| Why ban needed against vulgar songs
I have recently filed a Writ petition in the Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench against Producers and directors of Tees Maar Khan and Dabangg, along with Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The writ prays that in the songs Munni Badnam Hui and Sheila ki jawaani, there is the specific problem of use of such songs which are against decency, morality and public order and which can incite commitment of offences. This is against the provisions of section 5(B)(1) of the Cinematographer Act. I have argued the point that such unfortunate events have already started taking place where helpless and poor girls studying in schools and colleges, working women in all kinds of establishments, Institutions and organizations and even housewives are being teased, molested and sarcastically treated, more so when the name of the women/girls is Sheila/ Sheela/ Munni/ Muniya or other similar sounding ones. Hence I have requested to issue orders to immediately stop the public exhibition of these two songs.
Since filing the writ, I have got all kinds of reactions from friends, well-wishers and even unknown people. There are some who have praised this step from the core of their heart and have profusely thanked me for having taken a correct step. Comments ranging from "such songs may adversely change the mindset of society" to "when I travel in public transport I see people playing these songs in their mobile phones to tease women" have come while people from Mumbai to Patna have phoned me to extend all possible support.
But there have also been adverse personal comments as well as disagreeing views which seem to give priority to the freedom of expression vis-a-vis putting a ban on these songs. One friend said- "No point in wasting money and time in such judicial processes. These songs are there because it has public approval" while another person became personal when he said- "This time the Court will certainly impose cost upon you. You seem to be publicity crazy."
Without reacting to the personal comments, I would like to say that craze for name and fame is a natural phenomenon not limited to me and you, but is rather universal. Thus even supposing that a person is doing all this for publicity, what really count is his or her work and the rationale for doing so.
Some people argued on the pretext of freedom of expression saying that any kind of ban is adverse and against the freedom of society. I would like to say that we must understand the concept of freedom of expression in the totality of things. Yes to me and you, who are well-educated, well-off and belong to better half of the society, such songs might not mean much because people are not using them possibly to harass us. But think of those millions of poor Sheelas and Munnis who live in villages and small towns and in every nook and corner of every city who are not rich, who are not much educated, who are not exactly empowered. These people belong to societies that are still archaic in their thought and views, where primitiveness still rules. In such societies, these poor, helpless gils and women are still harassed and teased by loafers and road-side Romeos who feel empowered just by being a male progeny. Think of our mothers and sisters and daughters who are being molested only through the use of such lecherous and ill-intended songs.
In the writ I have presented an example from Lahore, Munni, a mother of two in this Pakistani city, was harassed so much that she has shut her small shop. But later on I came to know of many other examples where violence has already erupted because of these two songs and where society has already got perturbed because of this. In Rajapur village of Greater Noida, a family objected to Sheela ki jawaani because a woman by the name of Sheela lived there. The others did not comply, resulting in violence in which six people got badly injured. In Shankarpur village in Ballia, many rounds of gunshots were fired because of the song Munni Badnaam Hui. In Thaane (Maharashtra) two sisters by the name of Sheela Giri and Munni Giri have been forced to apply to change their names because they are being teased, harassed and humiliated because of these songs. There are many more recorded and unrecorded incidents.
Thus we need to understand that things are different for Malaika Arora and Katerina Kaif, who live in highly sterile and protected worlds and the real-life Munnis and Sheelas who are being forced to face all the humiliations and heat because of the lust and greed of these powerful people.
This is not freedom of expression but sheer lust and greed and thus needs to be stopped now and forever.
Dr Nutan Thakur,
Secretary,
IRDS,
Lucknow
# 94155-34525 |
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