Friday, July 30, 2004
Ingenuity, Indian style
The BBC is carrying a remarkable story of Indian ingenuity when it comes to using condoms for everything but contraception. A fine way for tax-payer money to be spent too, given that condoms are hugely subsidised in India.
The weavers of the holy city, home to the world-famous Banarasi saris, have made the contraceptives a vital part of garment production. The weaver rubs the condom on the loom's shuttle, which is softened by the lubricant thus making the process of weaving faster. The lubricant does not leave any stain on the silk thread which might soil the valuable saris. There are around 150,000 to 200,000 hand and power looms in Varanasi alone and almost all are using the technique. And every loom has a daily consumption of three or four condoms. At first, weavers stocked up on condoms from the family planning department under a government scheme to provide them free of cost. Some weavers even registered with fake identities to get their hands on the precious prophylactics.
Other uses of the prophylatic?
Villagers use them to carry water when working in fields
For waterproofing ceilings: condoms are spread under the cement-concrete mortar
Can be mixed with tar and concrete to give a smooth finish to roads
Can be placed over the ends of guns to protect them in desert sandstorms
Drugs 'mules' swallow condoms filled with drugs to smuggle them across borders
I guess the next time the Indian govt trots out data on increased condom usage, one has every reason to be mighty suspicious.
The weavers of the holy city, home to the world-famous Banarasi saris, have made the contraceptives a vital part of garment production. The weaver rubs the condom on the loom's shuttle, which is softened by the lubricant thus making the process of weaving faster. The lubricant does not leave any stain on the silk thread which might soil the valuable saris. There are around 150,000 to 200,000 hand and power looms in Varanasi alone and almost all are using the technique. And every loom has a daily consumption of three or four condoms. At first, weavers stocked up on condoms from the family planning department under a government scheme to provide them free of cost. Some weavers even registered with fake identities to get their hands on the precious prophylactics.
Other uses of the prophylatic?
Villagers use them to carry water when working in fields
For waterproofing ceilings: condoms are spread under the cement-concrete mortar
Can be mixed with tar and concrete to give a smooth finish to roads
Can be placed over the ends of guns to protect them in desert sandstorms
Drugs 'mules' swallow condoms filled with drugs to smuggle them across borders
I guess the next time the Indian govt trots out data on increased condom usage, one has every reason to be mighty suspicious.
