Thanks for your support. I’m glad you read and could connect with what this article stood for.

Since your a lawyer, please enlighten us on,

1. how strong our laws are in protecting children ? Can they currently protect children from being criminalized ?

2. If you have read the bill (I assume you have), you would notice that the children ONLY have been decriminalized. Would you prefer to treat 14 years and younger children as criminals or under minor offences ? Especially when they are not in the age to think for themselves.

3. 12 year olds will do what they do ( Study & enjoy their childhood, innocence) However at the rare exception that two 12 year olds do other things, they will be treated as criminals instead of the protection and guidance they need, They will be sent to juvenile homes. With the bill they can not.

It does not give them the right to do, just the right not to be criminalized.

Do you understand ?

@everyone else

If you dont read what the bill is and do not understand how the law works, Your nothing but clueless and here to vent out your frustrations. The future of your children is in that bill so atleast take time to read it by clause.

What is it that you are trying to prove? That you understand the bill and Naveen and the author don’t!

I don’t understand how you can try to associate or even think of 12 year olds indulged in any form of sexual act. 12 year olds?

I, being a lawyer myself, agree that decriminalise is not the same as legalise. But on a practical note do you really understand what the difference is? In the former case, you are not stopped from doing something and in the latter, you are allowed to do it.

12 year olds should do what they are supposed to do, Study & enjoy their childhood, innocence. And not indulge sex of any form. I am a mother myself, and I know what I say. If this bill had said- “children of age 12 can fall in love, and that’s decriminalised”, I’d have agreed. But where does the idea of ’sex’ come from for kids of such tender age?

I strongly recommend you think from a parent’s perspective. Or at-least acknowledge the tenderness and immaturity of a 12 year old. It is the liberal and western attitude of people like you that has spoilt our culture.

I protest this bill. No matter how much you (or anyone else for that sake) tries to justify it.

1. consensual non-penetrative sex only decriminalized between two children of 12-14 years of age

2. Decriminalized is nothing similar to legitimization

3. If a person records such a thing , you would want to punish children for it instead of the person ? illogical

Like I say understand the bill first before you have an opinion on it

To conclude the age of consent was always 16 years, age of non penetrative sex is still 12 years. News channels sensationalized false information

I believe your article was the only mass protest on Internet against this bill. Thankfully, the draft of this bill has been changed.

Our minister even claimed that he had ‘no idea’ of this bill Ridiculous!

That’s the charm of being in a democracy!

Great article!

@ Vikram-

So, according to you, how do we Protect Children From Sexual Offences? “By the lowering the age of consensual non-penetrative sex !!”, How will a 12 year old give Informed Consent? There is still no compulsory sex education in India yet!

No food security or compulsory education for 12 year olds in this country, No protection from exploitation and Child labour. India has the largest population of working children in the world with over 111 million children struggling as child labourers. Now there will be legal sanction for their sexual exploitation also.

According to you- “If a video of two kids exploring their sexuality with mutual consent is leaked on Internet, The bill clearly defines the age of a child to be less than 16 years and would be termed illegal under child pornography laws with updated severe punishments.”

So on what grounds will two kids’ hidden video shot by an anonymous person fall into? The kids won’t be accused since their act is ‘decriminalised’ if not ‘legitimised’.

At 12 years of age, the child, mind you, the child, is expected to study, play and enjoy the years of innocence. This imbecile proposal, if it becomes a law can, and will be misused. Instead of protecting the innocence of children, it will put them in grave danger. This proposal should unequivocally be rejected. Even in more liberal societies of the west, physical intimacy is frowned upon at such a tender age. Due to ‘liberated’ attitudes the West is experiencing population decline. if you feel I’m wrong, search the effect of STDs on fertility.

Making legal this could lead spread of sex at the immature age which can hinder the growth of a children. Also, it will lead to spread of AIDS because at this age people might not have enough knowledge about this things. firstly, Government should prepare the ground for these acts like ’spreading Sex education among children’ then take such drastic steps.

Well, to conclude, the draft of the bill has been changed. The age of consensual sex will remain to be 16.

1. It only Decriminalizes the children in cause they engage in such an act.

If your child took part in it and if the other parent was to complain, your child today would be termed a criminal and treated as one. Do you understand ?

2. If a video of two kids exploring their sexuality with mutual consent is leaked on internet, The bill clearly defines the age of a child to be less than 16 years and would be termed illegal under child pornography laws with updated severe punishments

Do you understand ?

Our present laws are one of the weakest in the world for protecting children. Let not our blinded opinions and limited understanding of a bill prevent the right of protection for our children.

Please explore the bill and ask any lawyer what it really means

*Decriminalize is not the same as Legal.

Example Sex between two homosexual mean was decriminalized. However such an union would hold no legal grounds