CHENNAI: Where there is a will, there is a way. If porn can’t be accessed online, all it takes is a visit to Burma Bazaar in North Chennai and Rs 30 to buy a compact disc of ‘adult’ cinema.
In lthe light of the Central Government’s ban on 857 porn websites, City Express visited a number of shops outside the Chennai Beach Station selling movie CDs. Many of these shops had stocked up on soft as well as hardcore porn movie CDs. The ‘banned’ material is also available on pen drives the size of a human thumb, for a throwaway price of Rs 30.
And it is not really difficult to source it. One just needs to approach the shopkeeper and ask him if a ‘bit’ movie is available. A few dealers also showed an extreme enthusiasm and marketed a five-in-one video CD which, according to them, had ample variety starting from simple storyline-based to hardcore XXX porn.
“The government can ban porn online, but majority of the people accessing them buy CDs. Not everyone has a smartphone you know,” explained a dealer.
However, the business hasn’t peaked as expected in the last two days. “The effect of the ban is yet to sink in, but I’m sure it will pick up in the next week,” said another shopkeeper, who sells around 100 such porn CDs a day.
However, once you express the requirement to the dealer, the transaction is fast. The unmarked discs on which the porn is recorded will only be given in black polythene bags. These discs are stored in plastic bags below the counter or in a secret compartment of the shop. “Put the CD into your bag quickly and don’t tell anyone about it. Lots of policemen roam around in the area in mufti,” said another dealer.
Another equally enthusiastic shopkeeper explained that CDs were not necessary for those using smartphones. “We can transfer the porn into your micro SD card. 4 GB, 5 GB, how much do you want, it can be easily transferred to your smartphone and then you can send it through WhatsApp,” he added.