Remove ‘yellow posters’ offering fake cure: NGO

Having failed to receive responses to various RTIs filed on the issue, the Green Cross, an NGO that works in the field of crimes against women and children, is now filing a petition on the same. 

With India rated as the 4th most dangerous country in the world, Vaikunth Kasturirangan, chairman of the NGO and an RTI activist, said that advertisements like these are responsible for the rise in crime rates. 

“These posters, which promote sexual boosters or products - in the name of medicines - is one of the primary reasons for violence against children. Continuous bombardment of such posters across the city and state reveals the cheap attitude of these clinics and doctors promoting such services, “ he said. 

While many women claim they have not noticed these posters, the few who have express anger at the idea behind such a concept. 

“These pamphlets start by talking about piles and diabetes. However, only if you read further, do you notice the real motive. By assuring that they can help increase the size of the male organ, the quacks involved in this are creating a complex in men,” said Meena K, who commuter. 

Interestingly,  the name of the clinic and the contact numbers displayed differed in each area, despite the posters carrying the same template. 

“While in Guindy, the posters carried the name of the quack as ‘K Biswas’, other areas displayed a change in the initial such as ‘N Biswas’ or K N Biswas’,” said Vaikunth. On contacting the number, this reporter was asked to meet the ‘doctor’ at a given landmark near the Guindy Railway Station, instead of at any clinic. 

“They know it is wrong, and so they refrain from giving you an address, in case they land in trouble,” said Vasanth R, an activist. Vaikunth is urging for a special investigation team to be formed immediately to conduct a thorough check on the same. 

“These quacks prescribe drugs, which are likely to contain heavy metals that are bound to affect the kidneys of the consumers.” Hoping for action to be taken to check the same, he said that, if nothing is done by August 15, they will have to file a PIL in the High Court the following day.