Need for Personal Space: Legalizing Pornography in India

SATYAKI DATTA, RASANANDA PANDA & SAURABH DAS MICA-The School of Ideas, India

Abstract
India though being the birthplace of the ancient science of sex, it is really a matter of shame that the post British India, considers it a taboo, to talk and discuss it in the public. Like many other ancient scriptures and technologies that were all initiated by India, but are now used and further developed by the western world, India, in this case too only boasts itself of having just invented this, but, with little implications in their modern life. Like the Vedas, Upansihadas, Ayurveda, Yoga, Mathematics, Kamasutra or the science of sex, had also developed in this part of the world first, but, is considered obscene in present day India. What is even more insane is that there are numerous, monuments, buildings of the ancient and medieval history still present in this country, which openly depicts sex in the form of sculptures and paintings, and are popular tourist destinations, but watching the same over electronic media has been labelled illicit.

Keywords: Pornography, Internet, legal, social taboo, sex

References

Amis, M. (2001, March 17). A rough trade : The Guardian. Retrieved from The Guardian: http:// www.theguardian.com/books/2001/mar/17/society.martinamis1 Budki, S. (2012, February 16). 90 lakh Indians watch adult content on mobile: News18.com. Retrieved from News18.com: http://www.news18.com/news/india/90-lakh-indians-watchadult-content-on-mobile-447278.html Castleman, M. (2009, April 27). Does Pornography Cause Social Harm?: Psychology Today. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/allabout-sex/200904/does-pornography-cause-social-harm Covenant Eyes. (2015). Covenanteyes. Retrieved from Pornography Statistics: Covenanteyes: http://www.covenanteyes.com/ Daily Mirror. (2014, December 17). SL tops Google’s ‘sex’ search list again: Daily Mirro. Retrieved from Daily Mirror: http://www.dailymirror.lk/59133/tops-google-s-sexsearch-list-a ga in Deshmukh. (2012). Open Letter to the Netizens of India. Retrieved from Kirtu.com: https:// www.kirtu.com/micro-blog/an-open-letter-to-the-netizens-of-india/ Deshmukh. (2016). business. Retrieved from Kirtu.com: https://www.kirtu.com/business/ DiVirgilio, A. (2013, January 12). Money in Pornography: The Richest. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from The Richest: http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/money/money-inpornography-one-of-the-most-misunderstood-industries/ Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2016). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from Encyclopaedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/topic/pornography Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2016). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from Encyclopaedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/art/erotica Encyclopedia, W. H. (2016). List of pornography laws by country:. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing Press: http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/ list_of_pornography_laws_by_country#cite_note-89 Ghosh, S. (2015, August 5). Industry: Live Mint. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Live Mint: http://www.livemint.com/Industry/VhuXq3jfADn2CrhK8nJ7pL/Oops-Indian-ISPstelcos-could-lose-3070-of-data-revenue.html Harvard Law School. (n.d.). Berkman Online Lectures & Discussions: Harvard Law School. Retrieved from Harvard Law School: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/vaw02/mod2- 3.htm Herbenick, D. (2010, August 15). Resons why masturbation is good for yoy. Retrieved from menshealth.com: http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/4-reasons-whymasturbation-is-good-for-youKumar, M. (2014, November 12). Swachh Internet: Modi Govt To Block Adult Websites: Business Insider, India. Retrieved from Business Insider, India: http://www.businessinsider.in/ Swachh-Internet-Modi-Govt-To-Block-Adult-Websites/articleshow/45119222.cms Leung, R. (2003, November 21). Porn in the USA: CBS News. Retrieved from CBS News: http:// www.cbsnews.com/news/porn-in-the-usa-21-11-2003/ Mitta, M. (2011, May 28). Watching pornography no offence: IPC and IT Act: The Times of India. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from The Times of India: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ india/Watching-pornography-no-offence-IPC-and-IT-Act/articleshow/8613854.cms Mohammed, S. (2016, April 7). Indians love ‘desi’ porn, Delhi tops with 39% traffic: The Economic Times. Retrieved June 15, 2016, from The Economic Times: http:// economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/Indians-love-desi-porn-Delhitops-with-39-traffic/articleshow/51725868.cms Moyer, M. W. (2011, July 1). The Sunny Side of Smut: Scientific American. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-sunny-sideof-smut/ Nykaza, T. (2015, February 27). Pornography as drug: The Aquinas. Retrieved from The Aquinas: http://aquinas.scranton.edu/2015/02/27/pornography-as-drug/ Obscene Publications Act, 1959. (n.d.). Obscene Publications Act, 1959: legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved June 14, 2016, from legislation.gov.uk: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ ukpga/1959/66/pdfs/ukpga_19590066_en.pdf Patel, A. (2014, November 21). Everything you wanted to know about how India watches porn in one map and five charts: Quartz India. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from Quartz India: http:// qz.com/300478/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-how-india-watches-porn-inone-map-and-five-charts/ Pornography in Europe: Wikipedia. (2016, April 22). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography_in_Europe#cite_note-7 Pornography in Turkey: Wikipedia. (2016, February 13). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography_in_Turkey#cite_note-tck-1 Pulley, B. (2005, March 7). The Porn King: Forbes. Retrieved from Forbes: http://web.archive.org/ w e b /2 0 0 5 0 3 0 9 0 4 0 6 0 6/ h t t p : / / w w w. f o r b e s . c o m / b u s i n e s s /2 0 0 5/0 3 /0 7/ cz_bp_0307vivid.html Pyne, S. (2015, August 7). This is how porn sites make money: Business Insider India. Retrieved from Business Insider India: http://www.businessinsider.in/This-is-how-pornsitesmake-money/articleshow/48385361.cms Software Freedom Law Centre. (2014, August 30). Supreme Court directs anti-porn petition to be placed before Cyber Regulations Advisory Committee: Software Freedom Law Centre. Retrieved from Software Freedom Law Centre: http://sflc.in/supreme-court-directsanti-porn-petition-to-be-placed-before-cyber-regulations-advisory-committee/ The Economist. (2014, August 9). A personal choice: The Economist. Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21611063-Internet-makingbuying-and-selling-sex-easier-and-safer-governments-should-stop The Economist. (2014, August 9). Prostitution and the Internet: The Economist. Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21611074-how-newtechnology-shaking-up-oldest-business-more-bang-your-buck The Economist. (2015, September 26). Naked Capitalism: The Economist. Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/international/21666114-Internet-blewporn-industrys-business-m odel-a part-its-response-holds-lessons The Information Technology Act, 2000. (2000, June 9). Retrieved June 15, 2016, from Department of Electronics & Information Technology: http://deity.gov.in/sites/ upload_files/dit/files/downloads/itact2000/itbill2000.pdfTIME. (1969, June 6). Article: TIME. Retrieved from TIME: http://content.time.com/time/ magazine/article/0,9171,941672,00.html Turkish Penal Code. (2004, October 12). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from http://www.cezabb.adalet.gov.tr/mevzuat/5237.htm Venkatesh, S. (2010, September 12). Five myths about prostitution: The Washington Post. Retrieved from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/ 2010/09/10/AR2010091002670.html Vivid Entertainment. (n.d.). database: Vivid Entertainment. Retrieved from Vivid Entertainment: http://datab.us/i/Vivid%20Entertainment Webroot. (2016). Internet pornography by the numbers: Webroot. Retrieved from Webroot: http:/ /ww w.web ro o t .c o m / in/en /ho m e /res o urc es/tip s/di gita l -fa m i ly-li fe/I ntern etpornography-by-the-numbers Wikipedia. (n.d.). Pornography in Los Angeles, California: Wikipedia. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pornography_in_Los_Angeles,_California Wikipedia. (n.d.). Pornography in the United States: Wikipedia. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography_in_the_United_States

Satyaki Datta is currently a PhD aspirant in management sciences discipline. He was formerly associated with MICA –The School of Ideas, Ahmedabad as a research associate in the business management area. His academic interest lies in the field of marketing, branding, consumer behavior and social issues.
Dr. Rasananda Panda is a professor of Economics at MICA. Ahmedabad. He now holds a career in academics and consultancy of 23 years, serving various esteemed organizations like IIM-Ahmedabad; PDPU, Gandhi Nagar to the Government of Gujarat, India. His academic and research interest are in the domain of macroeconomic policy, political economy and behavioral economics
Saurabh Das is a doctoral student at MICA and currently he is working on populism and communication and electoral politics in Indian state of Gujarat.