“The Dangerous Push To Normalize Sex With Minors: Hindustan Times’s One-Sided Case For Lowering Age Of Consent”, The Commune, October 26, 2025
“Starting 12 November 2025, the Supreme Court will conduct continuous hearings on a proposal by Indira Jaising seeking to legally permit sexual activity among teenagers, effectively attempting to lower the age of sexual consent from 18 to 16. Critics warn that such a move would put millions of minors at risk, as the protection of children remains non-negotiable. Notably, major outlets like Times of India, Hindustan Times, and international organizations including UNICEF India have allegedly consistently advocated for lowering the age of consent, which would decriminalize sexual activity with minors.
In line with this, The Hindustan Times opinion piece, “Mind the Gap: How a law to protect children was weaponized against consensual teen sex”, published on 4 August 2025, attempts to make a case for decriminalizing sexual relations between teenagers and minors aged 16–17. On the surface, it frames the debate as one about adolescent love and overreach by the legal system. But a closer look reveals serious one-sided reasoning, selective framing, and a troubling moral and legal blind spot.
The article repeatedly emphasizes stories of “teenagers in love” where a 16- or 17-year-old girl is in a relationship with an 18–20-year-old boy, portraying the parents’ intervention and the police action as overbearing and even unjust. Justice Jasmeet Singh’s recent acquittal of a 19-year-old man is quoted as vindication, with the judge labeling the punishment a “perversity of justice.” Yet, the piece glosses over the constitutional and social rationale behind the current law: the protection of minors from sexual exploitation and abuse……”
Read full article at thecommunemag.com
