Some intriguing contrasts emerge between the past and present if we consider the following:

* A respected Hindu scholar like Vatsyayana went about his research in ancient India, very methodically and objectively, before compiling his magnum opus on love, the “Kama Sutra”.

* The Hindu dynasty of Chandelas who built the four lovely temple complexes temples in Khajuraho during the 10-12th century C.E. had no qualms depicting scenes of everyday life in sculptures – that includes farmers working their fields, soldiers marching off to battle, merchants hawking their wares, babies being nursed by their mothers or couples in amorous poses.

* The four-fold Purusharthas (Pursuits in Life) as defined in our ancient Vedic traditions are Artha (Wealth) and Kama (Desire) and Moksha (Spiritual Liberation) , all of them firmly guided by the most important Purushartha – Dharma (Righteous Path) .

Any pursuit of Wealth or Desire in an unrighteous, illegitimate (Adharmic) manner is not considered useful towards your pursuit of Moksha. This system of checks and balances helped Hindu society from going through a ruthless or promiscuous phase while encouraging pursuit of Wealth or Desire in legitimate ways.

Such is the Maturity displayed by Hindu society and liberal acceptance of sex as an important aspect of life. In our Vedic traditions, every aspect of life is spiritual. Sustenance of Life is Divine. So, isn’t the act of procreation itself sacred and a celebration in itself, given that it sustains life ?

It’s obvious that sex was not considered dirty by Hindu society during a classical age where alien ideologies were not yet imposed on several regions in India.

The widespread sexual slavery of Hindu women during several centuries of stressful Islamic occupation; combined with an Victorian-era prudishness imparted by the “civilized” British Raj on the “uncivilized natives of India” has unfortunately made us Hindus collectively ashamed of our beautiful bodies and liberal traditions, in more ways than one.

Such rigid attitudes will change, and are changing, albeit gradually.

however, no matter how good a teacher, it is the parents who give the MORALISTIC TWIST and COLOUR the opinions held by the next generation.

@GB: It’s an awesome post. People like these make me wonder how long it will be before we regress into the caveman days.

“We need Yoga”.. yeah that’s right… we can then position things right…

Like A. K. De and O. K. Dhar, huh?

@Raj: Thanks

@Rohith: High on ignorance.

@Yourfan2:

@SD: Thank you

@Joy Forever: Such awareness from our elected reps.

@Kathakali: I think it was. However our moral police will argue that kids did not read it. Or perhaps they did. We have no ways of knowing.

@Shripriya: It is?Will try it sometime.

@S.Pyne: Chi chi…..as someone would have said.

@Sunil: And the butterfly..must not forget the butterfly.

@JM:

@Sameera: . And with respect to your comment on the mutter with megha post, me a geek? Aww…Brainy ahem…(contented megalomaniac smile…)

@Lalbadhshah: Their ignorance is a testament to the level of knowledge about diseases like AIDS and why we need more sex education. Even for adults.

@Vinayak: Old Shan song.

@Ravi: To publish I need a publisher. And what to do, they never write to me. I am always ready to get my name in print. Not that I have not tried…

@Anirban: The image of Mamata/Bula-di out on the street shouting for sex education and blocking the streets is more than disturbing.

@Harshad:

@Debashish:

On a funnier note, I wud like to mention an article from TOI few years back – Teenagers in UK were found with increased activities of oral sex and parents’ complaints rushing to schools, becoz they were taught that oral sex was safe to do and a little bit of encouraging tone on that from the teachers!!!

Mmm fun !

@Mohan: Sorry forgot to mention that.

@Aby: I dont think that diagrams of sexual organs drawn in a biology book can ever be erotic. Or the explanation of the sex act. It is the images of half-clad female/male bodies in the media that do the arousal.

@deBOLiN: 75 year old bachelors does not mean 75 year old virgins. Not that I am pointing any fingers.

@Vanessa: Indeed there is no innocence. But sex education is not about “innocence” , it is about information. The world is as it is. Given that, should not we equip children to deal with what cannot be changed?

@RahulGhosh: Bula-di is a kind gentle soul who only aims to inform…Mamata on the other hand..

@Joyjit: Hmm.

@Yourfan: I would be the happiest person if I got published. However my past experiences of sending in unsolicited pieces to MSM have resulted in so many bitter rejections, that I am loathe to plead with people to publish my work. Moreover since I know, that it will possibly be futile.

@Anu: “Sex education not only teaches safe sex, but also can bea medium to make children aware to where to draw the line when anyone (even from the family) tries to become over friendly physically- the inappropriate touch.”

Could not agree with you more.

@Shri: Sigh !

@Sang.Froid: And dancing. Lot of dancing.

@Kits: Hmm.

@Slashgod: Politicians love to be the moral police. There is a lot of votes in it.

@Bonatellis06: Denial is not just a river in Egypt !Sigh.

@Puneet: Heh.

@The Wanderer:

@DrugStore: Well compared to the West, it may be delayed but if we compare across generations, I am sure we will see that early sexual activity is more prevalent now.

@Suzi: I agree. The person who teaches sex education has to be professional. He/she should not be embarassed by it himself/herself. In US at least the conservative right has replaced/tried to replace sex education with abstinence training for school children. But by most counts, this has had mixed results.

@Gangadhar:

@Urmilesh: Yes saw that.

@Swati: I dont think that sex education begins at home. If teachers are not comfortable, then how can parents, given our social context, be? Also sex educators have to be trained, have to be knowledgeable themselves —-neither of which most parents are. (I know of at least one parent who tells his/her grown-up child that homosexuals are creations of the perverted West and that they are not there in India).

@Rishi: Mm. No I think it’s the school’s prerogative.

@Gaga:

@Uday:

@Raj:

@Anomit: Hmm.

@Aniket:

@Dipanwita: Would be so glad if they picked it up.

@Moumita: I think we are talking at cross purposes here. I do not think that sex educators get children “pumped up”. The TV and movies do that for them.

@Sudha: LOL.

@Anon: Thanks

@Asterix: Hmm

@Shyam:

@Anon?: The “nanhe munhe” bacchen holding condoms was well an exaggeration…that has not been reported yet. Even in our days, boys and girls from 6th grade onwards knew what sex is. Of course they knew it vaguely but all that they knew was it was fun and they wanted it. And this was during the DD days. Information would have helped us then. Helped us a lot.

@Aditya: hmm.

@Indiamusing: Thank you

@PSR:

@Yourfan2: “3> By talking about homosexuality in sexual education, 2 objectives would be achived.
i> The future gen would be more comfortable with the notion of homosexuality.
ii> Its all fine talking about natural sex, but if 2 young homo guys try out sex without condom just cuz they were taught that condoms is what you use only when you insert into a female could defeat the primary purpose of using condoms- AIDS”

Absolutely. Good point.

@Krishanu: Which is why IPC’s interpretation of unnatural acts has to be changed. However some HC struck it down…some years ago. A highly retrograde step which reflects the mindset of the people in our judiciary that even in this day and age they refuse to treat homosexuality as something “non-criminal”.

@Keyur: In the US I have read and heard on npr that the drug awarness and smoking campaigns have resulted in increase in drug use among teenagers. In the same vein wouldnt there be finite chance that teenagers might engage in risky sexual behaviour especially when they are being told not to.

Which is why abstinence should not be the focus. It should be a non-judgemental presenting of facts…the consequences of unprotected sex, the right way to wear a condom, awareness of STDS and the dangers of multiple partners and commercial sex workers.

@Bhopale: