Right to feel offended

When actor Ranveer Singh’s nude pictures from a photoshoot for an international magazine appeared online, they were widely shared with exclamations and eyerolls.

What is the controversy?

Offence was taken at the sight of Singh’s bare body, and two individuals — a lawyer and a person running an NGO — complaints with Mumbai police. Based on the latter’s statement, the cops registered an FIR against the actor.

What is the issue here?

But the special and growing problem, today, is this: Someone somewhere is always offended by something others might find perfectly innocuous and it seems that nearly every instance of hurt sentiment is given a political hearing, and with the weaponisation of a loosely worded law, becomes a legal case.

What could be our approach?

• Do the might of the state and the majesty of the law need to come down heavily on every such “outrage”, or is it possible that a little more wisdom and discernment is showed?
• With the ambit of “offences” only growing bigger and wider — including a whole range of “misdeeds”, from nudity to scenes from decades-old films — it is up to the state and its instruments to ensure that one individual’s right to be offended does not impinge on others’ freedoms.

Source – The Indian Express

QUESTION – Even though the law provides a right to feel offended to our citizens in case the provisions of a law is violative? But do we need to develop a sense of priority and tolerance for innocuous things? Comment in light of the recent controversy where an actor’s nude pictures from photoshoot were shared by him online.