‘Stronger laws needed’

Pornography refers to writings, drawings, pictures and videos designed to arouse sexual desire. Though pornography is illegal, sexually explicit material is easily available on the Internet, endangering the safety and dignity of women in an era of gender equality.

Man’s expectations of sexual contentment erode his empathy for the fair sex , leading to increasing cases of rape and sexual violence against women, ranging from a new born to an octogenarian.

Sexual attitudes are becoming more conspicuous with people uploading porn and other sexual material on social media platforms.

Despite there being a law prohibiting indecent representation of women (depiction in any manner of the figure of a woman, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory , or denigrating, or likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals) and such an act being a punishable offence , the actual offenders are either not charged, or let off , as the offences are bailable.

Similarly, Sections 292 and 293 of the Indian Penal Code prohibit the sale, distribution, public exhibition or circulation of any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation or figure or any other obscene object whatsoever. With the introduction of the Information Technology Act in 2000, such crimes, if committed online, are punishable under Section 66E and Section 67 of the IT Act .

Still, with the offences being bailable, the impact of law is almost negligible, though it ought to be a deterrent.

It is high time the laws are amended , giving more teeth to the enforcement, inter alia by making the offence nonbailable and enhancing the term of punishment to ensure that this menace is contained without delay..