{"id":5805,"date":"2007-03-19T14:06:00","date_gmt":"2007-03-19T08:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indiauncut.com\/?p=548"},"modified":"2007-03-19T14:06:00","modified_gmt":"2007-03-19T08:36:00","slug":"ban-jokes-on-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiauncut.com\/ban-jokes-on-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBan jokes on the internet?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
I have often written<\/a> about how giving offence in India is treated as a crime, but it’s being taken to a ridiculous extreme now. The Times of India<\/i> reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n Buoyed by a successful campaign against a publisher of joke books, members of the Sikh community have now approached the Mumbai police to block any form of humour on the net targeting them.<\/p>\n The cyber cell department of the crime branch has received a plea asking it to “ban jokes on the internet” which portray Sardars as objects of ridicule.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The article goes on to tell us that a gentleman named Ranjit Parande has been arrested under Section 295-A<\/a> of the India Penal Code for publishing The Santa and Banta joke book<\/i>. I have written before (1<\/a>, 2<\/a>) that, like so many much of the antiquated Indian Penal Code, Section 295-A should not exist. Let me reproduce it here in full:<\/p>\n Section 295A. Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs<\/b><\/p>\n Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Note that this is a non-bailable offence, and I suppose I should be glad to be a free man given that I am an equal-opportunity religion basher<\/a>. Isn’t it ironic how those who show the most hubris about their Gods are most insecure about the damage that mere words can do to those Gods? Tsk tsk.<\/p>\n Or perhaps I should look at this as an opportunity and demand that The Flying Spaghetti Monster<\/a> be incorporated as an official protected deity by the Indian government. Pastafarianism is no less worthy of protection than any other religion. No?<\/p>\n (Link via breakfast conversation with Manish Vij<\/a>.<\/p>\n Comments are open<\/b>, but if you insult the FSM, I shall make sure you pay for your words!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I have often written<\/a> about how giving offence in India is treated as a crime, but it’s being taken to a ridiculous extreme now. The Times of India<\/i> reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n Buoyed by a successful campaign against a publisher of joke books, members of the Sikh community have now approached the Mumbai police to block any form of humour on the net targeting them.<\/p>\n The cyber cell department of the crime branch has received a plea asking it to “ban jokes on the internet” which portray Sardars as objects of ridicule.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The article goes on to tell us that a gentleman named Ranjit Parande has been arrested under Section 295-A<\/a> of the India Penal Code for publishing The Santa and Banta joke book<\/i>. I have written before (1<\/a>, 2<\/a>) that, like so many much of the antiquated Indian Penal Code, Section 295-A should not exist. Let me reproduce it here in full:<\/p>\n Section 295A. Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs<\/b><\/p>\n Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Note that this is a non-bailable offence, and I suppose I should be glad to be a free man given that I am an equal-opportunity religion basher<\/a>. Isn’t it ironic how those who show the most hubris about their Gods are most insecure about the damage that mere words can do to those Gods? Tsk tsk.<\/p>\n Or perhaps I should look at this as an opportunity and demand that The Flying Spaghetti Monster<\/a> be incorporated as an official protected deity by the Indian government. Pastafarianism is no less worthy of protection than any other religion. No?<\/p>\n\n
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