18 + & S**ual Content May be The Reason for Doraemon Ban in Pakistan

The recent resolution of Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) lawmakers to ban on Hindi-dubbed Japanese cartoon series “Doraemon” has received sarcastic criticism and sardonic remarks on social media and by opposition parties.

The resolution was chided and lambasted as it was unlike to other social, economic, and political crises in the country.

Without indulging in the rampant debate to justify or contradict this resolution I would simply suggest that today we are living in the technological era and it is quite inconceivable and unfeasible to ban any cartoon, drama, or movie as this digital revolution has completely transformed our perception, attitude and provided access to everything.

Recently, we also witnessed that whenever any Bollywood movie was banned, on the same day it was available online and downloaded even without visiting a DVD shop.

Similarly, in the case of the ban on Doraemon, children will visit YouTube to meet with their favorite characters. Instead of banning cartoons, there should have been a counter-narrative and there is a dire need to strengthen our TV and film industry to make our own cartoons that reflect our culture, values, traditions, and identity.