19 Things That Need To Be Banned In India. Dear Government Who Loves To Ban, Take Note.

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We live with notions of democracy and free will in our mind, but the world as we have it, is not sans-censure. Acts that forbid people to indulge in something or boards that control what the population has access to, we believe, should be for the good of all. When the AIB Roast was banned, it got overwhelming support from the public, mostly evident on social media, we got to thinking if the act of prohibition is really that called for? Orwhere is it really called for? We had similar thoughts when beef was banned in Maharashtra, and the documentary India’s Daughter on Nirbhaya met similar fate.

Banning is a unique power, but seeing the nature of things that are banned and more importantly things that aren’t, here is a list of 19 should-bes in the ban list:

#1. Item numbers.

The mantra of a hit Bollywood movie, believe it or not has been placing an item number somewhere. Be it Chikni Chameli or Ye Mera Dil. Do they help the story even a little bit? That’s where themasalafactor comes in and so does the audience. Doesn’t the name itself disgust you? But we guess provocative choreography or materialising the actresses to the tunes of utterly shameful lyrics isn’t enough for deeming it unsuitable for audience, half of which leers in the theaters to these very item numbers. Intimate scenes which may be unsuitable for cinema watching are censored while these steamy numbers which makes the woman next to you shift uncomfortably in her seat aren’t.



#2. Saas-Bahu TV crap.

Anywhere you go, the relationship between the mothers-in-law and the daughters-in-law is seen as either insecure or authoritative. It’s true, it is a complex relationship. But thesaas-bahuserials that run on our screen are in no way doing good to the society, nor are they entertaining. There is always so much revenge, evil; and yes, the truth may prevail‘in the end’- but for all the thousands of episodes that these series run for, the plots lose their storylines, their meaning, setting dangerous, evil thoughts in the mind of the viewers.



#3. Cigarettes.

“Statutory warning: Smoking is injurious to health,” flash on our screens while the actor or actress fags away showing the audience the swirling romance of the cigarette. It goes without saying that people tend to imitate what is shown on the screen, a statutory warning doesn’t make that go away.

And should smoking be just banned in movies and TV shows? Shouldn’t smoking be banned once and for all? It kills, literally. What’s the point of letting people get addicted to it?



#4. Dangerous Drugs.

Pompous and shoddy rave parties littered with people getting high is again a part of what we see on the screen. A small packet of drug or a table lined with a neatly-parted drug while someone expertly snorts them are glimpses we have seen in music videos, movies and small screen too. If a roast reeks of loose morals, don’t these images inspire open minds to try things that might prove disastrous? On top of that, people are shown drugging others’ drinks which we know is a big part of club culture and cause of so many crimes.



#5. Moral Policing.

Moral policing has always been present in undertones. A lot of schools and colleges with co-education keep an eye on how close a girl and a boy student are. We have seen the recent protests against it through the famous Kiss of Love undertaking but couples are threatened and caught with crime of being morally base due to PDA. It would be more realistic if this was done forpeeingbut affection is base and body waste is decorative material.



#6. Littering.

For all the beauty and cultural riches of our country, India littered with careless garbage wherever possible. Our homes are spic-and-span but our roads and lanes are strewn with all kinds of waste whose rightful place is in a dustbin. Though the worst part is people take their hygiene so lightly that this carelessness is known behavior for almost everyone who wants to dump something. The government has taken up the Swacch Bharat Campaign, kudos to that, but what is it actually doing besides people doing a few photo-ops?



#7. Making fun of people belonging to the LGBTQ community.

Doesn’t our moral sense stop us from making fun of a person whose sexual orientation or analogy is different than the majority? Apparently, nope. When the thin line between fun and cruelty is evaded, a person gets disturbingly hurt. Movies easily introduce gay or transgender people for a few mindless jokes. Isn’t it worth taking a stand against?



#8. Peeing in public.

Watching someone relieve themselves in random places is a part of our life, so much so that it is almost a habit that is close to one’s heart. The obnoxious smell, the mosquitoes that flock about and the hideous appearance of the place that is peed on which can be from a closed street to a main road is the sad result of public urinating. If the ban on peeing is enforced strictly it will be the beginning of a beautiful era.

 

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#9. Rape scenes in entertainment.

The word rape is a regular part of our vocabulary and sadly it is an experience of innumerable around the world. Showing how a rape is carried out is definitely not a step forward to getting rid of this evil. Rape is easily shown on screen, big and small, and it leaves the spectators tormented. More than that, isn’t it a matter of sensitivity that such an inhuman act mustn’t be displayed with screen effects, cinema techniques and heart-rending screams ending in a blackout?



#10. Criminals in Parliament and legislative assemblies.

According to an analysis by Association for Democratic Reforms, around 186 MPs (34%) of the latest Lok Sabha have confessed in their election affidativs that they have criminal cases registered against them. In the 2009 Lok Sabha, this number was 158.

Let’s not even get into the numbers of the legislative assemblies.

It is deeply disturbing that our Parliament and state assemblies – where decisions and laws which rule the life of the common Indian folk are made – are filled with people with unclear consciences and track records. More disturbing is that there has been no to curb this.



#11. Ban the ban on gutsy movies and books which show the harsh reality Indian politics, culture and treatment of women.

Controversies around PK ring a bell? Remember the book, the Hindus? Literature and cinema when used for what they must ideally be used for, which is reform and showing the society its ugly shadow, are condemned and criticised so the people at large remain in the dark.



#12. Religious extremism of all kinds.

Though India has no religion of the Satte, we are limited by the behaviour of everyone around us. The treatment of one religion by the other is sometimes like that of a competition. If we are a nation of diversities, living peacefully will require tolerance. Lately, there has been severe extremision of religion on display by several sects of the society – why the government is not taking any action against such extremism?



#13. Ban the social exclusion of patients with AIDS or other diseases that are socially stigmatised.

AIDS is a sexually-transmitted disease. Why would you need to ostracise a person if they aren’t harmful? Again a matter of sensitivity: what does one need most when struck with illness? Compassion, care? It becomes a social responsibility to treat people right – especially when they’re struggling.



#14. Ban on donations in colleges and schools.

Deserving students who hail from modest backgrounds go to substitute schools and colleges of their choice, while rich kids and friends of the rich enjoy degrees from the premier colleges and schools that take hefty donations for admissions. Why is this being allowed is unclear, especially when this young India is in desperate need of proper and standard education for one and all, irrespective of what background they belong to.



#15. Ban hate speeches by the leaders of the country.

A growing trend in the recent past, hate speeches have always been an inherent part of our politics. Seeing how they inflame the public, mislead the crowds and help accomplish the cruelest of intentions – there needs to be strong enforcement against them. Politicians accused of these have rarely been punished according, irrespective of what crap they spout, to no wonder how many thousands of people.



#16. Honour killings.

If Euthanasia (one’s own decision to die) is not legal, then how can a group of people decide the death of a person? Whatever shame or disgrace, we have no right to kill anyone.

While there are laws against murders, it is rather disappointing that there barely has been any proper, strong legislation to curb the nonsensical tradition of honour killings, prevalent in large portions of rural India.

 

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#17. Child labour.

According to India Tribune there are over 60 million child labourers in India. They are expected to earn due to acute poverty or not knowing any better. But if they are protected, no parent would wish their children to toil in their childhood like farm bulls. And yes, child labour is banned, per se. But, has the legislation been properly enforced?



#18. Child marriage.

At 240 million, India has a third of child marriages in the World, says a report in the Hindustan Times. We are sometimes overshadowed by seeing the positive changes that we forget what is left to change. Labour or marriage, nothing suits childhood as much as a playground and education.

Again, all the legislation against child marriage has not stopped such marriages from happening and there have been no stringent legislative proposals to curb it in the recent past.



#19. Inspector raj.

The amount of inspectors our government departments have is depressing. There are inspectors in the police, but then there are inspectors in all tax departments, customs department, food department, fire department, health department, R&B department, etc. etc.

While keeping a check on businesses and corporations observing if they’re following the established norms in terms of paying taxes and public safety, it is rather sad that the government hasn’t figured out better ways to maintain control. Inspectors usually misuse their powers, which leads to rampant corruption and a poor ecosystem for businesses.

19 Things That Need To Be Banned In India. Dear Government Who Loves To Ban, Take Note. - Youth Connect