On Monday, the Kerala High Court stated that small children need to be shielded against political indoctrination, which has permanent long-term repercussions.
While hearing a case involving the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO), Justice Gopinath P of the Kerala HC mentioned that he had seen a “provocative” video of a kid “spewing hatred” in a political rally. He pondered if it was allowed to force kids as young as 5 or 6 years old to engage in political or religious demonstrations and to shout slogans of any type.
“Are they not fostering a new generation that grows up with this religious hatred in mind? I am just wondering about the fact that when this child grows and he becomes a major, his mind will already be conditioned to this kind of rhetoric. Something must be done,” he remarked.
Under the guise of freedom of speech and religion, can young children be made to be a part of political rallies or religious rallies, he asked. “He does not know what he is saying,” Justice Gopinath stated, adding that children don’t have the legal right to vote or even drive until they reach the age of 18. He also asked if there was any legislation preventing such behaviour.
Children should be safeguarded from overt situations that might negatively affect their susceptible brains, Justice Gopinath noted, adding that children should not be allowed to participate in demonstrations or sloganeering.
Notably, a video recently went viral on social media showing a juvenile boy shouting hostile slogans while sitting on a man’s shoulders at a march organised by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Alappuzha, Kerala. One is well aware of how PFI is constantly on the radar of intelligence agencies for terrorism and anti-national actions.
On May 5 also, the Kerala HC had stated that the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) are extremist organisations, which have not yet been banned in India. The Kerala High Court further noted that both SDPI and PFI have a history of attacking members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
