By Anil Merani: An open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A regular tv watching lady who has a grown-up son sent me this angst-filled letter for PM Modi expressing her disgust over Ranveer Allahabadia’s incestuous remark on Samay Raina’s show India Has Got Latent
We are reprinting the same and will tag the PM on social media.
Dear Modiji, I am writing this letter to you with a heavy heart. At a time when you are promoting digital India to ensure that millions of our citizens get on the www curve to better their lives, the urgency of addressing inappropriate digital content cannot be overstated.
I am talking about Ranveer Allahabadia, this YouTuber who usually makes spiritual content made incestuous remarks about sexual relations with parents on a dark comedy show India Has Got Latent helemed by comedian Samay Raina
Modjij, while I understand that freedom of expression is fundamental in any democracy, does that mean you will fall as low as taking potshots at a divine parent-child relationship?
You want to sleep with the same lady who has conceived you, carried you to term, and nurtured you to adulthood and beyond.
I am sorry, sir, but such abhorrent remarks can’t be accepted in any decent society, and sir, in India, many place their parents next to God. This is not just an attack on decency but on our age-old cultural values and beliefs.
You are ready to throw everything to the wind just for views and likes.
I am sure many millions of decent-thinking Indians must be aghast.
Forget India incest is a crime even in the West!
Just because there is no censorship, you will play with our sentiments?
I think it is high time the GOI paid serious attention to regulating OTT content. A lot of adult semi-porn content continues to do the rounds on various websites. The makers alway hide behind the veneer of free choice, but what about the choice of millions who feel offended by such shows? Do they have no recourse?
Self-censorship is just not working. Most offenders just apply when pushed to the corner. Is that good enough?
Here, I point out that lack of control over the net is even unfair to broadcast and cinema, which have strict norms
Sir, we should not hide behind the age-old debate of what defines vulgarity. Anything which offends general sensibilities needs to go pronto. This charade has gone on for far too long.
These guys always try to justify their content saying the youth want such content; by the same token some youngsters also want drugs, so should it be legalized?
Modiji, I also trust you to kindly instruct the state governments to ensure timely and speedy justice, lest this case languish in court for years. There is no fear of the law, for once you are out on bail, it is over as
Modiji, last but not least, I would like you to take back the digital award given to Ranveer, for he has hurt everyone. Sir, we need to make an example of such offenders (Samay as well). We owe this much to our future generations, lest no dares play with Sanatani or Bharatiya culture.
Thank you, an ordinary Indian mother.
