Popular indian channels like Channel V, B4U , Balle Balle, MTV , iTV and MH1 were reprimanded for broadcasting raunchy music videos. This apparently violates the Programme Code under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. The information and broadcasting ministry has asked the channels not to show these videos and also to air apologies that they had broken the law and will be more careful in the future.

This brings us to a very important question, why is this happening, it should be upto an individual to watch whatever he wants to and whenever he wants to, why censor them. A person who is hurt by these can simply watch another channel. Someone who like to watch such music videos watches it, others simply don't.

There are a thousand and one problems plaguing our country ( ranging from corruption to crime to declining sex ratio )and the government instead of tackling issues which really matter is wasting its time on such trivial pursuits. We friends (from the school) had a huge discussion on this and we all came to one conclusion that we all can use our discretion to censor videos using what is called in plain english a remote and the Government doesnt need to poke its nose into every other thing.

What does everyone else think about this ?

Heh, big big question, not entirely easy to answer. This issue has been the core of a debate that has been raging for years - if you are someone who is preparing something for the general public, then should you also be responsible for ensuring that no one gets negatively affected by consuming the material you are showing?

Well, in one extreme, it simply becomes impractical. Different people are moved, aggreived, aggravated, and disturbed by different things. Unfortunately (or maybe otherwise), we are all designed differently, we react to everything thrown at us on an individual basis, and it is impossible to generalize - there is no universal standard, that xyz will make everyone insane and abc will make everyone feel they are in the ninth cloud.

Also, there is the question of freedom of speech and expression, whether censorship can effectively curb us of these fundamental rights.

But on the other side, I imagine some basic precautions can also be put in place. In general it should be the responsiblity of every individual to ensure that he/she is not getting carried away with what he/she watches on television or reads in a book, and it is unreasonable to expect that this is something that broadcasters or publishers should ensure on a large scale. So, when do I get annoyed?

Well, very often the vulgar/obsene material is there not because of they are crucial to a storyline, or because they are genuinely necessary. It is there because a bunch of people want to encash on our baser emotions. It really disheartens me when I see a platform that is meant to be utilized for creative expression and artistic work is getting converted to a pure business proposition, and that too in a rather crude manner.

I do agree that the government would do better worrying about more serious issues. Remember when they banned smoking scenes from movies? It was not just annoying, it was downright funny - beat the irony, you do not question the legality of manufacturing cigars in your country, but you want films to not contain smoking scenes? Whom are you bluffing? Next, you'll want films without guns, without anyone crying (because that can potentially inject depression), without anyone shouting (potential heart attack cause)... you get the point.

So yes, let the channels be. We figure what to see, what to ignore.
But I'd be happier if the people who prepare content for public consumption had a stronger sense of conscience and courtesy. If I was a film maker, I know I could make a film about the shadiest issues without coming across as vulgar. Resorting to vulgar stuff just to make that extra bit of money... doesn't leave me feeling too good.

For whatever it's worth, those are my two cents.

I think your government has just lost some popularity by doing that sort of thing. It feels awfull to be told what you should do, and not what you want to do. I really agree that people who dont want to see a video or something on television, should just change the channel and rather than start a fight to take that off the television, they should go and do something more productive.

They probably are so lazy that they cant find the remote and cant change the channel so they get their cell phone and start complaining about the video. They also take away the rights of the people who do like the video. This sort of thing happened here in a cable station some time ago, and we won, there was some sort of debate and people had to make phone calls. They wanted to eliminate a channel that passed south park! come on! its those moms who cant even take care of their children or who are to ignorant to find a way to censor the channel. Good thing we won.