IMPHAL, July 8: The issue of moral policing by a body called Young Women’s Help Organization and their checking of restaurants which started from April last has drawn comments from various sections of the society.
The civil body has raided shady inns and hauled out beds and warned the owners of the hotels located in the valley districts.
In the drive, several ‘immoral couples’ have also been paraded in front of the media.
IFP in a survey talked to some concerned individuals.
Imphal West Superintendent of Police (SP) K Jayanta said that it is understood that the civil society organizations in their endeavors should go along with the police in handling sensitive issues. The rule of law has to be understood and nobody should take law into their hands.
He said, even drug addicts are rehabilitated and criminals on account of their good behavior are released on parole. The cases concerning women and children should be handled with the utmost care, the police also in such cases use lady officers and uniforms are even not required when tackling the issues and for comfort of the victims, the State Commission for Women should take a proactive role here, he said.
He further stated those conducting the restaurant drives should be cautious and if unwanted incidents happen during the drives, then the police will be forced to take remedial actions according to the law.
Jayanta also voiced on the state media to be more responsible and ethical in publishing reports and photos which are not in tandem with public interest.
Regarding the act of moral policing and further publication in the media MC Arun, Associate Professor at Manipur University said that a civil organization may have betterment of society as their objective but a civil society organization cannot be the judge and jury both, trails should be done by a competent authority.
“One can mention times when in a feudal society, women were tonsured and paraded along the ‘leikais’ on certain charges. But, we have a democratic system now and globalization has set in, such conduct in the name of morality cannot be accepted in today’s society”, he told IFP.
Citing an example of security forces carrying out certain human right violations and the public shouting absence of the rule of law, MC Arun mentioned that the circumstances is similar in the moral policing issue where the victim is not judged and the mob law or the NGOs takes over in the name of awarding justice.
Mentioning the picture of a restaurant raid and question of privacy being invaded arising, he said that the press has certain responsibilities towards the society in dissemination of newsworthy information and pictures.
“The media needs to introspect and have a holistic outlook in printing pictures, an unethical representation in a paper borders on irresponsibility and is unfortunate”, he said.
All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) president A Mobi told IFP that we have a democratic system and rules are laid down and departments are there for effective governance.
He said, “The restaurant drive is fine, but the way of approach is totally wrong. An NGO cannot take the law into their hands and haul up couples in the name of moral policing.”
He further stated that the media should be news sensitive and the publishing of photos of couples is an invasion of privacy and ethically wrong. “Who will bear responsibility if the girl in the picture commits suicide out of shame?” he asked!
Quoting media ethics from records available, It’s an infringement of privacy to publish private facts about someone who has a reasonable expectation of privacy in them, and where the disclosure is highly offensive to a reasonable person, a story might identify a person even if he or she isn’t named, for example by showing them wearing some distinctive clothing even if their face is pixelated. The key issue remains, was the person recognisable to those who know him or her, but don’t know the private fact?
The Press Council of India also in its norm of Journalistic conduct states that the Press shall not intrude or invade the privacy of an individual, unless outweighed by genuine overriding public interest, not being a prurient or morbid curiosity. So, however, that once a matter becomes a matter of public record, the right to privacy no longer subsists and it becomes a legitimate subject for comment by the Press and the media, among others. Special caution is essential in reports likely to stigmatise women.
In explanation,things concerning a person`s home, family, religion, health, sexuality, personal life and private affairs are covered by the concept of Privacy excepting where any of these impinges upon the public or public interest.