Posted on 09/07/2001 7:38:29 PM PDT by dighton
The “Cyber culture” it seems has finally made young Patnaites feel “IT YT se kuch kuch hota hai.”
Reason: Patna is now caught in the Web of pornography. Now, one can visit cybercafes in Patna to chat with the opposite sex on the Net or even watch pornographic sites in “full privacy”. But the news is that the police here know next to nothing about the laws governing these “sleaze shops”.
Most of the cafes ensure cabin facility for visitors willing to shell out Rs 20 per hour. As one cybercafe operator observes: “Addiction to chatting on the Net is more harmful than the addiction to alcohol. They have no other business except to devote their entire time and energy in talking with the opposite sex.” Shubha, a girl present at the counter of Cyberia cafe situated in Harniwas building at Dak Bungalow Crossing reiterates that 70 per cent of the visitors to the cafe prefer chatting.
City SP Omendra Nath Bhaskar says: “Laws against these cyber cafes are a completely new matter for the police here. Moreover, strict policing in cyber cafes is a difficult task.” Not only this he compounds his ignorance by saying that there is no clear direction in law about the cyber obscenity and thus the police are looking for other options available in the law to check such crimes.
He further added he would soon direct all police stations in Patna to keep a close watch on cyber cafes. However, he also added no cyber cafe would be allowed to become a place for sexual activities.
Even as the city police needs educating about the information technology law passed by the Parliament last year, observe the effect these cafes have had on 18-year old Nitesh Kumar, a student of Science college.
He regularly covers a distance of nearly 6 kms by bicycle to get to Cyberia from his residence in Anishabad. Once there, a tense Nitesh prints words: “b my gf (Read-be my girl friend). He receives a reply: “So you make gf easily.” Enthused by the reply, he boasts: “Today I have developed friendship with five girls”. However, his next words show his uncertainty: “Who knows about them. Some men may be playing a joke on me.” He invites this reporter to join his “community” by learning the tricks: “Ask first about age, sex, location and hobby. Then you shall have the opportunity to know anything about ‘her’”.
Knowing about her in the anonymity of the Net has its pluses as another youth tells you: “It is a better option for us than to loiter around Patna-based women’s colleges. This habit also enhances our knowledge about the foreign girls!” This is indeed a learning experience.
The scene at “Apoorva” and “Xanadu” cafes is no different. Girls and boys impatiently wait outside these cafes, hoping for a “vacancy” in the cabin. Incidentally, the banner in the shop greets visitors with the words: “Cabin facility is available at the rate of only Rs 20.” Where does the money come from? Are their parents aware where their children are blowing up the money?
Why are the “cabins” so popular? Simple, it is “entertainment” for the voyeur. This psychiatrist say it could be one way of letting out “sexual frustration” but it is also dangerous “if you take into account the age of some of these viewers, cyber laws have to be more stringently applied.”
So we are back to the law again and hope someone, somewhere knows the law in this city. Meanwhile, all that we know is that there are tools known as filters and firewalls available on the Net for people who want to enforce these laws.
Maybe the law enforcers here can do with a some computer training? After all, there are enough schools to teach you all about the Web in this city!
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