TV not to project any one religion as the ''only'' or ''true'':Code

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Projecting any particular religion as the 'only' or 'true' one in any TV programme has been prohibited by the proposed Content Code for broadcasters the Government is seeking to bring in.

It is for the first time that such a specific provision has been sought to be included in any code, guideline or a law, say legal experts welcoming it as in keeping with the secular character of the Indian polity.

With the 'faith' channels mushrooming fast, the draft Code has also cautioned against broadcasting any programme which involves appealing, advising and imploring or pleading to anyone to change one's religion or faith.

Playing on the fear of ''explicit or implicit'' adverse circumstances of not being religious or not subscribing to any particular faith or belief has also been prohibited.

Well-known lawyer Shanti Bhushan said the move to introduce these provisions was welcome as it was in keeping with the secular character of the Indian state.

Supreme Court advocate Pawan Duggal also says such provisions were needed in today's broadcasting scenario when certain TV channel seemed to be following no ethics and no norms, and were promoting just superstition in the name of covering matters relating to religion.

Another well-known lawyer of the capital Prashant Bhshan feels that the proposed new norms for the media were perfectly allright in a democratic society if they were sought to be met with through self-regulation, without government interference.

Supreme Court advocate Bahar U Barqui feels that no one should certainly be allowed to project any one religion as the only and true one, or brainwash people into changing their religion, but the matter did not seem to be simple.

The Constitution gives one the right to propagate one's religion.

What do the words in the draft code like ''imploring, pleading and advising one to change religion'' really mean will have to be seen.

He said he could make any definite comment on the code after he had studied it in depth.

The Content Code will be the part of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill the Government wants to introduce in Parliament.

Though broadcasters are posing stiff resistance to the code, contending that the matters covered in it have already been taken care of in the IPC, the above guidelines definitely add further elaborations, according to the Ministry.

The code also advises against promoting any dangerous, retrogressive or gender discriminatory practices in the name of religion or faith or ideology.

It also prohibits defaming religions or communities or expressing contempt about religious groups. Promoting comunal attitudes and inciting religious strife is also to be checked.

Any programme inciting disharmony, animosity, conflict, hatred or ill will between different religious, racial, linguisic groups and caste and communities has also been prohibited.

In the prelude to the Code, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has said that it was necessary to have such a code to ensure more responsible treatment of sensitive subjects such a (1) crime and violence, sex , obscenity and nudity, horror and occult, drugs, smoking, tobacco, solvents and alcohol, religion and community.

The Ministry, which released the Content Code about ten days back for seeking views of the public and other stakeholders, has asked the broadcasters to give back their response by August 5.

However, broadcasters say that it was too short a time to respond to such a complicated matter.

The issues raised by the provisions of the draft code had far reaching implications for the freedom of the media, so they cannot be decided in a haste, they say.

UNI