07-23-2006, 12:57 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Unblocked but still in spot.com </b>
Pioneer.com
Apurv Pandit | Mumbai
By Saturday evening, India's Internet Service Providers (ISPs) had unblocked the millions of blogs on the popular blogspot.com and typepad.com domains, making them accessible again to users across the country.
The 17 websites deemed objectionable by DoT, however, remained blocked. Some of the names that fall in this list <b>are 'www.hinduunity.org', 'www.hinduhumanrights.org/hindufocus.html', 'exposingtheleft.blogspot.com', 'pajamaeditors.blogspot.com' and 'princesskimberley.blogspot.com'. </b> DoT has not specified the reasons for censoring these websites, but the website names suggest what the Government's thought process could have been. Lifting the ban, however, has not laid the issue to rest yet. In fact, in the can of worms that has been opened, bloggers worldwide have criticised the Indian Government's censorship act heavily.
According to a senior executive with a public sector ISP, the Government directs censorship of websites on a regular basis, a fact that would have never been unearthed had it not been for the fiasco.
The event also exposed rampant levels of mediocrity in technical acumen across ISPs and DoT. While DoT passed orders that were impractical to implement, the ISPs did not undertake due diligence in ensuring that only the 'objectionable' sites were blocked and not the rest.
Bloggers across India in the meanwhile, have raised the question whether such censorship violates the right to freedom of expression. As of writing this report, two bloggers each from New Delhi and Mumbai had already sent letters to DoT under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to know the reasons behind the block. Others were mulling filing a Public Interest Litigation against the Government.
Hate speech on the Internet does not change the minds of people, it only reinforces an existing belief," points out prominent Mumbai-based blogger Peter Griffin to The Pioneer. "By web censorship, the Government is basically implying that you as a citizen are not mature enough to decide for yourself what you should read.
We (bloggers) understand that there are implications on national security, but frankly, the only people who are affected by hate speech on the Internet are the ones who were already following the school of thought promoted by that hate speech," he adds.
Atlantean, another blogger questions on his blog, "Terrorists may as well use email, chat, forums, groups and telephones (for their communication)."
" Will they put a ban on telephones too then?" Nearly 300 Indian and international bloggers have posted strong messages of protest against the government's act on their blogs. Coming down heavily on the blog censorship, Supreme Court lawyer and IT law expert Pawan Duggal told The Pioneer that the skewed implementation of censorship exercise made both DoT and ISP liable for criminal action.
"There is complete lack of vision on part of the government compounded with total absence of due diligence from ISPs.
............
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now new page is here which Indian government is trying to hide.Link
http://hinduhumanrights.org/hindufocus/hindufocus.htm
When they are going to arrest MF Hussain???
Pioneer.com
Apurv Pandit | Mumbai
By Saturday evening, India's Internet Service Providers (ISPs) had unblocked the millions of blogs on the popular blogspot.com and typepad.com domains, making them accessible again to users across the country.
The 17 websites deemed objectionable by DoT, however, remained blocked. Some of the names that fall in this list <b>are 'www.hinduunity.org', 'www.hinduhumanrights.org/hindufocus.html', 'exposingtheleft.blogspot.com', 'pajamaeditors.blogspot.com' and 'princesskimberley.blogspot.com'. </b> DoT has not specified the reasons for censoring these websites, but the website names suggest what the Government's thought process could have been. Lifting the ban, however, has not laid the issue to rest yet. In fact, in the can of worms that has been opened, bloggers worldwide have criticised the Indian Government's censorship act heavily.
According to a senior executive with a public sector ISP, the Government directs censorship of websites on a regular basis, a fact that would have never been unearthed had it not been for the fiasco.
The event also exposed rampant levels of mediocrity in technical acumen across ISPs and DoT. While DoT passed orders that were impractical to implement, the ISPs did not undertake due diligence in ensuring that only the 'objectionable' sites were blocked and not the rest.
Bloggers across India in the meanwhile, have raised the question whether such censorship violates the right to freedom of expression. As of writing this report, two bloggers each from New Delhi and Mumbai had already sent letters to DoT under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to know the reasons behind the block. Others were mulling filing a Public Interest Litigation against the Government.
Hate speech on the Internet does not change the minds of people, it only reinforces an existing belief," points out prominent Mumbai-based blogger Peter Griffin to The Pioneer. "By web censorship, the Government is basically implying that you as a citizen are not mature enough to decide for yourself what you should read.
We (bloggers) understand that there are implications on national security, but frankly, the only people who are affected by hate speech on the Internet are the ones who were already following the school of thought promoted by that hate speech," he adds.
Atlantean, another blogger questions on his blog, "Terrorists may as well use email, chat, forums, groups and telephones (for their communication)."
" Will they put a ban on telephones too then?" Nearly 300 Indian and international bloggers have posted strong messages of protest against the government's act on their blogs. Coming down heavily on the blog censorship, Supreme Court lawyer and IT law expert Pawan Duggal told The Pioneer that the skewed implementation of censorship exercise made both DoT and ISP liable for criminal action.
"There is complete lack of vision on part of the government compounded with total absence of due diligence from ISPs.
............
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
now new page is here which Indian government is trying to hide.Link
http://hinduhumanrights.org/hindufocus/hindufocus.htm
When they are going to arrest MF Hussain???