E-Paper
Ensure no obscene film posters are put up or songs glorifying liquor are played in public: HC
The court also directed district administrations to ensure that children below 12 years are not allowed inside cinema halls, multiplex and theatres exhibiting films with an “A” certificate in Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand high court has directed the state government to ensure that songs, including folk, that glorify liquor, wine and drugs are not played out in public or during live shows.
Expressing serious concern over obscenity and nudity in films, the HC also directed the district administrations to ensure that no nude, semi-nude or obscene posters are displayed in public anywhere in the state.
The district administrations have also been directed to ensure that children below 12 years are not allowed inside cinema halls, multiplex and theatres exhibiting films with an “A” certificate.
A division bench of Justices Lok Pal Singh and Rajiv Sharma gave these directions on Monday. The copy of the order was made available on Wednesday.
The directions were issued while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Rakesh Kumar, a farmer from Jaspur in state’s Udham Singh Nagar district.
Expressing concern over issuing of certificates to the audio-visual material shown in public and violation of the guidelines in this regard, the court stated that “children below the age of 12 years are not restrained from entering cinema hall and multiplexes, where ‘A’ certificate films are screened. There is a violation of cable television network rules, 1994”.
The HC order pointed out that the “posters are vulgar and display nudity”. There is indecent representation of women, “which is derogatory” and these films are also shown through pirated DVDs and CD, the court said, adding such films are affecting the children of impressionable age.
The posters, the court said, are affixed at different public places open to public gaze, including the minor children.
“Steps should be taken to ensure that there is no obscenity, nudity and semi nudity in the films and glorification of wine, liquor and drugs in the songs,” it said, adding, the court took judicial notice “of the fact that glorifying of the liquor, wine, drugs etc has played havoc with the psyche of the children”.
The HC remarked that “to promote morality and decency in the society”, the state government should have taken preventive steps to ensure that no such songs were permitted to be played in Uttarakhand. “The glorification of liquor is now also seen in the folk songs,” the order said.
The court has directed the director general of police Uttarakhand to ensure that no such songs are played in public or during live shows in Uttarakhand.
