According to them ban on porn is a step towards talibanisation of India.
The government’s decision to ban 857 adult content websites has evoked criticism from social media. Netizens said that the government can’t be interfering with an individual’s right to watch porn in the privacy of his home. Many of them said that ban on porn is a step towards talibanisation of India which needs to be curbed. Internet users trying to access several porn websites found them unavailable. The government latter clarified that the ban on porn is temporary and it will appoint an ombudsman to monitor cyber content.
“What we have done is temporary. The government is acting purely on the Supreme Court observation that government needs to take stand on the issue of blocking of pornography websites in the country, especially child pornography. Free and open access to such content is an issue,” said government authorities after the outrage on social media.
The Supreme Court had said it cannot stop an adult from exercising his fundamental right to personal liberty to watch porn within the privacy of his room.
Declining a plea to pass an interim order to block porn websites in India, Chief Justice H.L. Dattu had said, “Such interim orders cannot be passed by this court. Somebody may come to the court and say look I am above 18 and how can you stop me from watching it within the four walls of my room. It is a violation of Article 21 [right to personal liberty].” The Chief Justice was hearing a PIL petition filed by advocate Kamlesh Vashwani to block porn websites in India. Vashwani had also stated that there are 4 crore porn websites operating in the country.
We spoke to various people from different walks of life to know about their views about the porn ban issue. This is what they had to say
Ashutosh Mishra, Senior Correspondent ANI said, “Which era we are living in, is the question being asked in social media by celebrities, tweeples and even liberals.”
Carlyta Mouhini, writer journalist said, “The Government decision to ban porn sites is just a superficial effort taken to address hypothetical issue. Also, the ban has taken place without seeking national consensus, which itself is unconstitutional. A debate has to be convened to discuss ill effects of porn, if any, and logically conclude how banning porn serves the society at large. Clearly the decision taken is not unanimous and reflects dictatorship mindset. The government should rather look at other societies and also refer to research at some level, if they are looking for permanent solutions to the issues. Alas, few decisions taken by the Modi government are not appropriate and they need to look into the core of the issue if they want to deliver flawless democracy.”
Dipaljan Ghosh, A TCS employee said, “Banning porn is only justified if another approach to sex is cultivated alongside. Gynaecologists, sexologists, psychologists, creative writers and film-makers should get together and cook up things very spicy and entertaining that also helps one discover and understand own-self and the partner. The access could be given after a certain age like voting right and alcohol. We don’t have to ban porn if we can modify the approaches we want to ban.”
Kamlesh Sutar, TV Today Journalist said, “The government is promoting star of soft porn movies like #junglelove waasna #junglekirani #khulikhidki . Just wondering some supporter to come ahead and defend saying this actually is part of promoting #makeinindia …let’s promote desistuff …. Is certain Ms Sunny listening ??? #pornban.”
Amandeep Saini, RJ Radio Punjab said, “Sunny Leone needs the promotions so the reverse psychology is used by banning porn. Now more people will search it online and it will for sure become a huge business and at time ‘Moderate Groups’ will somehow get it unbanned from the government of that time. If we look at other angle, I would love to demolish the Indian government promoted ‘KHAJURAHO ‘ temple and burn all the ‘sacred’ texts talking about sex. What kind of hypocrites. We didn’t vote for this government to take me to dark ages.”
Mohit Shah, a real estate consultant said, “A small step by government should be admired instead of criticizing it. Atleast parents are happy to know their kids would not misuse the internet and rather use it properly. We are socially responsible citizens and we should stand for it and appreciate such steps.”
Navin Bhaven a call centre employee said, “There are about 50 lakh porn sites, lakhs of porn twitter handle’s, pages and vine videos. The government is foolish.. In India things which are banned gather more attention. The government needs to become mature. Since some porn sites are blocked people discovering those unblocked sites and sharing it. The government has created further curiosity by blocking these sites.”
Abhijeet Banerjee said, “Nirbhaya documentary clearly shows the perpetrators and advocates skewed patriarchal attitudes which led to unimaginable crimes. Greater focus on improving views about woman is the real fight. But there is no tangible action plans on that. Non-spent Nirbhaya fund shows where the government stands. What will these god-loving, morality bashers do when they see Khajuraho and other temples? Will they abandon those? This is an ambiguous move to say the least.”
Subhir Rajan said, “Well I do agree that perversion is in the mind of a person and hence porn sites do not directly has a bearing on sex related crimes.”
When asked whether ban on porn will not make a difference he replied, “It won’t make a difference. And how many of the rapes that have occurred are attributed to porn sites? It is also ingrained into our society’s double standards.”
“My daughter is studying in Wageningen university in Netherlands. She elaborated on the harassment that girls faced on daily basis while travelling or in public. And also she was asked upfront by a Dutch whether she had experienced sexual harassment. She had travelled widely in Europe and has never felt any gender related harassment. Even they have walked through the streets of Prague at midnight and never felt any danger which I think is next to impossible if she would have been in India. Does that mean there are no porn sites accessible to them? It is our perverted mind which is the cause of gender crimes” he added.
Director, writer and producer Shirish Kunder tweets, “Don’t worry about #PornBan. New radio program starting soon: #TannKiBaat.”
Actor Sonam Kapoor tweeted, “Ban idiots who think banning things is going to make a difference to Indian mentality.. #sooverthisgovt #NextBanIdea #sick #ashamed.”
Meanwhile, former IT and telecom minister Milind Deora joined the voices of dissent on Twitter. Deora tweeted, “And the government takes one more step towards the Talibanization of India….”
“Porn ban is anti-freedom, impractical, not enforceable. Politically not very smart too avoidable. Let’s not manage people’s private lives,” best-selling author Chetan Bhagat wrote on Twitter.
The government later reviewed its decision to ban porn and it will be restricted to child and hardcore porn.
Union Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “The ban on porn websites would be removed and only websites that showed child pornography would be banned.”
