Introduction
Recently, India is seeing a wave of controversies related to obscene content be it in the form of videos going around from Mahakumbh or promoting vulgar language at Samay Raina’s show India Got Latent. This is related to morality and freedom of speech.
Kamran Alvi, a Journalist was arrested for making and sharing derogatory & inappropriate remarks on MahaKumbh ritual bath has ignited the debate that how a media professional exceeds his freedom of expression in such a way. Alongside there is the rise of illegal filming and distribution of explicit videos from Mahakumbh and making profit out of such content. Even Youtube have become a platform for promoting dark comedy shows while pushing boundaries to such an extent that people are influential at certain level are marking such indecent remarks .Technology and rise uses of social media has drawn attention towards re evaluating laws as per the societal norms to lower down such incidents.
Key Aspects of Recent Controversies
- Kamran Alvi’s Arrest: The Journalist made inappropriate video in Maha Kumbh ritual bath and even shared such inappropriate video, this is heavily criticised by communities and administration.
- Kumbh Mela Spy Cam Scandal: There is a report and findings suggest that there are secret camera round the corner, recording women having bath changing clothes and these videos are being sold at different social media platforms like Facebook Instagram Telegram and making money out of this, FIR has been lodged against this and Police is taking action these people and identified these social media handles.
- Ranveer Allahabadia’s Remarks & Samay Raina’s Dark Comedy Controversy: Recent Controversy in Indian Got Latent Show Content creator Ranveer Allahabadia sparked controversy over his comments on women, drawing criticism for promoting misogyny and objectification. Similarly, comedian Samay Raina’s show recently came under scrutiny for jokes that many found offensive, reigniting debates over the fine line between humor and obscenity.
- Secret Photography in Public Spaces: Cases of individuals secretly capturing images of women in public places have been reported, raising concerns over privacy violations and the misuse of technology.
Legal Framework and Provisions
India has strict laws to address such offenses, primarily under:
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Sections 79 and 353 deal with offenses related to privacy invasion, including unauthorized recording and circulation of explicit content.
- Information Technology (IT) Act: Section 67 prohibits the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form, with stringent punishments for violators.
- Indian Penal Code (IPC): Although replaced by BNS, earlier provisions under IPC Sections 292 and 354 have influenced the new legal framework in addressing obscenity and voyeurism.
- Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986: This law prohibits the representation of women in an indecent or derogatory manner in media and advertisements.
- Constitutional Provisions: Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution imposes reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression in the interest of decency and morality. Additionally, Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, which extends to the protection of privacy from such violations.
Impact on Society
These incidents significantly impact society by:
- Eroding Public Morality: This hampering our cultural values, because of circulation of explicit content.
- Threatening Women’s Safety: Secret filming and inappropriate remarks contribute to an unsafe environment for women in public spaces.
- Misuse of Free Speech:Freedom of Speech is something which has been controversial because over use of speech to defame or incite communal tensions.
- Psychological Distress: Victims of such actions suffer from severe mental trauma, affecting their personal and professional lives.
Why There is an Urgent Need to Address This Issue
- Strengthening Cyber Laws: We are in the stage where obscene content is becoming part of daily life, Our system should find out way to prevent distorting the cultural and fabric of Indian society by making stringent laws against these acts.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Sensitizing citizens about digital ethics and personal privacy is crucial.
- Regulating Content Creation: Holding influencers, comedians, and media professionals accountable for their content can prevent the glorification of obscenity.
- Active Monitoring by Authorities: Law enforcement agencies must proactively track and take swift action against offenders.
- Preventing Monetization of Obscenity: The most disturbing aspect of these controversies is the commercialization of explicit content. Whether it is through secretly recorded videos at religious gatherings or so-called comedy performances that thrive on vulgarity, individuals are exploiting public sentiment and privacy for financial gain. This mindset, where obscenity is seen as a profitable business, needs to be curbed through stricter regulations and social accountability. The normalization of such content for entertainment or profit severely impacts societal values and ethics, making it imperative to address these issues before they become further ingrained in digital culture.
- Standing committee on Communication and Information Technology headed by Nishikant Dubey asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding provisions to regulate such harmful content so they mentioned they are examining current statutory provisions .
Conclusion
There is an urgent need to take legal action against such rising cases of obscenity. Legal reinforcement and social introspection is the need of the hour. While our constitution gives us Freedom of speech and expression but there are certain restrictions also stated, we can not promote vulgarity, objectification and breach anyone’s privacy by saying we are accessing our Fundamental Rights.
There is a need to strengthen laws around social media content creation and promotion, there is need to foster responsible content creation and promote ethical digital practices to uphold dignity, respect and cultural integrity.
SOURCE- PIB
Also Read- DIGITAL ARREST SCAM
