that I consider it an individual's freedom to smoke or not to smoke.
What has happened after a 2011 amendment is that every channel being received on televisions across the Indian sub-continent is saturated withantismoking messages before, during, and after most broadcasts. Movie makers are increasingly affixing anti-smoking infomercials before the start of their movies. One might even venture to think if we're all going a bit overboard with this.
What irks me is the fact that the most deaths in India are attributed to traffic accidents which happen on public roads. People who embark on a journey just like any other day are cut down. Reported accidents are mourned for a day and then forgotten. Traffic laws aren't enforced. People drive on whatever part of the road that they feel like. Pedestrians walking across zebra crossings are considered fair game by motorists. The underlying logic is that if one person slows down for these pedestrians, then he'll get rammed by the rushing motorist following behind him who refuses to slow down no matter what.
Coupled with this is the fact that all these movies and television shows with anti-smoking banners also portray rash driving and improper traffic etiquette. Why are there no warnings regarding this aspect of life?
This nanny state decides to protect citizens selectively, while alternately ignoring all other, or even the major cause to loss of life in India. More importantly how much screen space will be left to be viewed after banners pop up against smoking, drinking, rash driving, stalking, and rape?
Today's case in point: warning against the usage of tobacco that is being plastered all over television and all forms of video presentation. The state is pushing film-makers to a scenario where it would be cumbersome to include scenes of cigarette smoking in their productions to avoid government mandated notifications which indubitably takes away the immersion of viewing these feature presentations.
Here is a summary of the various requirements put forward to comply by tobacco companies as well.
I am not a shill for any tobacco company and I certainly do condone smoking, especially if you're blowing the smoke into someone else's face. But beyond that I consider it an individual's freedom to smoke or not to smoke.
What has happened after a 2011 amendment is that every channel being received on televisions across the Indian sub-continent is saturated withantismoking messages before, during, and after most broadcasts. Movie makers are increasingly affixing anti-smoking infomercials before the start of their movies. One might even venture to think if we're all going a bit overboard with this.
What irks me is the fact that the most deaths in India are attributed to traffic accidents which happen on public roads. People who embark on a journey just like any other day are cut down. Reported accidents are mourned for a day and then forgotten. Traffic laws aren't enforced. People drive on whatever part of the road that they feel like. Pedestrians walking across zebra crossings are considered fair game by motorists. The underlying logic is that if one person slows down for these pedestrians, then he'll get rammed by the rushing motorist following behind him who refuses to slow down no matter what.
Coupled with this is the fact that all these movies and television shows with anti-smoking banners also portray rash driving and improper traffic etiquette. Why are there no warnings regarding this aspect of life?
This nanny state decides to protect citizens selectively, while alternately ignoring all other, or even the major cause to loss of life in India. More importantly how much screen space will be left to be viewed after banners pop up against smoking, drinking, rash driving, stalking, and rape?
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