THE PSYCHOLOGISTS ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE CAUTIONING THAT EXPOSURE TO MEDIA VIOLENCE AND SEX, HAVE DAMAGING IMPACT ON THE CHILDREN, MINORS AND YOUTH. PARENT’S RIGHT OF BRINGING UP THEIR CHILDREN IN MIND POLLUTION IN A FREE ATMOSPHERE IS SNATCHED AWAY BY THE PERVERTED MEDIA.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
(Special Original Jurisdiction)

W.P.No.     17629                   of 2009

1.       G. Alex Benziger
2.       Rev. Fr. Pancras M. Raja
3.       A. Arokiadoss
4.       Dr. S. Leonard Vasanth                                     … Petitioners

-Vs -

1.       Union of India
          Rep. by its Secretary to Govt.
          Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Department,
          R.No.655, A Wing, Shastri Bhavan,
          New Delhi – 110 001.

2.       Prashar Bharati Nigam Ltd.,
Rep. by The Director General,
Doordarshan,
Doordarshan Bhavan,
Copernicus Marg,
          New Delhi – 110 001.

3.       Central  Board of Film Certification (Censor Board)
          Walkeshwar Road,
Walkeshwar      
          Mumbai  - 400 006.

4.       Vijay T.V.
Star Television  Ltd.,
Star House,  Off. Dr. E. Moses Road,
Mahalaxmi, Mumbai – 400 011.
         
5.       Sun T.V. Net Work (Pvt.) Ltd.,
          Corporate Office,
          4, Norton Road
Mandaveli, Chennai – 600 028.

6.       FTV India Pvt. Ltd.,
          3rd Floor, Nirlon House,
          Opp. To Sasmire,  Dr.A.B.Road,
          Worli, Mumbai – 400 030.

7.       AXN T.V.
          Sony Entertainment Television
          Interface  Building No.7,
          Off. Malad Link Road,
          Malad (West)
          Mumbai – 400 064.

8.       Kalaignar T.V. Pvt. Ltd.,
          Anna Arivalayam,
          367/369 Anna Salai,
Chennai – 600 0018.

9.       SS Music
          126 & 127, 3rd Floor,
          Triplicane  High Road,
          Triplicane
          Chennai – 600 005.

10.     Raj T.V.     
          Raj Television Network Ltd.,
          32, Poes Road 2nd Street,
          Teynampet,
Chennai – 600 0018.                                 … Respondents

 

                   AFFIDAVIT OF  G. ALEX BENZIGER


          I, G. Alex Benziger,  son of M.S. Gregory  aged about 48 years,  residing at No.18, Pidariyar Koil Lane, Chennai – 600 001, South India, do hereby solemnly affirm and sincerely state as follows : -

          1.       I am the first petitioner herein I am well acquainted with the facts of this case.  The second petitioner is a Catholic Priest, and I am filing this affidavit on behalf of the other petitioners also. We are filing this Writ Petition under public interest.
         
2.       The second petitioner is a Catholic  priest  serving  in India for the past 43 years,  He is  grooming the generation  in  the Tuticorin,  Kottar and  Palayamkottai Dioceses, nurturing them with moral, ethical  values.  The present day young and children who are highly exposed  to mind pollution by the Television programmes, advertisements displayed by the Respondent Cable Television Networks telecasted.

3.       We are filing the above writ petition against Obscene, violent, vulgar, indecent exhibition of dramas, serials, dances advertisements in the Television Cable net works telecasted by the Respondent TVs.

          4.       I state that TV is an indispensable feature for everybody  invariably whether  aged, young, child, rich or poor, who are seeing  the  television programme. This is the only past time or recreation for everybody  in  India either town  or rural areas  whether educated  or not.

          5.       I state that at present that the TV Broadcasting of the Respondent covering the whole of India through Satellite network without any censorship or self control. The broadcastings  are shown as  glorification  and  extenuations, enlisting  admiration  or sympathy  for criminals, Vice of immoral  acts  are displayed indiscriminately. Indecorous dancing, importination of women, torture  of adults  brutal fighting, gruesome murders, drunkenness, smoking  not  essential to the theme of the story are  shown. Excessive passionate  love scenes,  indelicate, sexual  situation  and  suggestive  of immorality is very  commonly  exhibited. Lowering of the sacredness of the institution of marriage  is a danger to the  future  society. The present  exhibition of serials, advertisements etc.,  are full of vulgarity, indecent,  obscene and  pollute the minds of the young and children. 

6.       There is no freedom without law, therefore without the restricted guidelines and rules it is impossible to expect healthy programmes in TVs.

7.       I respectfully submit that earth pollution is bad. Water pollution is worse. Air pollution is still worse. But the worst of all is the mind pollution.  It corrupts the most valuable trait of human species. It corrupts  the thinking.  One of the most common forms of mind pollution observed  today is  obscenity, vulgarity and violence on women and children.

8.       Today,  we live in a culture of fear. Fear of violence. Fear  of  disease. Fear of war. Fear of terror. Fear of the weather.  Fear of our  neighbours. Fear of the unknown. Television  Broadcasting drives a lot of this fear. People  believe what they see on T.V. Television has an impact on fashion  and  lifestyle. It also  has an impact on attitude  and knowledge. If it is on TV  it is believed to be true.

9.       The present TV channels  broadcasts  are full of adult  contents. The  films, dance serials show detailed rapes and  sex  sequences. Music  videos have half naked  girls dancing, making suggestive  gestures almost  performing  pornography. 

          10.     I further state  that in last few years  a large  section of the media  particularly  TV channels of the Respondents have taken liberty  to flout  all norms related  to obscenity, vulgarity and violence. A systematic  overdose  of nudity and vulgarity is being  forced into the brain of common viewer. The purpose  is to use a cheap  short cut to catch attentions and thus  heat competition. They want to make quick   money  by selling their uncensored,  uncontrolled  mater mixed with so called Hot Stuff. The long  term effect of this  bombardment to sex and nudity  is  resulting in corrupting  the thought  process  because thoughts  are bound to come according  to what  you see, read  and hear. The psychologists   all over the world are cautioning  that exposure to media  violence  and sex,  have damaging  impact on the children, minors and youth. The common  man and parents  of young children  are  worried. They feel helpless  and  frustrated. Their  right  of bringing up their children  in mind pollution  in a free atmosphere  is snatched away.
         
11.     Any picture, photograph,  figure,  article, write up, etc.,  or a public  act which depraves or corrupts the mind  and which appeals to the  prurient  interests  or which is against  the acceptable  social moral standards  would be called  obscene  and vulgar.  In other words, the condition  in which  you would feel ashamed to see your  mother or wife or daughter or sister  is obscene.  Obscenity is subjective  issue.  It is the  eyes of the beholder. The answer  is, one  of the  signs  of primitive man  getting  civilized was that he  started wearing  leafs and barks of trees. It has  been a long  gradual process  of human civilization. Today  so called  liberals are advocating  nudity  in the name of  liberalization  then  they are taking  us back to the primitive  man and primitive civilization. Keeping  the society  in mind, whatever  generally is not acceptable in the society  is called obscene. For eg. wearing  a bikini  in the beach  is normal but wearing  it in a public place  is  objectionable  and obscene. Having sex  in closed rooms is normal  but doing it in public,  even  by legally married couple is objectionable. At present, Television  channels are Broadcasting  Advertisements,  serials, any public  occurrence which are  full of adult  contents  as follows :
a.       T.V. Serials, films, show detailed rapes  and sex obscene,  indecent  sequences.
b.      Music  channels  have half naked girls dancing, making suggestive  gestures, almost performing  pornography.
c.       The dancing competition programme  are in  utter obscene  and indecent  body languages.
d.      Glorification  or extenuation  of  crime depicting  the  modus  operandi  of criminals enlisting  admiration   or sympathy  for criminals.
          e.       Vice and immoral  acts of vicious and immoral person.
          f.       Indiscriminate drinking and smoking not connected with the theme of the story.
g.      lowering  the  sacredness  of the institution  of marriage.
h.      depicting  rape, seduction, and criminal assaults on women, immoral  traffic in women soliciting prostitution  or  procuring, illicit  sexual  relations.  
i.       excessive  passionate love scenes,  indelicate sexual situation  and scenes suggesting immorality
j.        indecorously or suggesting  dressed, and  indecorous postures. 
          k.      indecorous  dancing, importunation of women. 
          l.       cruelty, strangulation, mutilation  and bleeding.
          m.     cruelty to animals.
n.      use of drugs,
          o.       horror  as a predominant element.

          12.     The freedom  of expression  available  to the  Broadcasters  is not for the Broadcasters as an  Institutions  but  for the public good. The crux is not  the  Broadcasters  freedom to broadcast it is rather the citizen  right to know.   Right  to  freedom of TV is a valuable right  but the right carries with it, the responsibility  and duty to be  truthful and to protect   right of others.

          13.     In India, seeing TV programme  is an every day  affair for everybody either  young, old or child, rich or poor in rural or city. But the said TV programmes are exhibiting  indecent,  immoral programmes indiscriminately  without  being censored by  authority  of law or self control. In fact  there is no restriction  available on the Television  networks. No pre-censorship  is provided  in the cable TV networking.  

14.     I state that  Broadcast Media is a powerful purveyor  of ideas and values  and plays a pivotal  role. It should not only provide entertainment  but also disseminate information, nurture and educate  and empower the people of India so as to enable them effectively  participate in the democratic  process, preserving, promoting and projecting the diversity of Indian culture and tradition. Further the  broadcasting  is duty bound to the educational, developmental, Social, Cultural and other needs and aspirations of people.
         
          15.     I state that the marriage as an institution is under threat. Divorces are increasing at a geometrical speed. The foundation of the family is dynamited. Teenagers and minors are indulging   in sexual activities due to the adult contents in the TV. The body of a woman has become an object of entertainment. The Indian culture  of a life long vow  of faithful marital  life is almost  made   nothing  due to the  incessant TV  broadcasting of  vulgar, indecent  serials  and  programmes, against  morality  and ethics.

          16.     I further submit that all the steps taken by the Government  of India submitted a number of Bills (which are annexed to the typed set of papers) to regulate the TV broadcasting and  none of the said bills  contain any measure  to control  the obscenity, indecency  and vulgar Broadcasting  by the TV corporates. All the said Bills have been allowed to lapse. As on  today there is  no law available in India  to  restrict  the obscene  indecent vulgar  Broadcasting  in `Television’ network channels.

          17.     At present there are more than 290 TV channels  are broadcasting  in India. The present uncontrolled, unrestricted Broadcasting  by Television  networks  disseminate obscene,  indecent  vulgar and violence in exhibition in all the TV channels  in the form of serials,  advertisements  and  other programmes. The TV programmes, serials are with obscenity and  indecent  words, dress and body language. The Hon’ble Minister for Information   and Broadcasting  Mr. Priya Rajan Dasmunshi warned the channels  which do not adhere  to the  moral code would see “tough  days ahead”. To the crux of all, Broadcasting of  indecent, vulgar  programmes  shown by the Fashion  TV and  AXN  TV,  was having  serious  uproar in the society.  On 17th January 2007 the Government  of India  had banned to Telecast  of AXN channel  till March 15, 2008 for showing a programme titled “Worlds  Sexiest Commercials as it violated the programme code for cable television”. Further the Govt. banned  the Fashion TV for two months  from 1.4.2007 and  on  21.9.2007,  a Russian Channel  TB6 were taken off air for  obscene content.

           18.    I further submit that  Article 19 of the Constitution of India Guarantees  Freedom of speech and  expression and the  same  can be restricted  among other grounds of social moral  standards,  decency  and morality.  Under Section  292 of  Indian Penal Code, provides  that  any obscene or vulgar  act displayed in  public is punishable. Under, the Indecent representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986, provides  that  depiction  of the  figure,  body or any part of the woman’s  body which  is denigrating  women  or likely  to corrupt  public morality is a punishable offence. In fact the Cable Television  Network  Act  clearly  mention that  24 hours adult programmes can be shown in television.


          19.     I state that  censorship is prevalent all the world   over in some from or the other in respect  of  cinematograph  film. But  as on  today  there is no pre-censorship in respect of  Television  plays. Earlier K.A. Abbas  challenged the pre-censorship against cinematograph  film. The Hon’ble Supreme Court upheld the pre-censorship  on the  cinematograph  film  and the same  is not in violation  of the fundamental rights Article 19 (1) (G). The Hon’ble Supreme Court has held  that the censorship  of film,  their  classification  according  to  age groups  and their suitability  for  unrestricted  exhibition  with or without excision  is regarded   as valid  exercise of power in  the interest of public morality  decency  etc.

          20.     I further submit that the need for  the censorship  of the cinematograph  film  was realized by the Government of India  as early as 1968 and constituted  a committee under the Chairmanship  of  Retried  Chief Justice  of  Punjab High Court Hon’ble Justice Mr.C.D.Khosla to study  and submit  a report. The said  committee after elaborate  comparative study  had submitted  a report, under the  Cinematograph  Act. Every person desiring to exhibit any film has to  apply for a certificate  from the  Board of Film  Censor  created under the Cinematograph Act. The Censor Board shall after examining  the film certify  the same  or  refuse  to  certify. The  certification  may be  for unrestricted  public exhibition  or restricted  for adults  only by  granting  “U” certificate  or `A’ certificate respectively.

21.     The said Cinematograph Act  lays down the principles  for guidance  and appeals  under Section  5B and 5C. Section 5B provides  that  a film  shall not be  certified for  public  exhibition if in the  opinion  of the authority competent  to grant  the certificate   the film  or any part  it is against the interest of the Security  of the State friendly  relations  with  Foreign  States, Public order,  decency  or morality or involves  defamation or contempt  of court as is likely to  incite the Commission  of Offence.   Section   5B(2) provides  that subject  to the provisions  in Sub-Section (1), the Central  Govt.  may issue  such direction  as it may think  fit setting out the principles  which shall guide  the authority  competent  to grant certificate  under this Act in  sanctioning  film for public  exhibition . Under  Section 5C any person  aggrieved  against  the order  of the same shall  make an appeal  to the Tribunal.

          22.     Under Section 5B(2) the Central Government  has  given directions  to the Board of Film Censors. They are divided into General Principles three in number followed by directions  for their application in what  are called  rules. The General Principles laid down by the Supreme Court as follows :
          (a)     No picture shall  be certified  for public exhibition which  shall  lower the moral  standards  of those who  see it. Hence the sympathy  of the audience shall not  be thrown on the side of  crime, wrong doing evil or sin .
          (b)     Standards of life,  having regard to the Standards of the country  and the people to which the  state  relates, shall not be  portrayed as to  deprave the morality of the audience.
          (c)      The prevailing laws shall not be so ridiculed  as to create sympathy  for violation of such laws.

          23.     The  application  of the said General  Principle is indicted in the  four sections of the rules that follows  the uniform  standards  all over the country.
Section I
          (1)     The first section deals with  films which are considered unsuitable  for public exhibition. This  section  is divided into clauses  A to F.
Clause A :           deals with the  delineations of crime.
Clause B : with the exhibition of human form. 
Clause C :           with that  of relation between  sexes. 
Clause D : with the  exhibition of human  form
Clause E :  with the bringing into contempt  of Armed forces  or
public authorities  entrusted  with the  administration  of law and order.
Clause F  : with the  protection of the  susceptibilities   of foreign  nation and  religious communities  with  formenting  social unrest of  discontent  to such an  extent as to incite  people to crime and promoting  disorder, violence, a breach of the law  or disaffection or  resistance  to  Government.
Section II - Section- II enumerates subject which may be  objectionable  in a context in which  either they  amount  to  indecency, immorality,  illegality  or incitement  to  commit  to  breach of law.
Section – III provides :
          It is  not purposed that  certification  of a film should  be  refused  altogether  or that it  should be  certified  as suitable  for  adult  audiences only,  where the  deletion of a part or parts  will render  it suitable for  unrestricted  public exhibition  or for exhibition  restricted  to adults  and such  deletion  is made, unless the film  is such  as to deprave the majority  of the audience  and even excisions  will not  cure the defects.
Section – IV   deals with  protection  of young persons  and enjoins  refusal  of a certificate for  unrestricted  public exhibition  in respect of a film  depicting  a story  or containing  incident unsustainable  for young  persons  emphasis  in this connection  is laid in particular  upon : -
          (a)     anything  which strike  terror in  a young person,  i.e.  scenes  depicting  ghosts, brutality, mutilation,  torture, cruelty etc.,
          (b)     anything  tending  to disrupt, domestic harmony, or the confidence  of a child, in its parents for e.g. scenes depiction of parents  quarrelling, violently, or  one of them  striking  the other  or one or both of them behaving  immorality ;
            (c)    anything  tending  to make a person of tender  years  insensitive  to cruelty  to others  or to animals.

          24.     In the aforesaid  sections  the following  are unsuitable for  exhibition  namely –
(i)               glorification  or extenuation  of crime,
(ii)            Depicting the  modus operandi  of criminals.
(iii)         Enlisting  administration  or sympathy for criminals.
(iv)          Lowering  the sacredness  of institution  of marriage and  depicting rape, seduction and criminal assaults  on women, immoral  traffic in women, soliciting  prostitution,  procuration, illicit sexual  relation  excessively  passionable  love scenes,  indelicate sexual  situations, scenes  suggesting  immorality.
(v)             Indecorous  dancing, importunation of women, cruelty, strangulation  executions,  mutilations and bleeding  cruelty  to animals,  drunkenness, or  drinking  not essential   to the theme of the story,
(vi)          Traffic  and  use of drugs.
(vii)       Class  hatred, horrors of war,
(viii)    Blackmail associated with immorality
(ix)          Gross travesties of  administration  of justice.

25.     I state  that there is no pre-censorship  provided in any law in  respect of  telecasting in television . The Central Government has  enacted  a law called  “The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 (Act 7 of 1995) to  regulate the operation of cable television  networks  in the country and for matters  connected  therewith  incidental  thereto. Under Section  5 of the said Act  provides as, “No person  shall transmit  or retransmit through  a cable service, any programme, unless such programme is in conformity with the prescribed  programme code”. 

26.     Section 20(3) provides  that “Where the Central Government  consider  that any programme  of any  channel  is not in conformity with prescribed programme code referred to in Section 5 it may by  order regulate or prohibit the transmission  or re-transmission  of such programme”.

27.     Under the said Act 7 of 1995 the Central Government has  framed  the Rules,  wherein, Rule 6 provides programme  code as follows :
(i)  No. programme should be carried in the cable service which:-
(a)     offends against  good taste  or decency.
(b)     contains criticism of  friendly countries,
(c)      contain attack on religious  or communities or  visuals  or  words  contemptuous  of  religious groups, or  which  promote  communal  attitudes.
(d)     contains  anything  obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive  innuendos  and half truths,
(e)     Is  likely to encourage or incite  violence, or contains  anything  against  maintenance  of law and order which  promote anti-national  attitudes.
(f)      Contains  anything  amounting  to contempt  of court.
(g)     contains  aspersions against  the  integrity  of the President  and judiciary.
(h)     contains anything  affecting  the  integrity  of the nation.
(i)      Critisises,  malign or  slander any individuals in person  or certain  groups, segments of social  public  or moral  life of the country.
(j)      encourages, superstition or blind belief.
(k)     Denigrates, women,  through the depiction  in any manner  of the figure  of the woman, her form or body or any part thereof, in such  a way as to have the effect of being  indecent  or derogatory  to woman, or likely  to deprave  corrupt, or injure  the public  morality  or morals.
(l)      Denigrates  children
(m)    contains  visual  or words which reflect  a slandering  ironical and snobbish attitude in the portrayal  of certain  ethnic, linguistic,  and  regional  groups.
(n)     contravenes  the provision  of the  Cinematograph  Act.
(ii)     The cable operator  should strive to carry programmes in his  cable service, which project  women in a positive leadership  role of  sobriety,  moral, character  building  activities,
(iii)    Programmes  meant for  adults, should  normally be carried in  the cable service after 11 p.m. and before  6 a.m.
(iv)    Care should be taken to ensure  the programme meant for  children  do not  contain  any bad language, or explicit  scenes  of violence.
(v)     Programmes,  unsuitable  for children  must not be carried  in the cable  service at times when the largest  number of children  are viewing.

28.     I respectfully submit that there is no pre censorship measures provided in the said Cable Television Act and Rules.  There is no enforcement machinery provided under the said Act  and Rules. In a way it is left open  to the cable  television  operators  to  have their  own free choice. Taking advantage  of the said absence of regulatory  measures, all the TV channels  are  exhibiting indecent, vulgar, programmes  polluting children and young person. The Government of India drafted a bill to  regulate  the  “Broadcasting  Services Regulation  Bill  2006” and the same was allowed to lapse. Subsequently, another Bill was  introduced under the name and style of the “Broadcasting Services  Regulation Bill 2007” and this has also been allowed to lapse. Both of the said Bills  did not  provide  for  any regulatory measures  of  any pre-censorship of the TV programmes. On the contrary, Government of  India  has  suggested  a guidelines  under the  name of self regulation  guidelines  for the  Broadcasting.

29.     I further  submit that all the television corporates  broadcasted  the episode of assault occurred in the Madras Law College on 12.11.2008  repeatedly. The  result is all the viewers  were put into horror  and terror. The whole society was put under shock.  Events can be  broadcasted  as a matter of public information  system.  But, repeated broadcasting of the same  episode  makes the people  terrified and they are compelled to think the society  negatively. The terror  attack happened at Mumbai on 26.11.2008 was again  broad casted  repeatedly. Further  the police atrocities in the Madras High Court on 19.2.2009 was broadcasted  repeatedly nearly one week. On repeated broadcasting  of the barbaric act has  made  the people  under  shock.

30.     I further  submit that the Govt. of India has framed programming code to the Television Broadcasting. Under the said code authorities have been created and they are only toothless bodies. Violators of the programming  code are not  booked nor tried and punished. In a way there is no law available  as on  today regulating the TV Broadcasting  in India.

31.     I further submit that consequent  upon the  judgment  of the Supreme Court  in the Bengal Cricket  Association case (1995) the Airwaves are public property  and  the same has to be controlled by the Public Authority  in the interest of  justice.  The Broad casting  bill 1997 was introduced in the Parliament  and the same was lapsed. The following bills have been introduced  in the parliament.
1.                 The Broadcasting  Bill 1997.
2.                 The Communication  Convergence Bill 2001.
3.                 The Broadcasting  Services  Regulation  Bill 2006.
4.                 The Broadcasting Services Regulation  Bill 2007.
All the said  bills introduced in the Parliament  have been allowed to lapse. The Cable Television Networks  Act 1995 has been brought to  regulate  the cable business without  enforcement  or monitoring  authorities.

32.     The following    obscene,  indecent vulgar immoral broadcastings  displayed indiscriminately by  the following T.V. channels  namely ; 
*        AXN TV programmes. A cinema was Broadcasted on  7.1.2009  wherein on  a male  was handcuffed by a woman and raped. 
*        On  26.1.2009 Republic Day  a cinema under  the  title of  “Kathalil  Vizhunthen”  brutal  murders  were shown.
*        On 26.1.2009 a movie called Giri wherein a lady asks her son  to bring  the head of  another  in  a vociferous  sound.  The dialogue  was repeated several times.
*        SS Music,  dance programmes are shown  with indecorous  and importunation  of women.
*        “Manada  Mayilada” - in Kalaigner TV
*        “Jodi No.1” -  in Vijay TV,
*        “Fashion Parade”- in Fashion TV  with indecorous  dressing  and  half nude.
*        “Love at First sight” messages for youngsters to indicate love message to the opposite sex - in Raj T.V. (Raj Music) and other T.Vs.
*        In the past, man was shown as running after women. Now a regular feature is two or three women fighting for a man. This kind of blatant degradation of womanhood in all the TV serials.
There are innumerous instances.

33.     These television  programmes  are  exhibited  in competitive  character of one TV  trying to do more than the other, without  bothering  or  accepting  their responsibility  to the people Nation, its tradition, culture and the impact on the young and children. 

34.     Very many complaints  have been  lodged  before the Central Government against the indecent, immoral obscene programmes. Various  forums  and Social service  organizations are  making  protests Dharnas  against  the said illegal exhibitions.  But  all in vain.


35.     Children  protested against  indecent portrayal  of women in television  programmes  in Chennai on 2.3.2008.

36.     The cases of molestation sexual harassment and rape is on the rise due to this constant  broadcasting  of  obscenity, violence  in the media in the  new generation. The ultimate  result would  be, steady  destruction of the institution  of  marriage.  “The New York Times” reported on 16.1.2007 that 51% of the women  in  USA  are without spouses. Further  prevalence  of much married  status  is common. As on  date,  due to the said  obscene vulgar programmes  in TVs  have  created  intolerance  that it had resulted  with  multiplication of Family  Courts,  and filing of divorce petitions had increased at Geometrical speed. “The New Indian  Express” on 17.7.2007 reported  that many young couples, particularly  women, have been   filing  petitions  for  separation, which was  unheard of in the 1970’s. A judge  of the Delhi Matrimonial   Court said  there used to be one to two cases  in the 1960’s, 100-200 in 1980s, about  1000 in 1990’s but now it has increased to  about  9000 cases per annum.   Our country  has  a rich  tradition  of  system, and culture.  Marriage  is a divine institution. Any form of denigration advocating the lowering  the institution  of  marriage cannot be allowed. If the present trend is allowed  to continue  we may also face the same  situation as in U.S.A. Further the fate  of the children and building  up of the future society  is at a high risk.

37.     The London based “The Daily Telegraph” on 2.2.2009 reported that “too much  TV can make children mentally ill”. The report has  found that only  a quarter of children  with mental health problems get any specialist help, and one  in 10five  to 16 year  olds  now have mental health issues  ranging  from anxiety  or depression   to  conduct  disorders  such as destructive behaviour.

38.     I respectfully submit that under sec 20 of the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act 1995 the, Central Govt may prohibit operation of any Cable Television Network in such areas. The Central Govt. is also bound to regulate, prohibit the transmission and retransmission of any channel or programme of any Cable TV. Under the said Act (Sec 20) the Central Govt. has to prohibit the operation of any Cable Television Network of their transmission or retransmission, in the interest of public order, decency and morality.

39.     I further submit that a notice has been issued to the Central Govt. and other TV Channels dated 25.03.2009, to prohibit transmission of indecent, vulgar, violent, immoral programmes and the same has been received by them. But only two, TV Channel network namely, AXN and Vijay TV have given evasive reply.

40.     We have no other alternative and efficacious remedy except to invoke the extra ordinary jurisdiction  of this Hon’ble Court under Art 226 of the Constitution of India.

It is therefore prayed that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to  issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other writ, order or direction in the nature of a writ directing the 1st respondent to regulate, order prohibit the transmission or retransmission of the cable Television networks of the Respondents which are telecasting indecent, vulgar, obscene programmes of inducing, glorifying violence, crimes, obscenity in particular on women and children, explicit images of sexual perversions or acts of sexual violence like rape or molestation, or show pornography, or use of sexually suggestive body language or have half naked girls dancing almost performing pornography or indiscriminate drinking and smoking and pass such further or other orders as may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case and thus render justice.


Solemnly affirmed at Chennai
on this the      day of  July , 2009                       BEFORE ME
and signed his name in my presence.
ADVOCATE : CHENNAI


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THE HOLY BIBLE WAS TRANSLATED INTO “TAMIL LANGUAGE IN 1995” BY THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF TAMILNADU(SOUTH INDIA) IS TOTALLY CONTRADICTORY TO THE DECREE “ SCRIPTURARUM THESAURUS” ISSUED BY HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II DATED APRIL 25, 1979. THE TRANSLATED BIBLE IS KNOWN AS ‘ THIRUVIVILIAM”, IT IS DEVIATED FROM THE ORIGINAL BIBLE, DILUTED THE TRUTH AND DISTORTED THE FACTS. HOLY SEE HAVE BLIND EYE ON ALL THESE ERRONEOUS TRANSLATIONS.