Mumbai-based twins decide to burn PUBG Mobile effigy on Holika Dahan

A set of twins from Mumbai has decided to commemorate Holi by burning an effigy of PUBG Mobile. They’re doing this, apparently, to raise awareness about the “negative impact” of the game. The twins are called Amar and Ashish Vitthal and hail from Maharashtra. Speaking to ANI, Mr Vitthal said, “PUBG must be banned. Parents tell us children play PUBG all day. They appreciate us for the concept." Amar added, “People are turning violent by playing PUBG, children are not focusing on studies. So, we came up with this concept. Earlier we had created awareness about noise pollution, demonetisation etc. We will burn this effigy during ‘Holika Dahan’. We want to spread a social message.” [caption id=“attachment_5997551” align=“alignnone” width=“1920”] PUBG Mobile is very popular in India.[/caption] PUBG Mobile is a game based on a popular PC game that goes by the same name. Developed by Chinese developer and publisher Tencent, the game pits up to 100 players against each other in a last-man-standing environment. The game has blown up in popularity over the past year and is apparently **so addictive that it’s earned itself a ban in various districts** , notably in Gujarat. Parents all over the country are up in arms about the issue and have gone so far as to complain to various authorities and demanded that something be done about it. Gamers, for their part, **think that the ban is daft** and ask why apps like TikTok (which is known to promote the sexual exploitation of children) and activities like smoking and alcohol consumption aren’t banned. As noted by cyber law expert Asheeta Regidi, the lack of any regulation around gaming in India means that the govt is simply acting at random and banning games in an unstructured manner. **Taking the trouble to establish regulations and guidelines** will do more to mitigate such issues than a ban that can’t be properly enforced.