07-22-2006, 08:58 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Cyber-unintelligent,</b> Deccan Chronicle, 22 July 2006
It is true that in the time of terror, any government worth its salt has the right to take stringent measures for the sake of internal security of the country which may cause temporary inconvenience to some citizens. But the true test of a democracy is that even in the face of adversities it should not succumb to pressure and compromise with its democratic values. And who can deny that one of the important pillars of a true democracy is free speech? The UPA government's recent decision to gag some websites and blogs, therefore, justifiably caused dismay and disgust.
Apparently two days after the Mumbai serial trains blasts, following an advice by the security agencies, the Department of Telecommunication decided to block access to certain websites which were allegedly peddling communal hatred and anti-national vitriol. But in their over-enthusiasm to enforce the government order, the Internet service providers ended up blocking thousands of legitimate and highly useful domains including Google's Blogspot and Yahoo's Geocities. This action was tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bath water.
The ban on websites though mercifully short-lived, brought back horrifying memories of the draconian press censorship during Emergency.
What is intriguing is that no government agency has clearly accepted responsibility for what was an arbitrary, over-zealous and high-handed attempt at muzzling cyber-freedom. The government's move not only trampled upon the fundamental rights of its own citizens, but also lowered India's image internationally, particularly since our country is viewed as an unwavering upholder of freedom of expression. Interestingly, the Centre did not even realise that its move to block access to these sites could be foiled by technology-savvy netizens.
Cyberworld is highly sophisticated and netizens are imaginative and innovative people. In order to evade the ban some of the bloggers simply shifted their domains to those sites which had escaped the wrath of the Internet service providers. No one can question a government's right to take steps to stop a website or blog from disseminating blatantly seditious and communally hateful propaganda. But it should not forget the basic theory of law which says that a guilty may escape justice but it must be ensured that an innocent is not punished.
http://deccan.com/SatEditorial/Editorial.a...r-unintelligent
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It is true that in the time of terror, any government worth its salt has the right to take stringent measures for the sake of internal security of the country which may cause temporary inconvenience to some citizens. But the true test of a democracy is that even in the face of adversities it should not succumb to pressure and compromise with its democratic values. And who can deny that one of the important pillars of a true democracy is free speech? The UPA government's recent decision to gag some websites and blogs, therefore, justifiably caused dismay and disgust.
Apparently two days after the Mumbai serial trains blasts, following an advice by the security agencies, the Department of Telecommunication decided to block access to certain websites which were allegedly peddling communal hatred and anti-national vitriol. But in their over-enthusiasm to enforce the government order, the Internet service providers ended up blocking thousands of legitimate and highly useful domains including Google's Blogspot and Yahoo's Geocities. This action was tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bath water.
The ban on websites though mercifully short-lived, brought back horrifying memories of the draconian press censorship during Emergency.
What is intriguing is that no government agency has clearly accepted responsibility for what was an arbitrary, over-zealous and high-handed attempt at muzzling cyber-freedom. The government's move not only trampled upon the fundamental rights of its own citizens, but also lowered India's image internationally, particularly since our country is viewed as an unwavering upholder of freedom of expression. Interestingly, the Centre did not even realise that its move to block access to these sites could be foiled by technology-savvy netizens.
Cyberworld is highly sophisticated and netizens are imaginative and innovative people. In order to evade the ban some of the bloggers simply shifted their domains to those sites which had escaped the wrath of the Internet service providers. No one can question a government's right to take steps to stop a website or blog from disseminating blatantly seditious and communally hateful propaganda. But it should not forget the basic theory of law which says that a guilty may escape justice but it must be ensured that an innocent is not punished.
http://deccan.com/SatEditorial/Editorial.a...r-unintelligent
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