Pratibha Naitthani

Pratiba Naitthani is an Indian professor and activist. She is known for opposing vulgarity and violence on Indian televisions. [ The correct spelling of her name is PRATIBA NAITTHANI]

Born in Mumbai,her family hails from Pauri Garhwal,Uttarakhand, Pratiba Natthani is currently based in Mumbai. She currently teaches political science at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Her father Professor Dr. Shahi Shekar Naitthani founded St. Xavier's Hindi department.Her campaign is to make media safe for children.She is best known for her Public Interest Ligitation (PIL) filed in the Bombay High Court against the broadcast of all Adult films and programmes on cable television. Due to her efforts, several international channels such as Star Movies and HBO temporarily went off air as they were violating the programming code of India.The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the High Court of Maharashtra legally support her PIL as the law provided that no Adult content can be shown on television 24 hours.

Though she has been given the title of moral police it is actually legal policing. She says that if a film is certified as Adult by the censor board, where by only adult can watch it in a closed theatre then how can the same films be shown on television which is watched by children as well? As per the laws any adult programme can not be shown on a public means. The channles showing violence and sex in India blatantly violated Indian laws where as the same channels abided by the laws of other countries. In India their argument was that they are foreign channels and hence need not follow the Indian laws. Where as her argument was that if the software is produced here, the sponsors are here and revenue is generated from here then how can it be foreign channel. Besides she also mentioned that being a foreign national does not give a licence to people to violate Indian laws then how can the channels give this lame argument?In her PIL she had drawn the attention of the court not only towards the violation of the law but also towards the need to have an independent regualtory body for television and the down linking laws in place. The court took note of the issue and directed the I & B ministry, censor board and the police to perform their duty and take necessary steps to bring things in order.

Besides teaching in college, she has been taking up issues of welfare of women, children and tribals. In Mumbai she is a member of voluntary organisation of reconstructive and plastic surgeon Reconstructive Foundation, which offer free plastic and reconstructive surgery to primarily children and people from economically underprivileged section of our society. Besides she is also part of the struggle of tribals in Uttarakhand fighting for their traditional rights violated by the conservation policies of the state govt. She is a Rajasthani folk singer and has album to her credit. She has been to 11 countries in the world as a cultural representative being a mamber of Rajasthani Ghoomar group for India. Along with the group she conducts workshops to promote rajasthani songs, dance and culture.

She is also fond of travelling and trecking. She was among the first 7 women who went for the Nanda devi Raj jat, a pilgrimage of Nandadevi [Parvati] in Uttarakhand held once in 16 years. Since centuries women were not allowed to go for this pilgrimage which is 280 km long, going up 17.500 feet above sea level to be completed on foot in 22 days. When the pilgrimage began abviously she had to face resistance as women traditionally were never allowed to go for it.But without fighting she convinced the authorities to give her a fair chance and not to be biased as she is a woman.With her determination and efforts she has paved the way for future generation women to go for the pilgrimage.

She has been on terecking trips and has been to areas of Uttarakhand, Everest Base Camp etc.She among the few women who have done the route from Dehradoon to Leh Laddakh on Motorcycle.

She was among the 29 women selected by India Today in 2005 as Power Goddesses of India. Besides many awards for her contribution in the field of social service and media issues she has been awarded Pannadhai Awadrd by Maharana Mewar Foundation, Udaipur for going beyond the call of duty for social welfare.

External links

* [http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060822/asp/nation/story_6640028.asp A report by The Telegraph, Calcutta]
* [http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1921192,curpg-2.cms A report by The Times of India]
* [http://www.Uttarakhand.org.uk/naithani.php Violence and vulgarity hatao, says angry Uttarakhandi Prof Pratibha Naitthani] Pratiba Naitthani: A voice against violence and vulgarity
* http://www.hamaraUttarakhand.com/news/new1.asp?id=3277