E-Paper
Top court mulls ways to ban Sikh jokes, notes use of ‘Madrasi’ too
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed willingness to issue directions to curb dissemination of “insulting” jokes against Sikhs through public modes like
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed willingness to issue directions to curb dissemination of “insulting” jokes against Sikhs through public modes like internet and SMS, but said the key concern was the enforcement of such directives.
“We are not saying that there should not be any guideline on the issue, but the question remains as to how these directions will be enforced,” a bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices C Nagappan and A M Khanwilkar said.
The comments or jokes may be “humiliating and denigrating” to the community, the issue is how to enforce any such direction, the bench observed.
It asked lawyers and Sikh bodies to mull over the issue.
“We can pass orders to stop commercial exploitation of such jokes and materials,” it said adding, “People from Northeast and South also face such kind of harassment and discrimination,” the bench observed, adding “even if you are a Kannadiga or a Telugu or a Malayalee, people still call you a Madrasi. This is very insulting”.
The bench then deferred the hearing on the PIL by four weeks and sought suggestions about the possible directions on such practices and ways to enforce them.
