The video posted online demonstrates a shocking man who is allegedly handing a beer and cigarette to a small child. The incident has caused outrage among viewers, and as in the video, many people have asked for immediate intervention by authorities. The bike number in the video is RJ25 SS 8392 and may assist police find the person behind his actions. Providing alcohol and tobacco to children is punishable under Indian law, and the video has raised serious concerns about this matter and other issues like safety of minor children and misuse of social media.
In the video, it looks like a man hands a beer bottle and a cigarette to a child, and encourages the child to consume them. It seems as though the act is set up as an act for entertainment or social media. But that is reckless behavior which exposes the child to dangerous substances and sets an impossible example. The visibility of the bike’s number plate has sparked calls for police scrutiny to link the identity.
And on social media, viewers uploaded a hashtag to say @PoliceRajasthan to them to confirm the video and to take stern legal action. Should it be confirmed, the man could be charged under laws that protect minors from substance use and exploitation. Indian law prohibits the provision of alcohol or tobacco to minors, and breaches can lead to fines and incarceration. The video is expected to be analyzed by authorities who will further verify the authenticity of the video and identify the accused.
The video has led to lots of anger and disappointment. Many users said kids are not entertainment props, and taking advantage of them, for social media gain, is wrong. Parents, activists, and child welfare organizations have pushed for tighter controls of online behavior and tougher punishment for those who endanger children.
This incident speaks to a disturbing problem emerging in the area of unsupervised content production on social media sites. Platforms for expression and entertainment certainly exist, and abuse of this is no laughing matter so too does the use of these services with a child. It is also calling into question parental monitoring and how the necessity of prevention of child abuse through public awareness in order to have children taken seriously for the protection of minors.
The viral video showing a child being handed alcohol and tobacco has shocked the public, and there are calls for police to see to it that the kids are protected. Safety for minors is not at all negotiable; we have to enforce these standards to avoid these incidents. This case, which is being played out as investigations build up, is one of those which underlies the assertion that kids need to be protected from negative influences rather than serve them as tools for online attention.
