Making India a Police State – Why isn't there an outcry?

I was alerted by Slashdot about the recent surveillance laws passed in India that gives the police sweeping powers to monitor all Internet communication for any suspected offense. The police have the right under the new laws to break into my house and check if I’m browsing porn.

Image Credit: bennylin0724

This is not the point where I give my views on the illegality of porn in India. Suffice to say that I believe that it should not be illegal. But the new laws allow a sub inspector to force his way into my home on the suspicion that I am breaking the law. Normally there are two types of crimes. Those that are cognizable and those that are not. For an offense that is non cognizable, the police need a warrant from a magistrate to arrest someone.

The amendments to the IT bill allow the police to intercept my email, mobile text messages and conversations in order to investigate any offense and not just cognizable ones. In addition, the law also allows any website to be blocked in the name of the national interest.

How did I miss this historic amendment? Why has no Newspaper commented on the totalitarian laws? Why did I have to learn from Slashdot – from SLASHDOT – about a draconian bill that was passed in my own country? Apparently, the politicians have just wished away my privacy, and there was no one to even debate it!

I should have the right to determine how much of myself I want to share with the government.

The TOI did comment briefly on how 8 bills were passed in just 17 mins in Parliament, but I never imagined that one of those bills carried a death sentence for my privacy rights! How the hell did this happen? Did none of the politicians know the important implications? Possibly, but even if they did know, would anyone have said anything?

Even more puzzling, is the silence in India itself. No newspaper is objecting, no blogger is writing about it (Except for one), and no one in the whole country seems to care! I find it absolutely unbelievable. What the hell is happening? Wake up people!

The politicians are completely ignorant of the whole privacy issue. They can’t seem to understand why anyone would want any privacy at all. And even if they did, they don’t seem to believe that it’s of any value. They’ve probably never heard of Benjamin Franklin and his famous quote: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

But what about the Indian People? Shout! Scream! What is the media doing? Raise a ruckus man! Don’t listen to that old excuse “If you have nothing to hide why should you be scared ?”. That’s bullshit! I’m not ashamed of bathing everyday, but that doesn’t mean I want to be on fucking TV.

I have seen outcries over so many other less important issues. Can nothing be done for this one? It’s the thin end of the wedge. Realize people that your rights are just being wished away. One day when it comes to bite you, you’ll wish that you had tackled the problem earlier. Learn from history. Watch some historical movies. See for yourself what state governments have reached who take away their citizen’s privacy. Look at China! What the hell is the use of being a democracy when no one bloody knows what’s happening?

What can we do? Only two options. The media or the court. Historically, the judicially has played a key role in defining and defending privacy. Will the court take suo moto notice of this amendment? I believe that India is a signatory to the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which specifically defends privacy in Article 17.

Is anyone listening? Raise your voice I can’t hear you.