Kunal Kamra to sue YouTube after his video on "Castelessness" gets red-flagged
New Delhi: Comedian Kunal Kamra, alleging that YouTube is discriminating against his videos by putting up a warning message to viewers, has said that he will fight against the social media platform in court.
The 25th episode of his show ‘Shut Up Ya Kunal’ on Saturday, February 25, featured Harvard scholar Dr Suraj Yengde speaking about the caste system in India.
The video carried a message from YouTube, “Viewer discretion is advised: The following content may contain topics related to suicide or self-harm,” asking the viewer to confirm his/her decision to watch the video.
Dr Suraj Yengde on Sunday questioned YouTube on Twitter its message leading to the video, also asking Kunal Kamra, “something wrong?”
Host Kamra too asked YouTube on Sunday to explain the message, which he called “gatekeeping of the worse kind for content”.
In its reply to Kamra, YouTube stated that Kamra's appeal to remove the warning message, was rejected, and wrote, “We’ve looked at your content carefully, and have confirmed that age restrictions are still appropriate. We know it may be disappointing but it’s important that we keep the YouTube community protected.”
Kamra, on his Twitter handle, replied to YouTube on Sunday afternoon, “Hi @YouTubeIndia for your blatant discrimination we will have to settle this legally…”
The one-and-a-half-hour video on ‘Castelessness’, has Kamra interviewing Dr Yengde on a ‘casteless India’. The legal note with the video says it is an attempt to promote scientific temperament through satire and not meant to disrespect any religious, regional, or social groups.
The video shows the duo discussing related issues, under various chapters, including ‘Owners of the Caste Factory’, ‘Brahmanical Media’, ‘Beyond Hindu-Muslimization’, ‘Democracy Today’, ‘Dalit Panthers, ‘Global Allies’ and ‘Reservation Debate’.
The scholar, speaking on the multiple characters of the caste system in the Indian society, explains the different meanings that could be accorded to ‘castelessness’. It could, for one, be a beautiful and deeply spiritual experience if one could surpass ‘artificial masks’ through genuine introspection, but it could also an act of ‘sitting on a heap of privileges’, he adds.
The video also shows the scholar saying that the way women were treated in the archaic Indian social setup displayed a need to express one’s superiority, while slaves were treated as commodities that had to be subjugated.
He further says that the census calculation that began with the British era worried the upper castes as it showed the division in society.
Speaking on Buddhism, Dr Yengde said that Buddha challenged the hierarchies in the Hindu society. “There were attempts by Brahmins to kills Buddha, as he displayed a lot of compassion,” he adds.
Asked to comment on ‘Dalit Panthers’, a social organization that was launched in Maharashtra to combat caste discrimination, the scholar says that the group had highly literate members who were poets, writers and novelists, whose words ‘aroused a certain emotion in you’. He cites an example of a Dalit woman being denuded and punished in front of a crowd and the response of a member of ‘Dalit Panthers’ that ‘the punishment to the Dalit woman was paltry, but had grown in measure when compared to the respect shown to a lifeless national flag that could not save her honour.
Episode 25 of Shut Up Ya Kunal featuring the esteemed @surajyengde a dynamic young thought leader in the fight against casteism. Tune in perspectives. https://t.co/CE1ki8A8ra
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) February 25, 2023
what’s going on @YouTube ?
— suraj yengde (@surajyengde) February 26, 2023
something wrong ? @kunalkamra88 pic.twitter.com/nLvAkvWQZB
Hi @YouTubeIndia for your blatant discrimination we will have to settle this legally… pic.twitter.com/Pc2UxjFesq
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) February 26, 2023
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Prasidh, Kuldeep limit South Africa to 270 after De Kock's hundred
Visakhapatnam (PTI): India fought back gallantly through Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav after Quinton de Kock struck his 23rd hundred, keeping South Africa to a manageable 270 in the third and series-deciding final ODI, here Saturday.
India won the toss after judging the spin of the coin incorrectly 20 times in a row. They had little hesitation in inserting the Proteas into bat, a clear indication of dew factor dominating the thought.
After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89b, 8x4, 6x4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67b) as the visitors moved to a healthy position.
De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander biffed the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.
The 32-year-old quickly pounced on anything that was short, and pacers Prasidh and Harshit offered him plenty of feed on his pet areas.
Bavuma was more sedate, and made runs through those typical dabs and jabs, occasionally unfurling a drive of elan.
De Kock moved to fifty in 42 balls, and never let the tempo down reaching his hundred in 79 balls.
India found temporary relief when Ravindra Jadeja induced a false slash from Bavuma to get caught by Virat Kohli at point.
The tourists got another move on through a 54-run partnership between De Kock and Matthew Breetzkle for the third wicket, and at 168 for two in 28 overs they were in a good position to press on.
But Breetzke's punishment of part-time spinner Tilak Varma forced a rethink in the Indian camp, as skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell.
What a masterstroke it turned out to be! The Karnataka man broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).
Breetzke was the first man to go, trapped plumb in front with a straight one and four balls later Aiden Markram uppishly chipped a fuller delivery to Kohli at short covers.
Prasidh soon castled De Kock, whose ugly cross-batted swipe failed to connect a full length delivery from the pacer.
All of a sudden, SA found themselves at a shaky 199 for five, losing three wickets in the space of three overs.
Once Prasidh was done away with the top and middle-order, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (4/41) took over and mopped up the tail as SA fell short of even a par total on this track.
