I was shocked when IHM sent out a mail the other day informing people that the Indian government was drafting a law on monitoring Indian blogs. I really thought we were beyond this. I mean after all the progress Indian civil society has made in the past few years, with all the Supreme Court’s observations about the importance of freedom of speech even if it offends people, we’re still hit with this kind of crap.
Well, I can understand certain restrictions. If I were to blog about the locations of secret nuclear installations, that would be an issue. If I were to put up pictures of child porn, I can see why the government should hold me responsible. The real problem is the reasons for which a blog can be taken down. Just look at the proposals:
You’re not allowed to “annoy” people :D – A lot of people annoy me on the web. I put up with it.
You can’t indulge in “blasphemy”: Or what – I get shot like those poor guys in Pakistan?
Your blog can’t “incovenience” people – Someone’s delicate feelings are hurt on my site which they choose to visit and that’s my problem?
You can’t “disparage” someone – What exactly does that mean? If I feel a guy’s an asshole I can’t call him that?
To cap it all, it says anything “otherwise objectionable” can land me in jail for 2 years (!) or a fine of a few lakhs.
On reading the draft proposal, it seems the government wants to put my humble blog on par with a telecom company by calling it an “intermediary.” They want me to run it like a business, with ISO certifications! The only phrase I can find which describes this move is “monumentally stupid” and is a symptom of a government which is badly out of touch with reality and just doesn’t “get” what the Internet is all about.
On the other hand, I’m happy there’s hell being raised. Three years ago when the govt. implemented the draconian IT amendment bill, there was no outcry at all. No one knew about it and no one cared. I had to get the news from a US tech site called Slashdot which was stunned that India “Sleepwalked into a surveillance state.” Looks like things are very different now than just a few years back. The government won’t have the balls to push this bullshit law now that it’s kicked up such a shitstorm. In any case, I’m confident that the Supreme Court will strike it down as soon as someone challenges it.
My blog is my personal space. I’m not forcing anyone to visit. You come here at your own peril. As an adult, you’re qualified to make the choice to either leave or stay. If you stay, it’s my rules and my content. If you get offended, that’s your tough luck. Deal with it. Don’t go crying to the authorities that I offended your precious sensibilities. The Indian government’s attempt to tell me what I can and cannot say is insulting. It has no business being the arbitrator of what is acceptable or not. Especially when no one is forced to visit any web page on the Internet.
Ah! it does seem like the Government has nothing to do. There are any roads to build or providing basic amenities to all the citizens, or for that matter no reason to monitor any calls made across the border between the ISI and their cells within India, so they are finding new jobs to do… Maybe we should make a law to lower our taxes so that, there is just enough money to build our infrastructure but not to sit around making suggestions for Stupid Laws.
In reply to Mysoul
Well, in all fairness to the govt., it’s not necessary to have a priority list and then go one at a time. After all, there are many departments, each of which has to do its own job. So even when the country’s poor are starving for example, doesn’t mean that legislation about say…police reforms can’t go through.
The problem is poorly thought out legislation, not the fact that the govt. is legislating on matters which could be called “less important.”
In reply to bhagwad
Very sensible comment, Bhagwad! :)
Which bu**h*le thought of this law? Bloggers and ISP’s? Is there any comparison? Ask bloggers to charge for providing their content. That would properly defeat the concept of blogging.
You have echoed my thoughts….very well put.
My similar post.
http://alkagurha.blogspot.com/2011/03/beauty-and-beast.html
How much control do these Delhi wallahs need? And how much of a brain transplant can we get to them….how soon?! Ridiculous. The Internet’s the last bastion. I bet they’re trying to prevent a wikileaks. Imagine how damaging that would be. Being annoyed is step one to thinking about an issue. And we are all adults who should be able to handle getting annoyed. For Christ’s sake. Ha, just added blasphemy to getting annoyed at the government. How about this – the government annoys me…can it make itself work?!
In reply to Sangitha
Sangitha,
LOL @ “Delhi wallahs”. :D That’s an entirely different and serious problem ailing Indian politics. Anyone who needs to have some sway in Indian politics has to first establish himself/herself in Delhi first. This gives rise to what a blogger called ‘Offstumped’ calls ‘one size fits all’ thinking, which is not good for a country with as diverse needs and regionally typical problems as India.
In reply to Sangitha
It’s not a question of Delhi Wallas or a problem with one party. Now you understand why those terror attack dramas were enacted in 2008, unfortunately at the expense of innocent people. India is just following the footsteps of America and to that extend Britain and many other Countries are slipping down the slippery slope to Fascism. It’s not a problem with one party or one region. There are only 2 parties: the leaders (rulers) and the ruled ones (subject) or the people. That’s it…
Just look how much freedom and liberty has been taken away from American people just in the last 10 yrs after US 9/11. US 9/11 was simply a TRIGGER EVENT. There is ample proof to prove that in the Western hemisphere. So was India’s 9/11 and all the other terror dramas that were enacted over the years and particularly in the year 2008.
Look at the parallels:
US used 9/11 attack as an excuse to launch: (1) PATRIOT Act which takes away much of their freedom, liberty and privacy. (2) Imposed National ID cards: which would otherwise have never been accepted by the people and (3) Imposed too many surveillance systems in place, Bills passed in favour of Internet Censorship, Opinions floated about infiltrating the Truth Movements (Sunstein), Obama has now the power to operate the Kill switch to Internet in the event of an Emergency (which I think is soon coming) and so on.
In India, after the series of terror attacks in 2008, culminating in “India’s 9/11” a similar pattern was followed:
(1) India passed the draconian UAPA Law
(2) Within one month they enacted the Universial ID program (UID) which is nothing but to culminate in microchip implanting of humans
(3) Passed the draconian Information Technology Amendment Act (2008) which according to some sources were drafted way back in 2006 but was waiting on the wings for the right crisis to occur so as to be enacted.
In all cases, you see that the “Terror Attacks” were the catalyst. So definitely these terror attacks were really a triggor event for the Govt. of the dictatorial countries to enact draconian laws which would otherwise have been impossible in a typical Democratic setup or a free society. If a true and unbiased investigation is done into all the terroist attacks, you will find that in almost all cases it will trace back to political parties and people rather than the religious people. The religious nuts are just tools in their hands or simply played into their hand being deluded. This is why police officers (Karkare & Assocs.), lawyers (Shahid Azmi) who were close to unearthing or unearthed the real roots of terrorism were eliminated, people who pick up arms to defend their lands from being stolen and handed over to offshore corporate criminals are branded as Naxalites/Maoists, human rights activists who stand for in defence of this people’s rights are branded as national security threats (Dr. Sen), leaders who may have found favour among his people die in mysterious helecopter accidents (YSR Reddy) and so on. What’s happening in US and India and Britain and elsewhere has lots of things in common and it’s altogether a different ball game. So don’t be fooled into believing that it’s a problem with one party or other b’coz u are not going to find any salvation in them. Wake up…
In reply to Sangitha
I forgot to mention in my previous comment that the foll. article contains link to sources that showns how some of the 2008 terror attacks were orchestrated by people other than whom they claimed it to be and how there are so much conflicting reports and controversies over some of the widely hyped terror attacks:
http://indian007-newswithviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/some-parallels-between-us-911-and.html
You don’t know why these laws are passed ? This is what I heard:
Imagine you are running a private unaided school, an educational institution. Because of inflation you have to keep raising the fees. Usually it is run by Trusts (section 25 company) which is supposed to be non profit making.
Now some parents come along and start protests about fee hike. What do they use for protest ? In the past they submit petitions but now they use blogs. In these blogs they can write annoying and disparaging remarks. It happens. It is then read by our well wisher parents also who are normally good people, but they also start to do the same. Do you want to promote lack of discipline ? Imagine your own child is studying in this school and starts getting negative feeling about own school ?
This is the real situation, not imaginary. You can see how blogs are used against school management : http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1166668 . You can see such blogs http://vibgyorfact.blogspot.com/ http://rskparentsforum.blogspot.com/ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gurgaon-school-issues-defamation-threat-for/505865/ http://forabettergiis.blogspot.com/ http://kanpurparentsassociation.blogspot.com/ ….
And finally what is the result ? Cases in high courts and supreme court. You can see this http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/student-expulsion-high-court-disposes-of-review-petition/674805/ and http://www.techgoss.com/Story/406S11-CERT-refused-to-ban-3-school-blogs.aspx for example.
Because there is no strong law, even central government is not able to ban negative blogs. Some of these blogs are supported by Google. One such is the last case in which a Singapore Indian school trying to get rid of 3 blogs in 3 different countries, through Indian court and they are suing Google for that. Unless we make Indian laws tougher than international laws and straight away ban, more such cases will come up. Google is a US company which will not care about Indian culture, they are willing to identify the bloggers but they are very slow to ban blogs. They don’t know what is Indian culture. In Indian culture, it is always school (gurukul), gurus and elders who get the first respect. Only India can make these tough laws so that blogs and internet can be disciplined so that there is proper respect for dignitaries above all.
seriously!! what absurdity! of all the things on which laws should be made, they have taken up blogging!!
Here’s a similar case from USA:
“Jury Says Blogger Has To Pay For His Words Even Though He Did Not Lie”
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/03/jury-says-blogger-has-to-pay-for-his.html
Strangely in India Shining we are not free to decide our rights and wrongs. The state decides for us. Our esteemed government treats us like a bunch of imbeciles. The aam-janta needs to be told what to think, what to say and what to see. But the same leaders exhibit selective amnesia when it comes to their own brazen, corrupt and venal deeds that bleed the very nation that they ‘proudly’ represent.
In reply to Purba
I think it stems from not viewing people as individuals and instead viewing them as a collection that can be manipulated. Very much the way China thinks. Perhaps the two countries are not so different after all…
Looks like the Italian government is not satisfied by the Musli appeasement. more is required….
Looks like “someone” has said “something” about the followers of the child-molester, robber, rapist GreatMan….
In reply to The Mindset
What has this got to do with the Congress? I’m sure all political parties support this law.
In reply to bhagwad
you are sure
How come ? on what basis????????
In reply to The Mindset
You really think one party is any better than another?
Great Post … Will Continue to read more of yours article … Thanks…
In reply to Desi
India is copying China in many things I recently noticed.
India web censorship is similar to China. But China sometimes executes corrupt officers.