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Home / IAS Preparation / Moral Policing

Moral Policing - Meaning, Promoting Factors, Governments Laws, Initiatives, Manifestations & More

Last Updated on Aug 04, 2023
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Moral Policing refers to the act of upholding morals by some vigilante organisations. Moral policing In India is defined as restricting people who violate fundamental standards of society. There are various laws existing in India that punish individuals and groups for performing Moral policing.

Moral Policing is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Polity subject in the Mains General Studies Paper-II syllabus and General Studies Paper-1 of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus.

In this article, we shall study the Moral Policing meaning, promoting factors, manifestations and laws in India.

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What is meant by Moral Policing?

Moral Policing meaning refers to the act of enforcing a certain set of moral principles or codes of behaviour of individuals or organisations. It often involves regulating and controlling people's private lives based on moral or cultural beliefs and values. There can be many forms of moral policing, such as violence, mob lynching, verbal abuse, and harassment. It can be practised by organisations, groups, governments and religious institutions. Moral policing is often associated with orthodox and contemporary perception and is typically directed towards immoral behaviour. 

Study in details about Child Protection in India with this link!

Promoting Factors of Moral Policing 

Many factors can promote moral policing in India, such as cultural, religious, political and societal. Some of them are listed below.

Traditional Values and Beliefs

Moral Policing in India is often related to traditional values and conservation perceptions among people and is deeply rooted in many societies and organizations. These values and morals can be considered unacceptable and lead to a rupture in society.

Patriarchal Mindset

This is one of the most important factors promoting moral policing in India. In a patriarchal society, women are seen as the weaker sex and more vulnerable; those with a patriarchal mindset see it as their job to ensure their safety. So, to uphold morals, they would restrict women's speech, attitude, attire, public behaviour, etc. They would even attack or abuse those women.

Religious Beliefs

Many religious views and practices promote the institution of moral policing, particularly in societies where religion plays a significant role. Moral policing examples: Cows are respected and worshipped in the Hindu religion because they are viewed as a symbol of life. Therefore, it results in cow vigilantism, committed by the majority against the minority under the belief that the minority regularly consumes beef.

Political and Social Conduct

As far as moral policing is concerned especially, In an authoritarian setup, political and social conduct can lead to moral policing, which in turn can lead to controlled individual behaviour.

Subjective Belief

The criteria that determine how moral policing is carried out are highly individualised. More often than not, the propaganda created to counter the element that runs counter to the fundamental principles of our society depends simply on the subjective faith and belief of a single person who entails a problem over insignificant behaviour through verbal actions.

Family

This is one of the most important factors promoting moral policing in India. Indian parents are known for being strict and rigid regarding their children's morals and attitudes. Later in life, the children imitate these societal values by upholding moral standards.

Westernisation

Many vigilante organisations to preserve Indian culture exist in India. Also, they would reject and oppose cultural ideas they believed to have been imported from Western society, such as those related to cuisine, clothing, goods, habits, etc.

Fear of Cultural Change

Social and cultural change can also lead to fear of cultural change. Those who adhere to traditional values may feel threatened as many countries become more liberal and progressive and want to preserve the status quo by regulating or limiting behaviour they deem immoral.

Gender Roles

Gender roles and norms can have an impact on moral policing. There are severe expectations for how men and women should act in many countries, and any deviation from these norms can be dealt with through moral policing.

Delayed Judicial Process

Moral policing also arises because there are delays in the judicial process, leading to failure in individuals' trust.

Also, check out the Violence and Abuse against Children article for UPSC preparation!

Moral Policing - Manifestations 

Moral policing can take many forms and manifest in various ways. Some of them are discussed below.

Verbal Abuse and Harassment

Moral policing is also related to abuse, such as using improper language and remarks. This can be done by people violating moral conduct towards given groups and communities.

Mob Lynching

A group of people acting violently and killing a person on the pretext that he was a criminal and holding him guilty without a trial is known as mob lynching.

Cultural terrorism

Cultural terrorism refers to a kind of terrorism that is caused on the pretext of culture. This can also be because of cultural and traditional differences among people.

Honor Killing

This is one of the prominent manifestations of moral policing, which is mostly influenced by Western culture and intrudes on individual freedom.

Legal Regulation

Legal regulation is another form of moral policing when particular behaviours are criminalised or subject to strict regulation because they are considered immoral. Laws that forbid homosexuality or immoral behaviour can also fall under this category.

Cultural Expectations

Cultural expectations lead a person to perform certain behaviours and actions that can lead to moral policing.

Different Ways to Overcome Moral Policing
  • Promote awareness and education about individual rights and freedom of expression.
  • Encourage open dialogue and discussions about moral policing issues in society.
  • Support and strengthen legal protections against moral policing and enforce existing laws.
  • Encourage community members to speak out against moral policing and stand up for each other's rights.
  • Promote tolerance, diversity, and acceptance of different lifestyles and beliefs.
  • Empower individuals to report incidents of moral policing and seek support from authorities.
  • Engage with media and social influencers to spread positive messages against moral policing.
  • Foster a culture of respect and empathy for others' choices and actions.
  • Organize workshops and seminars to address the harmful effects of moral policing.
  • Build alliances with organizations and activists working against moral policing to create a united front for change.

Cases in India Related to Moral Policing
  • Mangalore Pub Attack (2009): Members of a right-wing group attacked a pub in Mangalore, Karnataka, claiming it was against Indian culture.
  • Kiss of Love Protest (2014): In Kerala, a movement called "Kiss of Love" was organized in response to moral policing against public displays of affection.
  • Jaipur Cafe Attack (2017): A mob attacked a cafe in Jaipur, Rajasthan, alleging it was promoting indecent behaviour.
  • Indore Car Parking Incident (2018): A group in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, assaulted a couple for hugging in a car.
  • Kanpur Couple Harassment (2020): A couple was harassed and attacked in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for being seen together in public.
  • Moral Policing in Goa (2021): A group of individuals attacked and abused a couple in Goa, accusing them of indecent behaviour.

These cases highlight instances of moral policing in India, where certain groups or individuals take the law into their own hands to enforce their perception of cultural norms, often leading to violence and infringement of individual rights and freedoms.

Indian Court Orders Against Moral Policing

Indian courts have issued several orders against moral policing in recent years. Some court orders of moral policing examples are listed below.

  • In 2016, the Supreme Court of India passed a major decision criticizing Khap panchayats, local councils that uphold moral and social values in rural areas. 
    • The court ruled that these councils lacked the legal jurisdiction to control social behaviour and that their acts violated people's liberties and rights.
  • After the harassment of a group of men for allegedly participating in immoral behaviour by a vigilante group, the Kerala High Court issued a decision in 2017 opposing moral policing. 
    • The court ruled that these actions were unlawful and infringed on people's fundamental rights.
  • The Delhi High Court delivered a judgement opposing moral policing in 2021 after a group complained that a vigilante group had threatened and harassed them for allegedly breaking cultural rules about food consumption. 
    • The court ruled that people could decide what they ate and that vigilante groups could not govern or regulate such behaviour.
  • The Supreme Court ruled 2022 that a CISF constable's removal from employment was justified and that police officers are not compelled to practise moral policing or seek financial favours.

Study in detail about the Major Amendment of the Indian Constitution here!

Governments Laws and Initiatives Associated with Moral Policing 

The Indian government has taken several actions to address the issue of moral policing and guarantee that people can express themselves freely and live their lives without fear of harassment or violence. The Indian Criminal Code (IPC), which has provisions that make acts of moral policing punishable by law, is one of the important laws relating to moral policing.

  • Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) criminalises books and paintings that deal with obscenity.
  • The Indian Criminal Code (IPC), Section 293, prohibits selling and distributing pornographic materials to those under the age of 20.
  • The Indian Criminal Code (IPC) section 294 addresses offensive speech and music. Yet, there is no precise definition of obscene behaviour, leaving the term "obscene" open to interpretation.
  • Section 354 of the IPC deals with the offence of assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty.
  • Indian Criminal Code (IPC) Section 509 deals with the offence of a word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

Also, check out the article on the High Court of India for UPSC preparation!

Way Forward
  • Sharing knowledge can be a great way to inform people about these problems and to inform them of their rights when vigilantes try to intimidate them by calling their parents or, in some cases, beating them to death.
  • Providing Training To Police Officials: To control actions of moral policing in society, training police officers is crucial.
  • Student Empowerment: Children must comprehend that vigilant groups or individuals doing moral policing need a solid educational foundation and a clear understanding of the real law. 
  • Public Discussions: Public discussions and debates should be promoted in schools and colleges to create awareness and sensitization towards different moral policing

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Conclusion

In India, moral policing is a common immoral conduct. Indian court rulings reflect the country's rising respect for individual liberties and rights and its rejection of rigid social mores and vigilante organisations that use threats and violence to impose their moral standards. Yet, there is still more work to be done to safeguard a person's rights and liberties, and moral policing is still a major problem in many areas of India.

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Moral Policing FAQs

According to the supreme court judgement police should not perform actions of moral policing in India. However, there is no specific law pertaining to moral policing in India and is punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal code. As a result, there is no need for moral policing in India.

“Gasht-e-Ershad,” which translates as “guidance patrols,” and is widely known as the “morality police,” is a unit of Iran's police force established under former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A person or group of people that engage in moral policing attempt to enforce specific laws in accordance with their values.

In India there are provisions in Indian Penal Code with respect to Moral Policing. Certain sections like 292, 293, 294, 354 and 509 are imposed in violation of moral policing.

Moral policing poses a long-term threat to democracy. In extreme circumstances, moral policing results in violence, fatalities, and property destruction, endangering marginalised groups. For instance, under the name of protecting cows, religious fanatics of the Hindu faith encourage violence and threaten the minority.
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