What can be done to impose a ban on the hugely popular Santa-Banta jokes? The Supreme Court today asked the Sikh bodies, who have been demanding a curb on such banter on the internet and social media. The apex court has asked the Sikh bodies to come up with a mechanism, within the next six weeks, to ban 'sardar' jokes.

A high power committee has been constituted under the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Managment Committee to discuss the issue and decide on the probable solution. Both the Haryana Sikh Management Committee and Patna Gurudwara Committee have also been asked to provide their input in the matter.

HOW DO WE ENFORCE AN ORDER?

During a hearing in the matter in April, the Supreme Court had stressed that it did not want Sikhs to be ridiculed and asked the community to come out with suggestions as to what could be done within the permitted jurisdiction of the judiciary to impose limited ban on 'sardar' jokes.

"We may say do not crack such jokes. But then how do we enforce the order? Of course we do not want you to be ridiculed, but please tell us in what way we can do something. You come out with suggestions within six weeks," a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had told senior lawyer RS Suri, who represented the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee and main petitioner and advocate Harvinder Chowdhury.

Suri had said that he was not for any penal provision, but primarily wanted sensitisation of the public, especially the school students on the issue.

'MATTER RELATED TO COMMUNITY'S PRESTIGE'

On the first day of hearing on October 31 last year, initially the court was in a mood to dismiss the petition till Chowdhury convinced the court that it was a matter worth serious hearing and the issue was related to the prestige of the community.

She argued that such jokes amounted to humiliating and insulting the Sikh community.

"Why should we ban such a thing? The community is known for its great sense of humour... they enjoy the jokes ... Did author Khushwant Singh not write jokes on Sikhs? And, he was a sardar. Perhaps the Sikh community will object to the banning of these jokes on the Internet," Justice Thakur had told Chowdhury.

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