Ashish Srivastava and Sanghmitra Basak speak to experts to decode the phenomenon of wannabe social media influencers using Delhi metro coaches as a prop, even as DMCR cracks the whip in light of several instances of ‘obscene acts’ being committed on its premises
The Delhi metro has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late, after photographs and videos emerged that did not go down well with a section of the society.One of this was a video of a scantily-clad woman travelling in a coach which went viral in the first week of April this year.
In the undated video clip, the woman passenger carrying a rucksack is seen seated next to other women inside a coach. After a while, when she stands up, she can be seen is wearing a two-piece outfit. After the video was widely distributed on Twitter, several Twitter users gave her the name ‘Delhi metro girl’.Netizens were divided in their opinion on the issue. While some expressed outrage at her choice of wardrobe, others said whoever shot the video had violated her privacy.
The woman herself, when tracked and contacted by the media, said she was free to wear whatever she chose to and couldn’t care less what others thought or said about her. She also said that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) norms prohibit videography inside the coaches. “It’s weird that DMRC has now forgotten its own rules. If they have a problem with my attire, they should also have a problem with those who shot it,” she said.
Responding to the incident, DMCR said in a statement, “The DMRC expects its commuters to follow all social etiquette and protocols which are acceptable in the society. Commuters should not indulge in any activity or wear any attire which could offend the sensibilities of other fellow passengers.”The DMRC Operations and Maintenance Act lists out “indecency as a punishable offence under section 59”, it pointed out.
“We appeal to all our passengers to kindly maintain decorum while travelling in a public transport system like the Metro. However, issues such as the choice of clothing while travelling is a personal issue and passengers are expected to self-regulate their conduct in a responsible manner,” it added.
In another incident, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the police after the video of a man engaged in an ‘indecent act’ while travelling on the metro went viral. “A man can be seen in a viral video shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. The accused must be arrested and strict action should be taken in the matter. More and more such cases are coming to light in the Delhi Metro and exemplary action needs to be taken against such persons so that women safety is ensured in the Metro,” its chief Swati Maliwal said. The Delhi Police went on to file an FIR under Section 294 of IPC.
Another video which too went viral recently captured a young couple kissing passionately in a supine position. This too led to a debate on declining moral values versus invasion of privacy.In view of these incidents, the DMCR decided to deploy staffers and uniformed personnel to carry out more extensive patrolling of the metro coaches.
Hot choice with influencers
If you are a regular traveller on the metro, there is a chance that you may have seen someone breaking into a jig in the premises with another person filming it.Many such ‘reels’ have gone viral and garnered millions of views even when the users have few followers. This indicates that people find such content entertaining even though a section of metro users may find such acts irritating and inconvenient.
Abhishek Kamboj, a radio jockey with a FM station, is an avid video creator on the social media. Two videos he shot inside a metro coach recently attracted close to 2.5 million views together though he has less than 2,000 followers on his Instagram handle.
While returning from a food and music festival in January this year, Kamboj made a reel titled ‘POV capturing people’s excitement when the metro arrived on the platform’. He posted the video on his Instagram handle around 10:45pm. It immediately went viral.“I was suddenly flooded with comments like ‘please make videos with us’. This made me feel so enthusiastic that I uploaded another video which also garnered similar responses and a great viewership,” he said.
The story of Arnav Gupta, an engineering student who creates content on social media, is similar. His video captured travellers singing a popular bhajan inside a coach which he shot while returning from a music concert. Those singing accompanied him in the concert.
“My metro reel went viral on a very random note and when I was returning from Armaan Malik’s Fest and I posted video regarding hacks in metro. Randomly, I recorded a video inspired from KK (noted singer). It got viral,” he said.Meanwhile, one Navneet Singh made a video showing hacks for easy commuting via the metro, which garnered 2.7 million views.
Kamboj faced trolling after the DMRC on March 13 issued an advisory reminding metro users of the bar on filming of reels or dance videos or “any such activities that may cause inconvenience to passengers inside the coaches”.“I received nasty comments such as ‘now your business is just finished,” he said.
“Delhi Metro mein passenger bane, pareshaani nahi (be a passenger, not a nuisance),” the metro authority recently urged after using an image from the Oscar-winning song ‘Naatu Naatu’ and posted, “Dance is fun but Delhi Metro mein Na-Naacho Naacho Naacho”.
Decoding the phenomenon
As per some experts, the urge to gain quick fame and create something unique pushes wannabe social media influencers to explore different avenues, and Delhi metro provided one such avenue.Those who shoot such videos feel that Delhi metro has become a hot destination to get instant viewership. According to them, the videos shot on platforms and coaches with song and dance ‘numbers’ garner a huge number likes, comments and views.
The DMCR advisory reiterating the ban on recording videos on the premises too saw analysts offering varying opinions. While some termed it as a ‘knee-jerk reaction’, others supported it.Abu Sufian, a social media influencer who runs a Facebook page named ‘Purani Dilli Waloan Ki Batein’, which aims to revive old Delhi culture, said he concurred with the stand taken by Delhi metro.
“I support the ban. Delhi metro is a commuting facility, and its sanctity should not be disturbed. Shooting videos in such crammed and crowded space makes commuters uncomfortable,” he said.“If a video creator wants to film a video, proper permission should be taken. No one can randomly start doing it. It creates nuisance for travelers and people in the surroundings. You can’t violate the privacy of people,” he added.
“A video by popular video maker Dhinchak Pooja was also removed by Youtube after a person who accidently got featured in it complained to the platform. Creators should keep in mind the surrounding and people who may get affected while filming the video and after it’s streamed on social media,” said Sufian.Sufian also called upon social media platforms to address the issue of violation of privacy and inconvenience to the public.
Hardik Pahuja, who works as assistant vice president at a creative management firm, said norms should be issued to regulate production of such content.“They should issue reasonable guidelines rather than enforcing the ban. Such shooting of videos shouldn’t be allowed at places like platforms. However, there are some places in the premises where quick video production can be allowed by forming guidelines,” he said.
Dr Arvinder A Ansari, a sociologist and a professor at the department of Sociology at Jamia Milia Islamia University, said that certain people may be keen to make a livelihood from making videos and uploading them on the social media in the digital economy, but they can’t act in an irresponsible manner.
“It is important to respect the privacy, security and sanctity of public space even though using social media reach to raise public awareness about certain issues can be a valuable opportunity,” she said.“DMRC can come up with guidelines to regulate when and where filming is allowed to strike a balance between artistic expression and public order. This could include obtaining permissions, adhering to designated areas, and respecting the rights and privacy of others,” she added.
“Striking a balance between individual freedom and public interest is essential. Clear guidelines and transparent regulations can help mitigate the risks of censorship and ensure that restrictions are reasonable and justifiable,” she added.
Ansari feels that that authorities can collaborate with artistes and capitalize on their influence in amplifying a good cause which can inspire others to act.“By doing so, their popularity can be harnessed for the greater good while upholding ethical boundaries and promoting transparency,” she said.
What the laws say
The section that could come into play in the current scenario is Section 294 of the IPC, which prescribes punishment for ‘obscene acts and songs’ as, “Whoever, to the annoyance of others, (a) does any obscene act in any public place, or (b) sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.” IT Act Section 67(A) addresses the issue of online obscenity. It prescribes ‘punishment for publishing or transmitting material containing a sexually explicit act, in electronic form’. Section 66E of the Act deals with the violation of privacy and provides punishment for capturing, publishing or transmitting the image of a private area of any person without his or her consent. This includes capturing or publishing images of a woman’s private areas without her consent.
SC’s ruling on issue
In a landmark 2014 verdict in the Aveek Sarkar case, Supreme Court rejected Hicklin’s obscenity test which examined whether the content had the potential to corrupt and deprave the minds that are vulnerable to immoral influences. It adopted the ‘Community Standard Test’ to determine obscenity. It was held that a picture cannot by itself be held as obscene ‘if it does not have within itself the tendency of arousing feelings or revealing any kind of overt sexual desire or designed to excite sexual passion in persons who see the picture or are likely to see it’. “Only such sexual materials will be held to be obscene if they can produce lascivious thoughts. Obscenity is to be judged from the point of view of an ordinary man of prudence,” it said.