Re: Report sexcapades: Army (.......and get ARV?)

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum

What does one say to a report like this?

" Director-general of the Armed Forces Medical Services Surgeon Vice

Admiral V K Singh, who is saying Army personnel reporting their visits to sex

workers were not penalised. " In fact, they are given proper counselling, " he

said, adding that those not reporting their visits now, and testing positive

later, will be dealt with strictly " .

The army is so used to 'ORDERING' people around that it expects jawans to report

to them matters of a private matter. It just goes to show how far removed they

are from 'facts' of life.

Firstly lets tackle this fact that 'men are stressed out' so they go to

prostitutes. The highly controlled live of a jawan does not give him that

chance. He may visit a place like that while going on leave, or temporary duty.

Even here I am more than certain jawans in today's world do not visit

prostitutes, as was the case earlier, as they are far more made aware of HIV

than most ordinary folks.

I cannot quote the book I read, but have come across the information that the

British in India introduced Article 377 as the British Army was having a problem

with their soldiers having sex among them selves. n/Christian values

The real spread of HIV in my opinion is that 'that' is the real cause of the

problem. If then we suffered from n and colonial values we today suffer

from mundane homophobic orientation.

In a Unit there are an average of 800 men. If the thumb rule is to be applied

then approx 100 men from that 800 have 'same sex' orientation. If any stress is

to be busted it is in the confines of the unit lines at night under the

camouflage of darkness. The fact that it is 'more' easily accessible and the

fact that HIV does not show up until tested or it turns into AIDS, men who have

sex with men assume they are safe.

The Army is like the rest 'uncomfortable' to talk straight sex. Harder then, for

them to acknowledge, same sex behavior. Worse still, same sex orientation is

till date in our country illegal.

The truth must be faced or we will lose the battle and the war.

Capt(retd) Kumar

e-mail: <kumar.captretd@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: Capt(retd) Kumar's comments on the report Report sexcapades to Army boses,

There is no need to say that we all Indians are proud and should be proud of our

Indian Army.

But how can one accept the statement “as the army personnel have to suffer from

stress, they cannot be prevented from visiting CSWs”, from a Senior military

official, " it is (was) impossible to prevent some of the Army personnel from

visiting sex workers, particularly in areas like the northeast or Jammu and

Kashmir, where troops are under high stress, constantly engaged in low-intensity

or counter-insurgency conflicts and alienated from their families for long”.

No one should forget that apart from Medical Impact, it has social Impact as

well as impact on National Security. All we know that “Sex” is a biological need

but it should be full field by another way.

You, the army men know very well how the security systems have been broken in

past by using “Sex”.

Here we all are concern about the biological impact, so we must advocate 'ABC of

counseling' in stead of PEP in Non Medical Practices.

Dhananjay

E-Mail: dsinha@...

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Further to Capt (retd) Kumar's and Dhananjay's comments on this topic.

The problem with us in India is we look at 'sex' not as a biological requirement

but through the lens of morality and thus make the things more complex. And the

result is endless debate without any positive conclusion at the end of the day.

I still remember the incidence which took place during the gulf war when the

Govt. of US had sent one ship full of Sex Workers for the entertainment of their

roops overseas and all of them were tested for HIV before such deployment. But

here, we want our army personnel to be the true example of moral values and

character because they are the protector and go through extreme hardship for the

safety and security of the country. So who bothers about their long separation

from the family and friends, stressful lives, lonliness, machine like life

styles? I do not want to make the list longer but like to highlight the issue

specifically that cases of mental illnesses and suicides are in rise alover the

country and the Armed Forces is not an exception.

Experts say sex releases stress and a healthy biological recreation. But we have

so strongly associated it with our moral values, religion and culture that now

under the severe challenge of HIV/AIDS our defence mechanism starts fumbling.

Demands for legalization of sex profession and abolishing act 377 are becoming

stronger in many parts of the country.

From public health perspective, more sex goes underground under the pressure of

societal morality more it will be difficult to detect and tackle the deadly

virus.

It is high time we should think differently about sex and sexuality and make the

related issues more open to think and act.

In Soliderity,

Sugata Ganguly

e-mail: <sugataids@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

It is all very well for the DGAFMS to pass an order that all jawans are required

to report their visit to a sex worker, but in reality is it feasible for them to

believe that any jawan will come and report " Sir, I am sorry but I visited a sex

worker and I want to report that. "

Human behaviour dictates what society percives as' bad' and 'immoral' will never

be reported as a happening even if he knows the consequences can be disastrous.

Maybe it will be worthwhile for the DGAFMS to adopt a more human face to deal

with the men and officers.

let's not forget that Bihar Police has reported DIG rank officers detected with

the virus, and generate a condition where sex is talked about more freely and

Prevention and use of Condom is talked so much that they never ever forget and

are aware of the danger of not using a condom if they succumb to temptation.

Instead of taking a moralistic stand it is understanding the human psyche and

the biological, and emotional needs, so it is worth the thought that let's not

be judgemental but be practical and realistic about human nature.

Jawans are living in harsh conditions, away from their families for 10 months in

a year. The stress they go through fighting insurgency and terrorism, they look

for physical and emotional support so if they get it anywhere they will go there

to find their anchor and release, so its worth providing them witha healthy and

secure surroundings

Winnie Singh

Chairperson.

Maitri

e-mail: Winnie.singh@...