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The media, although slow to act, was outdone still by the Indian government. The government’s first response to AIDS came in 2001, when the nation adopted the National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy fifteen years after the first case of HIV was reported in 1986 in Chennai. (The History of HIV/AIDS in India). Human rights to protect people who have aids from discrimination still have to be established. “For example, it's not illegal to fire someone from their job for being HIV-positive. It is, in fact, against the law for carriers of the AIDS virus to marry.” (Lehrer 3) Homosexuality still carries a ten year sentence and enormous social stigma. Today, the Indian society is in conflict with itself. On one side, Hindustan Times boast an article, called “Its OK to hold hands” where young couples express that they feel it is acceptable to show emotions, through acts such as holding hands in public. Whereas Times of India, reports on the increasingly modernized teens of India with articles such as “Teen Abortions on the rise”, claiming more than is imagined. For the very first time, the police are warning people about previously taboo issues such as child molestation. The politicians have to represent two widely separated generations. Sushma Swaraj, leading politician and former chief minister of Delhi is a perfect example of the conflicting morals and dilemmas faced by every politician. On one side, Swaraj has banned the use of condoms being shown in NACO, National AIDS Control Organization, ads and on the other hand, under her reign allocations for condoms doubled from Rupees12 crore (~ $2.7 million) to Rupees22 crore (~ $4.9 million), and the distribution of condoms rose steeply. (Times of India) On one side the politicians have to tackle the problems faced by the people, on the other side they have to represent the beliefs of the people who elected them.
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