India warns cricket cheerleaders

Cheerleaders have been brought in from all over the world Pic: Sandipan Chatterjee/Indian Express

Indian police say the organisers of the new tournament transforming world cricket could be fined if cheerleaders are deemed to be dressed indecently.

The cheerleaders have been introduced into the Indian Premier League as part of moves to add glamour and entertainment to the game.

Some politicians say the cheerleaders are "vulgar and obscene".

Mumbai police say they will be checking that the cheerleaders' performances do not violate entertainment licences.

The cheerleading girls, wearing short skirts and low-cut tops, have been hired from around the world to perform during the matches which are also being heavily endorsed by leading Bollywood stars.

They include cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins.

'Lines of decency'

Ram Rao Vagh, the police commissioner for New Mumbai, a suburb of Mumbai, where the home team is hosting five matches starting on Sunday, told the BBC that they were not considering any action against the cheerleaders themselves.

What's wrong with cheerleaders? I am also a family person, I do not see anything negative in it

Shah Rukh Khan

"It is difficult to enforce moral policing, we cannot define vulgarity always. It is difficult to ascertain what is vulgar and obscene," Mr Vagh said.

But he said the organisers could be fined for violating the norms of the entertainment licence they had secured for allowing performances in the stadium.

Senior officers would decide whether the cheerleaders had crossed the "lines of decency".

A spokesman for the local team, the Mumbai Indians, said they were not worried.

"Our cheerleaders are properly dressed. They are within limits of what our culture permits. So we have no problems," Javed Akhtar told the BBC.

'Routine'

However, the junior interior minister of western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said the performances of cheerleading girls at the Indian Premier League matches were "absolutely obscene".

Cheerleaders have complained of sections of the crowd jeering at them Pic: Sandipan Chatterjee/Indian Express

"We live in India where womanhood is worshipped. How can anything obscene like this be allowed?," Siddharam Mehetre told the Press Trust of India news agency.

wou wou, man india has top female foeticide rate, stop speaking out lies. woman worship, and yes I agree with you partially, people who have respect for women they dont throw those woman out into the bazar with teenie weenie pieces, but thats not true that you guys respect women, how could you call it respect when you kill baby girls before they are born?

"This thing is meant for foreigners and not for us. Mothers and daughters watch these matches on television. It does not look nice."

Many others find the indignation misplaced, coming from a city, which is home to a thriving industry of Bollywood films where dance sequences featuring women in skimpy dresses are routine.

now this is what I am talking about

Bollywood actor, Shah Rukh Khan, who also owns one of the teams in the competition, is one of them.

"What's wrong with cheerleaders? I am also a family person, I do not see anything negative in it," he said.

you wouldnt see that because you see much more than that on everyday basis, so its nothing for you:)

The head of India's National Commission for Women said there was nothing wrong with the cheerleaders if it "just for adding entertainment to the game".

"It has to be presented in the right manner keeping Indian values intact," said Girija Vyas.

Indian values ha ha ha

A former Bollywood actor and a politician belonging to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shatrughan Sinha said the cheerleaders were making a "mockery" of the game.

hilarious

There have been reports in the Indian newspapers of cheerleaders complaining of sections of the crowd jeering at them and making lewd comments.

go back girls you cant expect anything better than that while you are in india

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7366516.stm

what a funny funny news, at one place you can see bollywood girls goign all obscene and vulgar in bikinis on the other hand if cheer leaders have been brought to cricket ground in skirts that makes this act illegal, indian politicians are objecting to it, probably indian people dont watch their bollywood movies themselves. the tyranny is police has warned IPL for brining about cheerleaders to the matches open, and indian police wouldnt care if some girls from their own country would go all open even wearing much shorter piece of clothes than these cheerleaders what a cracker double standards eh?

Cheerleading in cricket? Thats something new. Rolling Eyes

I think indians have really lost their morals.
They keep adapting america culture and then they call this democracy or freedom.
Dont they find anything more entertaining then wathcing girls jumping up and down in undecent clothes.

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"Before you judge a person, walk a mile in his shoes. After that...... who cares? He's a mile behind you & the shoes are yours"
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	Serenity wrote:
	Cheerleading in cricket? Thats something new. I think indians have really lost their morals. They keep adapting america culture and then they call this democracy or freedom. Dont they find anything more entertaining then wathcing girls jumping up and down in undecent clothes.

very true but what about bollywood, where they see much more than just girls jumping up and down?

yes, you're right..they're not better then this, i guess if they had been getting enough money they would love to do this cheerleading things too. Bollywood movies has gotten really bad influence from hollywood movies with all this bad things..thats why we shouldnt be watching these movies at all.

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"Before you judge a person, walk a mile in his shoes. After that...... who cares? He's a mile behind you & the shoes are yours"
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