Section Text
DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES ACT, 1876 DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES ACT, 1876 19 of 1876 16th December, 1876 STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS "The primary object of this Bill is to empower the Government to prohibit Native plays which are scandalous, defamatory, seditious or obscene. The necessity for some such measure has been established by the recent performance in Calcutta of a scurrilous Bengali drama, to prevent which the existing law was found to be insufficient. The Bill, first, empowers in this behalf, to issue an order prohibiting any dramatic performance which, in the opinion of the Government, comes within any of the clauses abovementioned. The order may be served on intending performers or on the owners of the place in which the play takes place. The order may also be notified by proclamation, and penalties are provided for disobedience thereto. Power is then given to the Magistrates to grant warrants to the police to enter, arrest, and seize scenery, dresses, etc. Lastly, the Local Government is empowered to order, in specified localities, that no play shall be performed in any place of public entertainment, except under a licence from Government, and that a copy of the piece, if written, or a sufficient account of its purport, if it be in pantomime, shall be previously furnished to the proper authorities."- Gazette of India, 1876, Part V, p. 347. An Act for the better control of public dramatic performances. Preamble.- Whereas it is expedient to empower the Government to prohibit public dramatic performances which are scandalous, defamatory, seditious or obscene; It is hereby enacted as follows: This Act had been declared, by Notification under the Scheduled Districts Act, 1874(14 of 1874), S. 3(a), to be in force in the following Scheduled Districts, namely:- The District of Hazaribagh, Lohardaga and Manbhum, and Pargana Dhalbhum and the Kolhan in the District of Singbhum: seeGazette of India, 1886, Pt. I, p. 504. The District of Lohardaga included at this time the present District of Palamau, which was separated in 1894; Lohardaga is now called the Ranchi District: see Calcutta Gazette, 1899, Pt. I, p. 44. All these districts now form part of the State of Bihar. This Act has been extended to Godda and Deoghar sub-divisions of the Santal Parganas District by S. 2 of theHazaribagh, Manbhum, Palamau (Excluding Latehar),Godda,Deoghar and Dhalbhum Laws Act, 1951(Bih. Act 24 of 1951). Prior to this, this Act was extended to Santhal Parganas District (excluding Godda and Deoghar) by Bih. Regn. I of 1951. All these areas form part of Bihar State. This Act, as amended byPunj. Act 48 of 1956, is extended to the area comprised in the former State of Pepsu by S. 4 of thePunjab Laws (Extension No. 4) Act, 1958(Punj Act 18 of 1958).Punjab Act 10 of 1964has now repealed this Act in so far as it applied to that State. The Act is extended to the States merged in the States of-Bombay: see Born. Act 4 of 1950. Madhya Pradesh: seeM.P. Act 12 of 1950. Tamil Nadu:T.N. Act 35 of 1949. This Act is repealed in its application to the State of Andhra Pradesh by theAndhra Objectionable Performances . Prohibition Act, 1956(Andh Act 8 of 1956), S.I 6 and to the State of Tamil Nadu by theT.N. Dramatic Performances Act, 1954(T.N. Act 33 of 1954), Section 14. It has also been repealed in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Mysore (now Karnataka), Orissa and Punjab (including Haryana and Chandigarh) byM.P. Act 11 of 1961;Mys. Act 39 of 1964;Orissa Act 10 of 1962andPunj. Act 10 of 1964, respectively. The Act, in so far as it applied to the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Delhi, has been repealed by Regn. I Oof 1962 and Act 35 of 1963. It has been repealed in the Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh byHima. Pra. Act 4 of 1964. Himachal Pradesh is now a State-See Act 53 of 1970. It was extended to the Union Territory of Manipur by S.R.O. 1874, dated 28-11-1951, issued in exercise of powers conferred bysection 2 of Act 30 of 1950. Manipur is now a State-See Act 81 of 1971. SECTION 01: SHORT TITLE - This Act may be called the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876. Local extent. It extends to the whole of India except 1 [the territories which immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in Part B States.] 2 [ * * * * * * *]