Dr. Bengali’s Graffiti

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 Certain things happen in life which compels one to see them beyond the prism of mere coincidence. One such incidence happened to me when I was in my +1 grade, struggling with hell lot of thing. That very day I had taken leave or I would say uninformed leave. Randomly surfing through TV and all of sudden a channel named DW TV got my attention. For sure that was the first time I paid a visit to this German channel. The ongoing broadcast was related to art. At that moment on the earth, I got familiar with an interesting artist – BANKSY. All the documentary that they telecasted just awed me. After watching, I was like, “Man! I want to live that kind of mysterious life”.

The other new word that I learned that day during that episode was ‘GRAFFITI’, to which I listened quite cautiously to learn to pronounce it precisely.

According to Wikipedia – ‘Graffiti are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched or painted illicitly on a wall or other surface, often within public view’.  In simple terms, they are a beautiful piece of artwork which are lawfully not permissible.

Yes, we got a hell lot of that artistry in our region, my cerebrum signaled. But those wall paintings may not even qualify as an art form as they are more often just advertisements. The preponderance of them is mostly related to the one legend – “Dr. Bengali – the venereal disease (Gupt Rog) GOD. Or if I have to give him title then it would be  - The Thug.

Though being an aspiring traveler still the circumference is much less, home being the epicenter. But everywhere I have gone, for sure found a wall painted in blank paint with white background, highlighting words, glorifying Dr. Bengali. Who is the person behind this legendary name?  There could be many assumptions, might be the name being used as a brand and there operates a larger number of branches in Hindi part of the nation, or the name has become apposite to anyone who treats sexual problems. It is not any affection or abhorrence of mine behind the mentioning of this name in a ludicrous way. The reason for this kind of introduction is rather quite critical subject matter. They are painted all over, which authenticate that these highlighted problems also exist all around. If that’s the case then why such indiscretion? The reason being, that such topics come under an umbrella term i.e. taboo. It exists but with no acceptance. If someone shows little courage and acknowledges having some V.D then his so-called buddies would severely mock that person and put a question mark on that person’s manhood. The society mindset is all about ignoring the abnormality as if it is a sin to be abnormal. And the most absurd thing is that one facing some issue being a taboo might be bashfully hiding it and making fun of the others who are going through a similar phase. This just does not apply to the topic but includes many other stereotypes. That being said let’s focus to the initials.

The adolescence is like a foundational stage of a person’s life. If the right vision and right path are shown to them, they can do wonders in the latter half of life. A hell lot of changes happens during this period and it’s really hard for an adolescent as a child to understand all that shit by own self. If there is someone who had earlier gone through it and understands the struggle and guides the child and provides full assurance that whatever changes that are in transition, both physical and psychological are normal; stop worrying and ask for any help, counseling if ever required. That makes the itinerary less challenging.

But for all those brave souls who go through this very critical transitional phase by their own, the journey is not less than an epic struggle. The biological changes, the hormonal play makes them feel like they have built some complication. Unnecessary stress can weaken cognitive functioning. Let’s be truthful, the most complex of all the changes is the sexual one. This is the one area which requires special attention and counseling.

The most common word in all those advertisements pertaining to the healing of sexual diseases is nightfall (nocturnal emission). Let us just not blame the doctor belonging to one ethnicity, open any vernacular newspaper’s classified section, one will find ample numbers of sexual experts with a promise to enhance the size of rod such that when it is inserted inside female organ, might touch the intestines and girth of such that even horse would envy.

Nightfall is a normal biological condition in adolescent males, almost every single male experience it whose frequency varies from person to person and normally stops as one become adult and learns control over nerves as well as on the subconscious mind. Though it’s not right to say and would vehemently abstain also as question could we raised over my morality and sanity by “feminist” if I link up this with some biological cycle of opposite cis-gender. Both are completely different phenomenon but still, the intention was just to reach some sort of co-relation which could be understood by everyone, other than that there was no intent to create mockery or any kind of disrespect (just for elucidation). Now when the nocturnal emission happens for the first time, it shakes the adolescent, like a quake. The person starts thinking as if he had developed some kind of issue and need medical help. Then the words imprinted in the advertisement starts playing with the brain. The guilt and sense of impurity accompanied by over-thinking makes life difficult. How could a teen share this with an adult instead reverse approach could be appropriate and right. But instead they think of it as they made through it, the younger one will also. Some, who got reliable elder friends, find out it to be a normal condition, after some awkward conversation, which later on seems normal.

But the one who is not that courageous (reserve kind) personalities find it difficult to talk with anyone. They are the one who falls prey to those V.D. doctors. They are no MBBS&MD qualified ones, they are just a bunch of thugs who loots money from people who are going through a lot of emotional trauma. They deceive people by selling them placebo and in turn demand a good chunk of money. There are fine chances that the medicine provided by them contain opium which makes the consumer addictive to it in order to make them their regular customer. The medicines are also not the government approved ones, it can cause damage to any delicate organs. There are chances of physical abuse too as the self-proclaimed healer could in disguise of physical examination do something that might leave a dark psychological impact on the child.

One thing is very clear that because of the lack of awareness such incidence happens. The prime reason for awareness is due to the lack of sexual education. Just a chapter or two in matriculation does not make education board less accountable. Even the important topics are skipped by many and many teach them by bifurcation of class into two in a co-educational system. I’m proud of our teacher who had the guts to teach us and ignoring our childish reactions. Today the biggest need of the hour is to reform sexual education in our education system as a mere teaching student about the whole process of reproduction doesn’t constitute in creating awareness among teens about sexual problems. Menstrual periods are covered in the ovulation section but nocturnal discharge is not even touched. And lastly, sex education is not merely confined to procreation, ejaculations and STD’s. there is ample need to include lessons on moral sexual conduct, acquainting them about good and bad body touches which can massively reduce child molestation and helpline or some online chartrooms could be created where adolescent could get their doubts cleared and gain counseling from responsible government employed adults. We as a responsible adult have to break the taboos and overcome the awkward feeling and must talk to younger siblings, offspring about these topics so that they could live a healthy life. And at least a mention that if any sexual issue arises then go to certified sexologist and not to fell prey of classified advertisements and those misguiding “GRAFFITI”.

- # RAJJEकराखड़DE

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