Dear Cybergoakars in Goa, This is just to remind you of of the Friday Balcao on "Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act" today, Friday 09, September, 2005 at Liberty Apts. [between Mhapsa Municipal council and the Judicial Courts],NH-17, Mhapsa-Goa, at 4.00 P.M.. This is your opportunity to have your say about the dignity of women. I have just sent in my post copy of the complaint to Advertising Standards Council of India [ASCI], Mumbai, [ a registered Company for regulation of advertisements]and hope that the Goa State Women's Commission, Goa University's Centre for Women's Studies, and Bailancho Saad/Bailancho Ekvott and other women's organisations file a complaint before the Press Council of India [a statutory corporate body created by an Act of the Parliament] under the "Press Council Act,1978" enacted "for the purpose of preserving the freedom of the Press and maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India" according to the preamble.
The Press Council Act,1978 Chapter III POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL Section 13. Objects and Functions of the Council, Sub-section (2) b, c, and d read as under: b) to build a code of conduct for newspapers, news agencies and journalists in accordance with high professional standards; c) to ensure on the part of newspapers, news agencies and journalists the maintenance of high standards of public taste and foster a due sense of both the rights and the responsibilities of citizenship; d) to encourage a the growth of a sense of responsibility and public service among all those engaged in the profession of journalism. Section 14. Power to censure Sub-Section (1) Where on receipt of a complaint made to it or otherwise, the Council has reason to believe that a newspaperor news agency has offended against the standards of journalistic ethics or public taste....... warn, admonish or censure the newspaper, , news agency, editor or journalist or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalist as the case may be. Further, "The Press Council(Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations,1979 define "matter" to be considered by the PCI in Section 2 Definitions (e) as "matter means an article, news item, news report or any other matter which is published by a newspaper or transmitted by a newsagency by any means whatsoever and includes a cartoon, picture,photograph,strip or advertisement which is published in a newspaper. The Sakal group's Gomantak Times is perhaps the only newpaper that carried a news item about the protests by Bailancho Saad and the BJP's Mahila Morcha in its pages. There is lots to discuss, debate and act upon before, during and after Friday 09 September, 2005. Viva Goa. Miguel ----- Original Message ----- From: Goa Desc Dear Cybergaokars, Friday Balcao the fortnightly discussion event to be held on 9th September will focus on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act and its effectivity in Goa.
