The DPS Saga..Some reflections

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"..Fellow students claim the girl wanted to be 'cool' and gain some instant popularity. Unfortunately for them, the film reached the Principal who expelled the two... It is being said that on being questioned by the Principal, both students did not appear to be ashamed of what they had done. In fact, the girl even reportedly retorted, "Who doesn't do it? Haven't you done it?" The boy is equally nonchalant about what he had done, according to his peers. ..."

These are the revelations of a concerned observer of the episode. This indicative trend of the current generation of our children is truly alarming.

Does this indicate a declining moral standard in our society? or is it an aberration of the Delhi Society where stinking wealth mixed with corruption and abuse of political and bureaucratic power makes children take a rebellious attitude to life?

It may not be a coincidence that the infamous Bal Bharti type episode also happened in one of the Delhi's prestigious schools.

We all know that today's parents are too busy with their own occupations and have little time for their children. But they have enough money to buy the latest camera phones, unlimited talk time, Broad Band Internet and any other facility that the children ask for. The Grand parents are leading a secluded life some where else away from their grand children.

This has lead to a situation where children of immature age are having all facilities to explore  that part of the world which was a taboo in the previous generation.

The MTVs and Fashion TVs as well as the Page 3 Culture or the Page 1 Photos of leading dailies indirectly encourage a permissive culture where visiting night clubs, spending thousands of rupees in a day on wining, dining and dancing, all create an environment where the DPS school kids statements seem natural.

So Who is responsible for the changing culture of the young students?.. Is it the children themselves? or Is it the Parents? or Is it the Teachers? or Is it the Media?

Recently when a similar incident came to the notice of a responsible journalist in Chennai, the journalist weighed the pros and cons of running a front page story which would have made over a million people sit up and take notice versus the possibility of the incident getting undue publicity and causing greater damage to the reputation of the victim and decided not to go ahead with the publication of the story. Though after a lapse of a few days the story did leak out to the media through regional language press, the restraint shown by the journalist was an exhibition of his concern for the society.

Compare this with the attitude of the Mumbai/Delhi Tabloid that made a killing out of the Kareena episode. Is this irresponsible journalism? or the Freedom of the Press? ..only the public can judge.

Now coming to the Teachers. It is well known that today the School Teachers have a more effective role in the disciplining of the students than the Parents. But how many of the Schools which have been "Proud of Computerization" ensured that their students are taught about the "Risks of the Internet"?. Teaching about Internet and Computer Programming without teaching about Cyber Laws is the biggest mistake that our education community is doing to out children.

Now let us also look at the role of the Police and the Government. Is it not the responsibility of the law enforcement and the Government to educate the public on critical areas of law compliance?. Whoever created the principle "Ignorance is No Defense" should also weigh the responsibility of the Law Makers in ensuring that the Government and Law Enforcement exercises "Due Diligence" in removing ignorance.

From my own experience I can state that the Ministry of Information Technology has not taken enough efforts to either undertake mass education on Cyber laws by themselves, nor has in any way encouraged such efforts by people like us.

The Ministry is today more concerned with the "Protection of IPR of MNCs in Non Original Data Base" than protection of our future generation.

The Law Enforcement should also realize that arresting an IIT Student or the CEO of Bazee.com may provide necessary publicity and become a deterrent against proliferation of such activities in future, but could also kill the lives of young students and entrepreneurs.

When we think that those students of IIT who were involved in inhuman ragging episodes were let off by Indian law very lightly, the fact that the IIT student who is now caught in the selling of DPS video on the Internet could face a more stringent punishment makes one turn cynical of our system.

There is already a problem with the ITA-2000, Section 67 which is too stringent and does not make distinction of a pornographic website owner who systematically purveys pornographic material and a student who distributes video clippings.

By further aberrations in the implementation by the law enforcement authorities who are reportedly hunting for the few people who bought the clipping from bazee.com the situation appears to be getting out of hand.

It is ironic to know that the girl who is the center of the episode is now abroad and the boy is also appearing to be out of reach of the Police. On the other hand the Police are after the website owner and the buyers of the clipping beside the IIT boy who has already reported to have stated that he would not have indulged in the activity if he knew that it was an offence.

Unfortunately, the case having reached the current status, it can only culminate in the Courts after a long battle. Unfortunately, while the two actors of the Video may not think that what they have done is a Crime, the society is crucifying the peripheral players and some of them may never be the same again.

One positive aspect of this episode is that more Netizens will now try to be responsible. There may also be clarifications on what constitutes an offence under Section 67 of ITA-2000 and whether the concerned clipping is indeed an obscene document in electronic form as per the section.

Naavi

December 18,2004

Bloggers Beware..Set of 10 articles

Related Articles:

At Sify.com

Sify.com  : Express India : TOI : HT

At Naavi.org:

Are Mobile Phone Service Providers Liable?

Buyers of DPS Video also being Arrested

Bazee.Com CEO Arrested

Wise Techies realize that Law Can Bite

US Video Voyeurism Bill Goes for President's Signature

Delhi Police Register Case..Bazee Needs to Explain



For Structured Online Courses in Cyber laws, Visit Cyber Law College.com

 

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