CHURUMURI POLL: Is the ban on FTV right?

The moral police constables are at it again. After imposing a ban on AXN for its “Sexiest Advertisements” show, the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry yesterday decreed that FTV, the fashion channel, should go off the air. The official reason: “The programmes aired by the channel are against good taste and decency and denigrated women. Such shows were likely to adversely affect public morality.”

Questions: Should the government be in the business of deciding what is decent and what is not? Is it right to deny access to the channel to everybody just because it is not of liking to a few? Who decides what public morality is? By this yardstick, how “decent” are most of our movies and fashion shows? What will the government ban next? Who should decide what you watch: you or the mantris and babus?