INDIA: WILL RAPES LEAD TO BAN ON INTERNET PORN ?

Once again New Delhi is witness to agitations and mass protests against the barbaric rape on a five year girl at Gandhi Nagar in eastern Delhi.   The culprits, Pradeep Kumar and Manojkumar, have been arrested. As in the case of earlier gruesome rape in a bus, people were outraged at the inhuman aspect of the rape and are conducting protest rallies.

In New Delhi no obvious change of attitude seems to have taken place in the minds of people since the widely reported and extensively protested bus rape incident nor the Police bring down the rape rate.  In between the two rapes of three months gap more than 6oo children were missing in city. As for the rape incidents taking place since, average of five rapes are reported every day and unreported rapes or molestations can be of any number. In  the year 2012, 5200 children were reported missing from the city  Though around 3000 were traced and brought back home about 1500 are still missing and there is no information about them.  The details of the ordeal of traced children are not available. They probably include many rape incidents.

Desire for sex coupled with cold-blooded and selfish disregard on women’s life and well being are the root motive of rape incidents. The culprits are mostly labourers with no or minimal education. The way to curb the menace is long and hard and education is the only way to enlighten the importance of women and their rights.

 A 50% representation for women in all governing bodies including in the State Assemblies and Parliament would have improved matters.  In the first place, the society would realise the importance of women and their potential. Secondly the women would more expertly and diligently handle incidents of attack against women than men would do leading to great difference in rape incidents . But would the politicians allow 50% quota for women, never. Even the bill for 33% quota for women was not got approved in Parliament.

Instead of finding the right remedy the politicians would bring up some scapegoats to assuage the feelings of general public When the Delhi Bus rape was a raging issue in the capital, a Minister was reportedly said that  the dress of teenagers was the factor for frequent rape incidents. As the teenagers strongly protested against the remarks no follow up action stipulating a dress code was ordered.

Presently in the uproar against the assault on the five year old girl, a Public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in Supreme court requesting to issue direction to the Government to make suitable changes in the Internet laws to make viewing internet porn a non-bailable offense.  The advocate for the petitioner argued that the internet pornography is affecting the younger generation resulting in increased assaults against women. The Supreme Court issued notice to various Ministries for their comments

In the present assault case the duo who raped the five year old had consumed liquor and then viewed porn on the Mobile phone which led them to wanting sex. At first they thought to go to a prostitute but being in short of cash they could not do so and it was then the unfortunate kid was noticed playing on the lawn. The lawyers would argue the point in court and a ban on viewing porn on net has every possibility.

As regards the banning of internet poronography, there are two distinct aspects.  Easy access to the porn , especially for the children, is indeed undesirable.  At the same time internet censorship would destroy its distinctive cosmopolitan character and would make it regional.

 Consumption of liquor is also playing a part in most of the rape incidents and it will also have to be banned all over India in order to bring down rape cases.

It is easy for the Government to prohibit internet poronography but difficult to execute the law in letter and spirit. Of course the law abiding citizens will obey it and will not view porn fearing police action but those who have scant respect for law will continue to search for porn in Net or will view blue films in the C D.  A ban on Net porn is sure to lead to the growth of Blue film industry which is presently fighting a  battle with Net porn. It may also open a floodgate of cases against people especially when the pop-up factor in the Net is considered. A person searching ordinary things on the Internet can be bombarded with porn pop-ups and if it is made answerable by him the Net will become a dangerous place.

India is home for 1.2 Billion people and when on a knee-jerk reaction takes away a right the people had until then, it affects a Billion plus people and curtailing freedom of as big a chunk of population as that  is a serious matter, the law makers often forget that aspect every time they  do sweeping changes in the law books.