The Supreme Court today sought to know how a ban on community-centric jokes, if ordered, will be implemented.
The top court’s observation came while carrying forward its hearing on PILs seeking a ban on ‘sardar jokes’.
A bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices C Nagappan and AM Khanwilkar on Monday asked petitioner and lawyer Harvinder Choudury, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DGSMC), Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee from Haryana and Gurudwara Management Committee from Patna Sahib to explain within four weeks ‘if the court decides to issue any direction how can they be enforced?’
“We are not saying that there should not any guideline on the issue, but the question remains as to how these directions will be enforced. If we say no Sikh jokes, how is it to be implemented? Come up with ideas on that within four weeks,” it said.
It also noted that a stricture on the matter by the apex court could result in people from different communities also approaching it for a direction to impose a ban on anyone referring to them.
“Today, it is Sikhs. Tomorrow, the people from northeast will come and seek a direction that there should be a ban on anyone referring to them as ‘chinkies’. Day after, the people living below Vindhyachal will seek a ban on north Indians referring to them as Madrasis. How does one deal with such issues?” the court asked.
“We can pass orders to stop commercial exploitation of such jokes and materials,” it said, adding that in private arena, it will be difficult to contain such acts.
The bench then deferred the hearing on the PIL by four weeks and sought suggestions about the possible directions on such practices and ways to enforce them.
Earlier, the court had asked organisations representing the Sikh community to make a united effort in their endeavour to ban jokes on them, rather than being divided in giving suggestions and evolving mechanisms to curb such activity.
"You should be united in the effort rather than divided," it had said while hearing a batch of petitions seeking ban on circulation of jokes on Sikhs.
