"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s (MIB) recent move to ban 25 Indian OTT platforms, including ALTT, Ullu, BigShots, MoodX, and Desiflix, for allegedly streaming “obscene,” “vulgar,” and “pornographic” content, has ignited a familiar yet complex debate. At face value, the crackdown might appear to be a step toward safeguarding cultural values and public decency. But in an age where content is omnipresent, flowing freely through smartphones, VPNs, social media, torrents, and global streaming giants, such an action is not only insufficient but dangerously superficial.
It is, quite simply, an attempt to cut the branches while ignoring the rot in the roots.
The Irony of Outrage: Obscenity by Another Name
The platforms banned by the Indian government are, admittedly, known for offering erotic and sensational content, often lacking narrative coherence or artistic value. However, the government's selective morality raises a troubling contradiction. Why target local, low-budget platforms when Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+ Hotstar, and Hulu—all freely accessible in India—regularly stream shows and films containing nudity, strong sexual themes, and graphic storytelling?
The only difference? These international platforms wrap their content in high production value and narrative depth. But if the concern is about “impact,” does the form really justify the content?
The reality is clear: what is condemned as obscenity when produced by a small Indian OTT becomes “art” or “bold storytelling” when presented by a global platform. This distinction is neither logical nor just—it is hierarchical and deeply colonial in outlook.
The Myth of Control in a Connected World
"The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow."
— Bill Gates
In today's digital era, information does not respect borders. The idea that objectionable content can be contained through national bans is a dangerous illusion. Content seeps through every possible channel—Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, X (formerly Twitter), and dozens of free file-sharing sites. From short reels that promote hypersexuality to “almost pornographic” content masked as lifestyle vlogs or influencer culture, the internet is a sea without walls.
You ban 25 OTTs? A hundred new Telegram groups and unregulated websites spring up overnight.
Moreover, many of these platforms use cloud-based storage, encryption, or VPN masking to operate under the radar. And users, particularly India’s 800+ million internet-savvy population, are not naïve. They adapt—quickly. Censorship, in this regard, only creates curiosity and sends audiences to darker, less accountable corners of the web.
When Morality Becomes a Spectacle
India is a nation of paradoxes. Public morality is fiercely guarded, while private indulgence is rampant. India ranks among the top global consumers of pornographic material. This duality becomes especially stark when seen against the backdrop of sex scandals involving self-proclaimed godmen like Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Asaram Bapu, both convicted of rape while preaching “spirituality” and “celibacy.”
The lesson? The problem is not content. The problem is our hypocrisy.
When sexual violence, exploitation, and moral corruption fester within our temples and ashrams—places considered beyond scrutiny—banning an OTT platform for showing consensual adult content becomes not only ironic but also disingenuous.
Can Censorship Replace Conversation?
"We should not be afraid to discuss sexuality in public; silence breeds ignorance and ignorance leads to exploitation."
— Amartya Sen
The real tragedy of India's OTT ban lies in what it distracts from—a much-needed public conversation around sexuality, consent, digital responsibility, and healthy content consumption. Instead of nurturing a generation that can discern, interpret, and critique what they consume, we enforce a blanket of silence and suppression.
Worse, this enforcement is lopsided. What’s banned on one platform is available on another, often more influential, medium.
Social media platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Facebook Watch are filled with suggestive dances, explicit challenges, and “clickbait culture” that often borders on softcore. These are accessible even to children, thanks to lax age verification and algorithmic promotion. Where is the crackdown there?
The truth is: moral panic is easier to manufacture than responsible policy.
What Can Actually Work?
Rather than bans that are easy to circumvent and impossible to enforce meaningfully, India must think long-term, rationally, and boldly.
1. Comprehensive Digital & Sex Education
Teach children and young adults about consent, sexuality, and responsible content consumption. Ignorance fuels curiosity; knowledge empowers discernment.
2. Industry-Led Self-Regulation
Encourage content creators to follow structured guidelines without suppressing creativity. This promotes accountability while respecting freedom.
3. Parental Empowerment
Provide parents with tools and training to monitor and guide children’s digital habits. Bans can be bypassed—dialogue cannot.
4. Transparent Rating Systems
Like cinema, OTT platforms must adopt stronger content labeling, helping audiences choose wisely rather than having content forced underground.
5. Address the Cultural Hypocrisy
The nation must confront its two-faced attitude toward sex and morality. If temples and ashrams are home to sexual abuse, then banning a platform for fiction is pure theatre.
Conclusion: Stop Chopping Branches. Heal the Roots.
India’s attempt to “clean up” digital content by banning 25 OTT platforms may have symbolic value, but it lacks any real impact in a world where the web is woven into every thread of life. In a global marketplace of ideas, desires, and expression, you cannot win the battle of culture with scissors.
Instead of issuing bans, let us build understanding. Instead of censorship, let us invest in education and awareness. Instead of pretending to uphold decency through force, let us trust our people to evolve through conversation and exposure.
Because in the end, as John Milton said,
"Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties."
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