2015- The Year Of Bans

TechnoparkToday.com>> Year 2015 should exclusively be called as “The Year Of Bans” henceforth. If there is anything that questions the so called morality and decency of our culturally inclined country just Ban it. That has been the motto of the governance since the start of the year. From what we see, to what we read, to what we eat to what we wear everything is being securitised and judged by some self proclaimed chief justices of India.

It started with the ban of the heart wrenching documentary “India’s daughter”. The movie “50 shades of Grey” was banned for apparently being “racy” for the Indian audience. The occasionally beeped out cuss words were banned from Hindi films. Smoking scenes in cinema was questioned. AIB Roast was reprimanded in spite of being peacefully hilarious. Much to the angst of the youth, Porn sites were barred. Ya even the poor old Maggi was banned in 2015 and we still miss it. Bans continued with beef bans and mini skirt bans in the major strata of the society. Basically happiness was banned to a great extend this year.

Majority of these bans doesn’t make any sense to me you know. Like why there was a ban on meat sale in the entire Mumbai city during four days of Jain festival? Yes considering a minority groups’ interests is accepted but shoving that on an entire city’s population is silly. More than silly the whole scene is illogical. Aren’t Jains vegetarians all the year round? So, if you want to protect Jain sensibilities, then doesn’t logic demand that you ban meat for whole year?  Think about the thousands of households than run by butchering and selling the meat. Isn’t the ban simply snatching away their bread and butter? So basically everyone’s at a loss behind the government’s pseudo claims of “protecting religious sensibilities’.

Bans are actually giving us a Talibanish feel by violating basic fundamental liberties. Slowly and steadily the whole ban culture is engulfing the entire nation. Inspite of some really great accomplishments by this Government in the last one year, that one thing which still prick are these inane bans. The funny thing is that I can list out dozens of things that actually needs a ban. For e.g the millionth torturous rerun of Sooryavansham on Setmax should be banned.

Fairness creams and ads should be banned for giving a wrong perception to young men and women. Instead of banning smoking scenes in movies and TV shows cigarettes itself should be banned. Ban the honour killing, ban the khaps, ban the child labour, moral policing. So see when there are more vital things in this country that needs to be addressed, banning the freedom of speech, entertainment, practicing of any faith, eating food of one’s choice should be the last few things in our politicians’ minds.

Aparna Nair