Betel, Condoms and the Pleasantly Absurd

This morning, while waiting for my hotel room to be cleaned, I picked up the Indian Express and happened upon one of the most heartening and bizarre development stories I have seen. I will let the story speak for itself:

"The government spending crores of rupees on AIDS awareness can take a cue from this man. For, he has done what the government could not. Prasant Swain of Deuligramswar village under Jagatsinghpur police limits, who is running a betel shop in Jagatsinghpur town, has made it a point to give a condom packet free to customers purchasing products worth Rs 2 or more from his shop. This is his way of creating awareness on AIDS. He is even advising the customers to use disposable syringes during blood transfusion and new blades every time they shave to keep the dreaded disease at bay. Swain said he drew inspiration from a ‘pala’ show held to create awareness on AIDS at Jagatsinghpur on the occasion of World AIDS Day recently. He is targeting the rickshaw-pullers, drivers, hotel workers and daily labourers, who are purchasing betel, cigarette and ‘gutkha’ from his shop, as they belong to the vulnerable category."

More power to Mr. Swain, who seems to be doing some brilliant targeting. If I were running the anti-HIV campaign in India, which thankfully I am not, I would make condoms for paanwallahs a central measure in the fight. Forget evaluation, this just makes too much sense.

I would then go on to freely distribute nicorette at wine shops (liquor stores in India) and force companies that contract out the rolling of bidis to women in villages, those who are surely most likely to be anemic, to also give them green vegetables.