Any Indian is free to express
their views as per Article 19(A) of Constitution of India. Currently so many
number of methods available to express ideas and views. Major methods are 1)
Film 2) Advertisement 3) TV serials 4) Print Media 5) Electronic Media 6)
Social Media 7) Blogs etc. Censorship exist in all of above medium, somewhere
is its in mature stage and somewhere still we are struggling to censor contents
due to lack of knowledge and focus. Definition of censorship cannot be same for
two cultures. Censorship according to American may different from European and
Indian. Definition of Censorship framed according to the cultural, values and
sensitivity of country and future impact on society.
Our Censor board for films and
telefilms recently banned some words which is not acceptable in Indian Culture.
They did well but still there is lot of opportunities of improvement in film censorship.
Some gestures/Expressions/Body movements should be banned in favor of society. Some
of the characters like “Dawood“ etc, which misleading
society should be banned. Overall these negative words and character should be
used like this only, that negative characters should not convert in Hero among Indian
society, and youth should not follow them.TV serials should be censored like
this only that positive energy should float among people. For getting these
entire things censorship department should have more practical approach.
Similarly advertisements also
impact society very badly. For films, at least parents can protect their child,
but
youth viewing all type of Ads without any restriction and unplanned. In
sequence of presenting entire story in a minute Ad makers using women as sex
object. Sometimes icons and celebrities involved in promoting brands or product
which may not acceptable among society. One of the celebrity and youth icon feeling
guilty on branding cigarette, which he did years back. Though ASCI and NAMS
type of firms are there to monitor all type of Print and Electronic Ads.
Internet is easily available,
approachable and gives freedom among common man to express their views beyond boundaries
of country. Censorship in internet side is still not mature enough, All type of
censored material is available over internet, if government blocked any of the
web page, owner manage to create new portal for objectionable material. Though government
discussed with 22 odd internet companies like Google, Facebook, twitter etc for
monitoring of objectionable content posted over their site. According to
freedom house report, Indian internet is still in free side, so many objectionable
contents are available over internet. Like in J&k separatist and terrorist
can easily upload material over internet which can misguide youth of valley. Information
Technology Act of India need more improvement.
Programs like AIB roast and others
are putting wrong impact over society. Some western culture favored class defending
these programs by saying Indian as thin skinned and narrow minded people. But
Khajuraho is the creativity of Indian mind only, Indian society is not narrow
minded it cares for all.
Censorship in print media is also
not new, before independence British government totally banned book written by
Veer Savarkar. Same pattern followed in 1975 during emergency where approx 35
printing press seized and 5000 individuals arrested who are involved in
publication work. But focus required on print content also.
Rahul Rathore
9001021243
rahulrajrathore@gmail.com
