NHRC notice to I&B ministry, CBFC over 'vulgar, double-meaning' lyrics in 'Sarke Chunar' song

Summary of this article

• The NHRC has issued a notice over a complaint alleging that the lyrics of "Sarke Chunar" song from an upcoming film, contains "vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning" words

• The song, from Sanjay Dutt's "KD The Devil" has triggered outrage on social media has now disappeared from the official YouTube page

• The complainant has alleged that the "increasing trend of explicit lyrical content in mainstream entertainment" contributes to "normalisation of inappropriate expressions

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) The NHRC has issued a notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the censor board in the wake of a complaint alleging that the lyrics of "Sarke Chunar" song from an upcoming film, contains "vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning" words which are inappropriate for public consumption, especially for children, according to the proceedings of the case.

The song, from Sanjay Dutt's "KD The Devil", which also triggered outrage on social media and elsewhere, has now disappeared from the official YouTube page though it was played endlessly and shared on social media platforms.

The complainant alleged that the recently released song from the upcoming film, "contains vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics that are inappropriate for public consumption, especially for children", the proceedings, dated March 17, reads.

It is said in the complaint that such content is "widely accessible" through television, social media and other public platforms, which may "negatively impact the mental well-being and moral environment of minors", it says.

The complainant further alleged that the "increasing trend of explicit lyrical content in mainstream entertainment" contributes to "normalisation of inappropriate expressions among young audiences", the proceedings reads.

Therefore, the complainant sought the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission and requested to take cognisance of it.

It had also urged to seek a report from the certification authority concerned, and issue necessary guidelines and advisories to "regulate such content and safeguard children's rights", it adds.

The allegations made in the complaint prima facie seem to be "violations" of the human rights.

A bench of the NHRC, presided by its member, Priyank Kanoongo, has taken cognisance under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the proceedings reads.

The registry is directed to issue a notice to the Chairman, Central Board of Film Certification, Mumbai, Maharashtra; secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; and the head or India lead of core government affairs and public policy for Google India, with directions to have the allegations, levelled in the complaint, be inquired into, and to submit an action taken report within two weeks for perusal of the Commission, it says.

The notice has been marked to "Country Managing Director for YouTube India, Google LLC", as pe the proceedings.

Songwriter Raqueeb Alam on Tuesday sought to distance himself from the raging controversy over the sexually explicit lyrics of "Sarke Chunar", saying the track was a translation from the original Kannada and he had initially refused to do it.

The Kannada film, which will be dubbed in four languages, will release on April 30.