The Moment of Truth

Sacch ka saamna is an Indian show based on the American show, The Moment of Truth. In this show, the participants answer 50 questions prior to the start of the show while hooked up to a polygraph machine. The pulse rate and blood pressure of the contestants are measured and used by the polygraph to decide whether the answer is true or not. The contestants are not told what the machine finds.

Thereafter, when they are on the show, they are asked 21 questions out of the ones that were asked before the show. They get money for answering correctly and move on to the next round. However, if the machine catches them lying they lose and go home.

The questions become extremely personal and embarrassing as the value gets higher. The contestants usually come to the show with their family members and friends, and many of the questions asked are about these family members or friends.

When Sacch ka Saamna aired in India for the first time, within the first week the show was surrounded by controversy. Many people demanded the show be stopped because they believed the general population would start acting immorally after watching the people on the show admitting to acts that are considered morally unacceptable in the Indian society. These people thought others would be encouraged to indulge in similar activity, thereby leading to a gradual weakening of society's morals.

Kamal Akhtar, a Minister of Parliament in India, and member of the Samajwadi Party, was a staunch opponent of this show and took up the matter in the Rajya Sabha, or the upper house of parliament. He said the nature of the questions asked went against the Indian culture.

The show continued to be aired but many people, including high profile politicians, were very angry about it. Many Indians will see this issue as an ethical dilemma: It is right to air reality shows that the public might enjoy and it is also right to preserve the culture of the nation.

However, I look at this as an ethical temptation. I think it is wrong for politicians to try and interfere in the television industry in the country. People who don't like the show do not have to watch it. I look at it as an infringement of the Freedom of expression that is a fundamental right enjoyed by Indians. In my opinion it is a matter of choice for viewers, and policy makers should not try to ban shows they do not like.

The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting believes there should be a defined limit to the content shown on television, which is understandable, but this show does not cross the limit. I personally do not watch the show because it is voyeurism at its worst, but if others want to watch it, they should be able to make that decision for themselves.