SC asks Sikh bodies to create mechanism to curb 'Santa-Banta' jokes

Sikh bodies had approached SC seeking a ban on jokes that project members of the community in poor light

The Supreme Court, hearing petitions seeking a ban on circulation of jokes about the Sikh community, on Tuesday, asked bodies representing the community to create a mechanism to create a mechanism to stop them within six weeks.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) along with other bodies claiming to be representatives of Sikhs had earlier approached the apex court seeking a ban on jokes that project members of the community in poor light.

A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice U U Lalit had in April stated that the SGPC's petition seeking ban would be clubbed along with other pending matters on the issue and would be heard together.

Even earlier, the apex court had asked the petitioners in the matter as to how such a ban can be "enforced judicially."

In February, during the hearing of a case pertaining to over 5,000 websites which feature jokes on Sikhs, the court had asked how to determine whether a particular joke is derogatory.

Last year, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) had started an online petition for school children studying in around 18 Guru Harikrishan Public Schools to generate support for banning Sikh jokes.

Another online petition started by Delhi Sikh community on change.org website to demand a ban on Sikh jokes had also reportedly gained momentum worldwide recently.