Campaign seeks to ban 'Sardar Jokes' from Indian Websites

A campaign is launched to ban "Sardar jokes" from the internet for promoting stereotype and offending minorities.

Mashable reported that Harvinder Chowdhury, a Sikh lawyer from Delhi, is leading the group of petitioners who want to ban the jokes. She filed a Public Interest Litigation to ban "Sardar jokes" in over 5,000 websites. The petition claims that the jokes makes the Sikhs look dumb, naïve, foolish, and are not good in speaking English. The jokes are considered racial abuse and violate the right to live with dignity, which is guaranteed in the Indian constitution.

Not all are in favor of the ban; with some saying it is frivolous. Business Standard reported that Chowdhury has been a victim of the abuse from such jokes. She demanded that the websites must be prosecuted and sentenced to six months to five years imprisonment. This petition has led to a debate among public figures and Sikhs. Majority of the Sikh community admire these jokes and accepts them as good humor.

According to The Times of India, the online ban has penetrated Santa-Banta, a Sikh comedian duo who rose to fame in 1997 and are very popular among urban population. The Jalandhar-based comedians' real names are Gurpreet Signh and Prabhpreet Signh, but after the ban, they now transition their names from Santa and Banta to Shugli and Jugli. Together they will be called Shugli Jodi.

One of the counter-arguments against the petition is from joke books by Indian writer Khushwant Signh. During the hearing, the bench said, "The community is known for its great sense of humour and they enjoy such jokes."

There are online campaigns that back the petition to ban the jokes. The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee encourages children to take part in the campaign against the jokes.

As the Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition for a month, the case is expected to be an interesting debate on humor and cultural stereotypes in India.