Are rules meant to be broken? Probably not where serious offenses are concerned. A nation or a society is called civilized only on the basis of how law abiding its citizens. While we have strict rules and regulations in place, are we only counting on the law enforcers to implement them? Are we not part of the system we perpetually criticize and blame?
Urinating in public place (Section 393A of the IPC)
Gods more effective than laws in India
Despite make shift or expensive lavatories built in and around towns and cities, there’s nothing that our country men enjoy more than relieving themselves (from all exit points of their body) on the red brick walls or the latest Bollywood poster on buildings.
Foetal sex determination (Section 312 of the IPC)
While countries abroad continue the debate between pro-choice and pro-life, our country is obsessed with having baby boys to no end. In places like India, where we mourn the loss of a baby girl more than the loss of a child, determining the sex of your foetus has been declared illegal by the Govt. for long. Wake up wake up, the average sex ratio in the country has come down to 914 girls per 1000 boys.
Sticking bills & posters (Section 292 of the IPC)
When latest Friday flick, Ayurveda medicine or Tuition teacher’s numbers are not enough to sufficiently adorn our public walls, come elections, our ruling (or defeated) political parties make sure their faces, party mandate and logo are not missed by the living population in every centimeter of all the walls.
Noise Pollution
The Noise Regulation Rules (2000) to section 3 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1986. The EPA is the umbrella legislation to deal with the every dynamic issue in relation to environmental protection. The rules regulate noise levels in industrial, [75 decibels] commercial [65 decibels] and residential zones [55 decibels], and also establish zones of silence (100 meters) near schools, courts, hospitals, etc. The rules also assign regulatory authority for these standards to the local district courts. Some important observations from the rules:
No permission can be granted by any authority for use of public address system in the open after 10.00 PM and before 6.00 AM. No exception is possible. Any person or organization making noise on amplified system after 10.00 pm is violation of the law and the person can be prosecuted under the provisions of the EPA 1986. Only District Magistrates can grant permissions after 10.00 PM for functions within closed premises. District Magistrates cannot grant permission for use of any amplified public address system after 10.00 PM.
The sale and consumption of alcohol in dry states: Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland
In 2009, 82 people died after drinking illicit liquor (methyl alcohol laced) in Gujarat, where the illegal hooch trade is approximated to be a huge $6.7 billion. The status quo of of bootlegging and consumption is similar in the Christian states of Mizoram and Nagaland, where alcohol is actually served in restaurant despite the ban.
Travelling without a ticket in passenger trains
In Mumbai, as per TOI, A total of 1,174 cases of ticketless/irregular travel and unbooked luggage were detected. These included 100 cases of travel in first class without ticket and 714 of ticketless travel in second class compartments. CR earned Rs 2.86 lakh in fine from offenders in these cases.
Dowry demands (Section 498A of the IPC)
This Volkswagen Beatle ad made two facts very transparent. One, dowry is a commonplace practice among all classes regardless of education or socio-economic status. Two, with the per capita income of the Indian middle class rising and becoming more consumerist based, the violation of the Dowry Prevention Act, 1961 and the resultant and related crimes is only going to increase.
Begging (Bombay prevention of begging act, 1959)
No case has been registered under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, which was adopted by Delhi (along with 17 other states) about 45 years ago, in 1960. Begging is one of the main drivers for crimes like human trafficking and child labour. It is the social welfare department’s failure to deliver in the face of threatening human rights activists and the underbelly of politicians and mafias running the business. This short documentary video shows the plight and unwillingness of children to be out begging on the streets to make ends meet.
Prostitution (Section 372 & 373 of the IPC)
Mumbai Red Light Area (Source: http://sushantskoltey.wordpress.com/2011/07/02/red-light-area-prostituti…)
Although the Chandni Bars of Mumbai have officially been shut down, there are still many places that are run under false pretenses of entertainment shows besides the famous red light districts Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata. The red light areas aside, the business flourishes unhinged in hotels and private farmhouses through private escort services easily accessible and openly advertised.
Smoking in public places (The Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Non-Smoker’s Health Protection Act, 1996)
Considering that all places other than residential spaces and private properties constitute as public places, this rule is openly flouted for almost no lack of choice, except the choice to quit smoking itself. But given that India is the third largest producer of tobacco and also one of the largest consumers, contributing immensely to the gross domestic product of the country, this rule is getting smoked away in ashes.
Bribery (Sections 171E & 109 of the IPC)
Corruption has been the way of life in our country. Its what we called jugaad among many other terms of need to justify it. But while it serves one man’s immediate and pressing need, it spoils the system for him and everyone else around him.
“The mistake you make, don’t you see, is in thinking one can live in a corrupt society without being corrupt oneself. After all, what do you achieve by refusing to make money? You’re trying to behave as though one could stand right outside our economic system. But one can’t. One’s got to change the system, or one changes nothing. One can’t put things right in a hole-and-corner way, if you take my meaning.”
? George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying
Porn (Section 292 of the IPC)
India is no. 3 on the list of nations searching for ‘sex’ on Google and has unlimited supply of material created, produced or published within the territories as much as imported magazines, tapes, CDs, DVDs and with the internet, the rate of piracy (again highest for pornographic videos, much more than Bollywood). Read this article on whether porn should be legalized in India.
