Avoid controversies, focus on real issue

'Avoid controversies, focus on real issues'

From Khushboo's comments on virginity to Shilpa Shetty-Richard Gere kiss, the morality police continues to take upon itself the role of safeguarding Indian culture from 'celeb excesses'. Is this a new wave of prudishness that is washing over India? Or have the moral upholders found an easy way to fame? DTbrings you reader responses to the issue...

Are those who burn effigies and file PILs interested in preserving India's culture or are they seeking oneminute of fame by targeting a celeb?
'It's for publicity'

• These so-called protestors want publicity and nothing else. Is coming out on streets and burning effigies a way to safeguard your culture? – HARJEET SINGH

• Burning effigies and filing PILs is a natural response of people who are desperate to get publicity. A civilised society needs to be tolerant as well as sensitive to the feelings of others. – SANJAY TYAGI

• These protests have got nothing to do with the Indian culture. In fact, it's all about power, fame and political ambitions of a few, who use these issues for their own benefit. – AMIT DIXIT

• Those burning effigies and filing PILs are not interested in preserving India's cultural values. Their main aim is to get publicity out of it. If they are really serious about preserving India's culture, then they should take up thousands of other serious problems in our country for which they do not have any time. – JOLLY 'Don't blow it out of proportion'

• As would be clear to anyone in the know, the Gere-Shetty kiss was just a playful spoof on a scene from the film Let's Dance. It is to the credit of the audience at the function (mainly truck-drivers) that they just responded with some chuckles and whistles whereas our self-appointed custodians of morality went ballistic. – ASGHAR ZAIDI
'Focus on the moot issue'

• Shilpa is a known celeb abroad and Richard is an international star. And this outburst is getting India a bad name. When we are opening our doors to people abroad, we need to change our thinking too. – ABC

• The Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty kiss happened at a function meant to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS and Gere was playing to the gallery. It was quite obvious that he had no wrong intentions. – BHARAT

• These publicity seekers should raise their voices against rape, molestation, dowry deaths, AIDS and infanticide. Those are the real ills victimising our society, not an innocent peck on the cheek. – BHAGWAN THADANI

• When a girl is molested or teased in the middle of a road, do these people help her out? Then why shout from the rooftops when something like this happens, especially when the people involved have no issues? – YASHAD