CHENNAI: Barely a month after its first episode was aired, Khushbu’s prime time TV show ‘Nijangal’ has come under fire from activists for failing to protect the identities of children featured and playing up the child participant’s trauma, in violation of child rights.
In a complaint to SunTV Network, which telecasts the show in two of its channels, CHANGEindia Centre for Child Protection (CCCP), an NGO has accused that the programme was violative of Sections 74(1) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2015 that prohibits the disclosure of identity of children with respect to their name, address, school or any other particular in newspapers or any other media.
Further, the NGO has alleged that it was also in violation of Sec 29 (vii) and Sec 42 (viii) of the Tamil Nadu Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) draft rules 2016.
The show has actress Khushboo playing the judge as family members discuss various problems among them, much like Lakshmi Ramakrishnan’s popular programme, ‘Solvathellam Unmai’.
The complaint draws reference to two episodes in particular that was aired on October 27 and November 10 where children from broken families were subjected to questions on a number of emotional issues while the camera zooms in to show the child crying to create ‘sympathy among viewers’ and to ‘increase TRP ratings’.
The NGO has asked the channel to take down such episodes that were available online including social media sites while also refraining from exposing child victims of abuse that also include victims of domestic abuse and playing up a child’s distress under any pretext, whatsoever.