Should Big B's polio ad be banned?

PARALYISING DILEMMA: Experts debate if it's okay to take a social service ad off-air.

          

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Rajdeep Sardesai

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan's public service message against polio – titled Do Boond Jeewan Ki - is at the centre of a roaring controversy.

Just ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Election Commission has said the campaign is a “surrogate advertising” for the ruling Samajwadi Party.

Many believe that Bachchans’ proximity to the Samajwadi Party – especially their bonhomie with UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and party General Secretary Amar Singh – could influence voters.

Shockingly, Uttar Pradesh accounts for the maximum number of polio cases reported from across India. In 2006, the state reported over 481 polio cases – that’s 90 per cent of total cases in Indian. The state has reported four cases of polio in 2007; only second to Bihar's seven and banning the awareness campaign could affect the polio eradication campaign

So, just why should a public service ad, directing at the eradication of pulse polio and featuring Amitabh Bachchan be banned?

This was one of the topic of discussion on CNN-IBN show Face the Nation conducted by Rajdeep Sardesai.

On the expert panel to discuss the controversial EC directive were Samajwadi Party General Secretary, Amar Singh and former chief election commissioner, T S Krishnamurthy.

“When the code of conduct comes into force after the announcement of elections, the advertisements have to follow certain principles. In fact, we have had similar experiences in the previous elections as well. Amitabh Bachchan has been associated with Samajwadi Party advertisements earlier and obviously as a party associative, if he comes in a government advertisement, there could be objection,” said Krishnamurthy, indicating that Bachchan should have avoided it since public funds are involved in the adverstising.

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However, Bachchan has never said that he is a Samajwadi Party person. So should there be no distinction between the ad where he is promoting the SP and an ad where he is seen to be working on a social service campaign?

“During the last parliamentary elections, Krishnamachary Srikkanth said he would campaign for BJP and, at the same time, wanted to appear for cricket commentary on television too. We told him he could not do it on Doordarshan if he is campaigning for a party. So, he issued a statement saying he will not be a member of any party and only then was he allowed to do commentary. This being the case, the correct procedure is that these advertisements be screened. The SC judgement that ads during the election period have to be screened by the chief electoral officer in association with one or two members,” Krishnamurthy said.

He also suggested that it was better that such ads are avoided by celebrities during the poll period, but also made clear that “neutral persons” were allowed to campaign for such causes.

However, given the state of polio in Uttar Pradesh, should EC not take a more holistic view of the situation and let Bachchan campaign?

“I am not saying it should be banned. All I am saying is that it should go through a screening committee as directed by SC,” Krishnamurthy said.

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Should there be a blanket ban on all celebrity advertising involving government funds during election times, considering that public money is involved?

Krishnamurthy said that the EC had been taking a consistent stand that government ads should not contain pictures of any person associated with the ruling party.