Punjab State Commission for Women wanted to delete the noise of indecency from Punjabi music by having state’s own ‘Censor Board’ for Punjabi songs and videos glorifying vulgarity and indecency.
The proposal, floated almost eight years back, is yet to see the light of the day. In fact, in the absence of any mechanism to check the “menace”, the Punjabi singers are singing in praise of vulgarity making a bad influence on the young generations.
It was in 2012 that the then state’s Cultural Affairs Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur mooted the proposal to set up the Censor Board to screen the content shown in videos and the lyrics so that the censored content reaches the public. However, at that time, the State received a dressing down by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) dubbing it as a “separatist move”.
The demand to have state’s own Censor Board has once again gained momentum with the state’s women panel chief Manisha Gulati giving voice to the same.
After ensuring registration of a case against Punjabi rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh for using lewd lyrics against women in his latest song ‘Makhna’ besides the producer Bhushan Kumar, Gulati insisted that Board must be constituted for the songs on line with the censor board for films.
“Songs have very crucial role either to make or mar a society. The song ‘Makhna’ by Honey Singh has played a catastrophic role to misguide the youngsters by its lewd lyrics,” said Gulati.
She said that a Censor Board for the songs is “urgently required” which will act as a deterrent against such singers who were singing vulgar songs. “I will personally meet the Chief Minister to request him to set up a Censor Board in Punjab,” she said.
Notably, the Punjab and Haryana High Court is also hearing a public interest litigation on curbing vulgar lyrics in Punjabi songs.
A government official told The Pioneer that the main problem is how to control the contents on the social media which is on everyone’s fingertips. “It is quite difficult to censor the content at a time when everything is just a click away, and available on the worldwide web and on everyone’s mobile sets,” added the official.
Over the period, the leaders, and the respective Ministers had only created noise, instead of actually acting upon it.
During the present regime, the state’s former Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had announced to set up a Punjab Sabhyachaar (Culture) Commission to check “obscenity and vulgarity” besides the “glorification of drugs and violence” in Punjabi songs.
He had also maintained that the Commission would also have powers to monitor content served through the social media, but the panel is yet to see the light of the day.
The proposed Commission, which would be set up after an Act for setting it up would be passed in the House, was empowered to have powers to register FIRs against those who violate a “code of conduct”.
“The Commission would first issue show-cause notices, then call the singers for counselling and still if they don’t desist, then as a last resort the option of getting an FIR registered against the singer would also be open to the commission,” said the official.
WOMEN PANEL SEEKS GURDAS MANN’S HELP
Punjab State Women Commission chairperson also appealed the famous legendary Punjabi singer Gurdas Mann to come forward and support the women panel in its campaign against vulgar songs.
“Gurdas Mann should persuade the singers and producers to not to sing or produce vulgar songs in future,” she said.
RECEIVING THREAT CALLS, ABUSIVE MESSAGES: GULATI
The state women panel head claimed that she had been receiving threat calls and abusive messages on social media after she lodged a complaint against rapper Honey Singh for using lewd lyrics in his song.
Honey Singh and music producer Bhushan Kumar have been booked by Punjab Police on the charge of using vulgar lyrics in the song, ‘Makhna’.
“I have been receiving threat calls and getting abusive messages on Twitter for lodging a complaint against Yo Yo Honey Singh. Some of his supporters are threatening her of dire consequences...I am not scared of anyone. I will continue to raise my voice on such issues,” she said adding that she will not bow down.
Saying that she had reported the matter to the police, Gulati said that after ensuring registration of case against the rapper, the panel would ensure Honey Singh’s arrest.
“It is a lesson for singers like Honey Singh who use objectionable words against women,” she said, adding that the women panel would now keep a watch on other singers as well to ensure that vulgar lyrics did not find their way into songs.
She said: “If he (Honey Singh) applies for bail, we will oppose it.” Gulati said that the Punjab Government is fully cooperating and the Commission will now take help of the public prosecutors to cancel the bail application which may be filed by the singer to stay his arrest.
Gulati had earlier written to the state Home Secretary, the Punjab DGP and the IGP (Crime), demanding appropriate action against the singer for using objectionable words in the song.
Later, Honey Singh was booked under Sections 294 (punishment for obscene song and acts) and 509 (punishment for word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Police said that the rapper had also been booked under Section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and relevant section of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, at Mohali.