Expressionist

Vodafone Essar’s decision to shoot off a legal notice to a customer for purportedly defamatory comments on his Facebook page goes beyond the legal nitty-grities of publishing comments in cyberspace – it is a frontal attack on free speech, and shows utter contempt for consumer dissent. At the dawn of the social-networking phase of the Internet age, corporates had wallowed over what all wonderful things social media could do for them. They had gone to town about empowerment of citizens, and...

So the moral guardians of Indian virtues have acted again. This time, with quite a heavy hand. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered television channels not to broadcast "overtly sexual" deodorant adverts that use female models in racy storylines. What else can you expect from the ministry of Ambika Soni, who rose to fame and notoreity during the Emergency era? Soni's ministry has raised serious objections to advertisements of deodorants available under the brand names of Wild...

Two months after his right palm was chopped off by Muslim fanatics for allegedly insulting Islam's prophet in a question paper, a lecturer in Kerala has now been sacked by the diocese which runs the college. That's a classic case of what you would call adding insult to injury. Old proverbs wreaked anew. Fr Thomas Malekudy, manager of Newman College, Thodupzuah, where TJ Joseph had been a selection grade senior lecturer at the Department of Malayalam, on Saturday announced the decision to remove...

So the morally upright Indian government has once again banned FTV, albeit for 10 days. But banned nonetheless. The information and broadcasting ministry, for its part, has been extremely thoughtful in announcing the reason to the public as well. An official statement tells us that it was noticed by the ministry that "A programme on FTV channel was telecast on September 4, 2009 at 15:37:34 hours and 19:01:48 hours showing women with nude upper body which was offending against good taste and...

A week or so back, a court dismissed a public interest litigation. It was no landmark judgment in that sense. But it had a message for many morally-upright people in this hallowed land. The Delhi High Court on July 29 dismissed two petitions that sought a stay on the reality show Sach Ka Saamna. The court was clear in what it said, "Our culture is not so fragile that it would be affected by one TV programme." The point is not whether the reality show is good, bad, or ugly. But why many in this...

The Greek version of the show was banned in June. Now its desi spinoff, called Sach Ka Saamna, might meet the same fate if politicians have their say. Some snippets: Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akthar raised the matter in Rajya Sabha today, alleging that “obscene questions” were being asked about contestants’ personal life in front of their family members. He said the show was against the “Indian culture”. [ Link] The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, which issued the notice, has sought a...

Four women's colleges in Kanpur have ordered a ban on girls wearing jeans and top, arguing that this will help reduce incidents of eve-teasing. They were also barred from carrying mobile phones while women teachers were asked not to wear sleeveless blouses. Says the Times of India: [ Link] Describing it as an "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional" move, All India Democratic Women's Association president and former CPI(M) MP Subhashini Ali said that she has come to know that principals in all...

For Sushmita Sen, the chastity bogey is back. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed a judicial magistrate to inquire into a complaint filed against Sen for making "obscene and derogatory comments" on chastity in October 2006. [ Link] Setting aside a lower court order dismissing a complaint by an advocate seeking police action against Sen, a former Miss Universe, Justice A Selvam directed that the inquiry be held for offences under various sections of Indecent Representation of...

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was arrested and later released on bail for allegedly indulging in obscene behaviour during a fashion show in March in Mumbai. From the Indian Express: [ Link] "Akshay, who arrived in Mumbai from abroad, surrendered before the police today. He was accompanied by his lawyer," a senior police officer said. "He was then arrested under section 294 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for his alleged obscene behaviour," the officer added. Akshay's wife Twinkle was also...

You may not agree with the school of though that the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) propounds. But you will agree that it has some semblance of a civilised way of protesting. The party on April 19 sent a parcel containing sarees to South Indian film actress Nayanthara to protest against her visit to the Killikavu Amman temple near Ottapalam in Kerala wearing salwar kameez, the Indian Express reports. [ Link] Nayanthara who went to the temple on Wednesday was reportedly prevented from entering the...