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                                                (Money by hook or crook)

In the present day rat race for money, the earners see just the money and the society does not see the source. This creates a confusion. The ongoing debate on black money and white money is enough to indicate that all paper or plastic currencies are not the same. I am reminded of a comment of a Roman Emperor Vespanius, who succeeded the accentric Nero in 68 A.D. Once on night patrol of the capital city, he saw people collecting urine from a public toilet. On enquiry, he learnt that this human waste liquid was being used by weavers to give shine to clothes. He applied his logic and at once imposed tax on human urine as it was being used for commercial purposes. When his son, later complained being teased by his friends referring to this dirty money, he took out a coin from his pocket collected as tax on toilet and putting it under his son’s nostril enquired if it carried any urinary smell. When the son replied no, he quipped, any money is money. This ancient joke-like truth appears like a childish argument. Money in a brothel and in the hands of a philanthropist are not the same as their sources are diametrically opposed.

The above background has been given to rightly judge the personality of celebrities in India, who allow their name and popularity to be used in advertisements to fleece the meek  public. The righteous decision of M.S. Dhoni, taken only a couple of days back to back out from brand ambassadorship of the Amrapali Group of housing society has stirred up hornet’s nest. Amir Khan’s contract of ambassador of Atulya Bharat campaign was annulled immediately after he went public admitting that there was intolerance in India. A similar comment by another filmi icon, Shahrukh Khan, brought him loss at the ticket counters when his film was released. What about other iconic persons like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Saina Mahiwal, Priyanka Chopra so on and so forth ? Has the public ever thought of punishing their bundlebajee on screen by promoting bogus products ?

In the present day adworld, there is an accepted trend of associating the products with celebrities to add public acceptance. In last at least fifty years, I have seen all top filmi heroines recommending the use of Lux soap for smooth and shining skin whereas none ever personally used the same. Benani cement has hit the market only recently  and any civil engineer will tell you that the life of cement is 50 years,but Big ‘B’ says it is for centuries. If any cream can turn black into white skin, at least the opulent in Africa and Latin America could have definitely made tryst with this trick. Still Yami Gautam has become a top model by promoting fairness cream.  Despite massive ads orchestrating wonderful results of Colgate in dental hygine, tooth decay is rampant in India. In newspapwers we regularly see adds, recommending Japanese capsule and oil for enhancing male vitality. Has ever any authority tried to bridle such fantastic claims ? Who suffers ? Definitely the gullible public. Should public figures allow their status to be used for such immoral business?

Earning by promoting bogus products is same as those of dacoits, swindlers, pick-pockets, tax evaders, crash money lenders, terrorists and other similar anti-social elements. The public awareness has to be created as the govt alone may not tackle this white-sin effectively. While the icons should first check and speak for only genuine items, the public should not shirk resorting to legal punitive measures if the claim found hollow.