Arindam Ganguly, OP
Bhubaneswar:A campaign titled #Padmanchallenge has been launched by producers of the movie Padman to be released February 9 starring Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. The social media campaign, originally launched by Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social entrepreneur who invented a machine for manufacturing low-cost sanitary pads, has been picked up Oriya youth in the city .Actor Akshay Kumar who plays the role of Arunachalam in his film is also part of the campaign. As part of the campaign, Muruganantham insisted that people click a photo with sanitary pad in their hand and share on social media and also inspire others to do the same. After the campaign received support from actors like Twinkle Khanna, Aamir Khan and Deepika Padukone, several other celebs clicked photos displaying sanitary pads with a message that read: “Yes, that’s a pad in my hand and there’s nothing to be ashamed about…It’s natural! Period”.
Fans of the actor in Orissa supported the campaign on social media. Not only women, but also men showed overwhelming support for the campaign Shiv Mohapatra, a student, said it is more an awareness campaign than a challenge. People must know about the period which a natural cycle among women. Such campaigns on social media may reach many parts of the state so that people will get awareness and help build concern about unhygienic issues in our surrounding. He said men, more than women, should be aware
of this because they should also feel the pain which the woman suffers during the period. Even women should understand the concept with clarity.
Women who are generally ashamed of buying a pad publicly often use torn clothes rather than sanitary pads. The film ‘Padman’ had tried to showcase the virtual reality. Ajit Dash, another student, said the campaign will help break the taboo about pads. “We never saw or held a pad in our hands before. For this challenge, we will buy and hold a pad in our hands and flaunt it publicly without shame. We will also send the pictures on social media platforms.
In future, we will never hesitate to discuss or buy pads. Ajit hopes the film and the campaign will be an instrument to change the perspective of people and spread awareness. Siddhantha Swain, a member of Odisha Akkians, a fan group of actopr Akshay Kumar, said Akshay had tried to spread the issue of sanitary pads and its importance for women’s safety. He said the actor’s PadMan has helped him to understand the menstrual hygiene. Arpita Singh, another member of the group, said sanitary pad industry has undergone innovative changes over the years.
The days of bulky belts and diapers-like thickness are gone. With the invention of more absorbent materials and better designs, pads have become more comfortable. The invention of ‘wings’ keeps pads in place in the underwear, and the invention of ‘scented pads’ reduces odour. Tax on sanitary pads is about 12 per cent under GST which has not gone down well with women.
Recently, they had started the campaign Don’t tax my period and were demanding removal of taxes from it. Smita Dash, a private firm employee, said sanitary pad is not a luxury . So the government should make it tax free. She said the padmanchallenge campaign will help change the mindset of people. Social activist Kalkee Krushnasaid the pad is still seen as taboo by many and when we try to make them understand they criticize us. Before the disposable pad was invented, most women used rags, cotton or sheep’s wool in their underwear to stem the flow of menstrual blood. Knitted pads, rabbit fur and even grass were used by women to handle their periods. “We used to provide pads at very minimal price, but for some even that price is very high,” adds Krushna.
