Blaming porn for child rapes, MP minister bats for ban
Amid an alarming increase in sexual harassment reports, MP Home Minister Bhupendra Singh is batting for a ban on porn, which he claims is the "main cause" for such crimes. The state has blocked 25 porn sites, but that isn't enough and they should be banned altogether, he urged the Center. Recently, a six-month-old girl was kidnapped, raped and murdered in state capital Indore.
'Sexual assault a result of children accessing porn sites freely'
Talking to reporters, Singh said a home ministry study had "revealed that pornography is adversely impacting childhood, with young boys and girls getting easy access to it." "Rapes and sexual assault are a result of access to these sites," he concluded, without giving details of the study. "We have urged the Center to ban all porn sites and introduce stringent laws to control porn."
'Death penalty for rapists of children big decision by Center'
Singh lauded the Union Government for "tak(ing) a big decision by clearing the proposal" of death penalty for rapists of children. MP had brought about a similar amendment in November last year, he added. The new Public Safety Bill also imposes stricter punishment on all cases of sexual assault. But Singh agreed that stricter laws won't solve the problem unless there's no social awareness.
Innumerable cases of brutal rapes of children in recent past
Singh's comments come even as new cases of sexual harassment make news everyday. In the last 10 days, numerous rapes of minors have been reported: a 9-year-old in Surat, a 7-year-old in Etah, a 10-year-old in Chhattisgarh, a 13-year-old in Bihar, a 13-year-old and a 9-year-old in Muzaffarnagar, a 6-year-old in Cuttack and a 9-year-old in Chennai are just few of the children brutalized.
Will banning porn help check rapes then?
Rape is a product of a complex combination of societal and individual factors, and porn has surely contributed. Most porn portrays women as submissive beings with focus being on only men's satisfaction. However, banning it would be removing only one factor. India's patriarchal society also plays a role by dismissing men's accountability and emphasizing women's responsibility. To check rapes, a multifaceted approach is necessary.
