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Censorship in India

The Net interprets censorship as damage... and routes around it.” - John Gilmore

Intelligence is the capacity to receive, decode and transmit information efficiently. Stupidity is blockage of this process at any point. Bigotry, ideologies etc. block the ability to receive; robotic reality-tunnels block the ability to decode or integrate new signals; censorship blocks transmission.” - Robert Anton Wilson


I just found the following post on a blog that is written by a fellow living in India. I hadn't heard anything about this, and I find it deplorable. There's a list to sign up registering disagreement with the ban, but it appears to be only for those who live in India. Does anyone think it would be worthwhile to start a general petition online? This is the kind of thing where the power of the internet can come into play.

I'm including the entire blog here.

I have been trying to access my blog and other blogs at blogspot from yesterday. But I couldn't, and I just found out now that access to all blogger blogs has been ban by the govt. who is supposed to not let the 'Mumbai Blast' affect the normal life of the people of this country. This assuarance comes from not less than The Prime Minister of India who went on air telling us "The evil designs of the terrorist is not going to work"

But Mr Prime Minister banning ordinary citizens to access blogs, in my opinion, is like doing one of the many things the terrorist wants you to do. Indian democracy is one of the reasons they hate India, and what is democracy without freedom. And, if you think banning blogspot blogs is not the end of freedom, you are being ill adviced. For many like me this is the only medium through which freedom of speech is achieved and unbias informations are gathered. For your information, blogs are immerging as the most powerful medium of informations, news,.......

If you are targetting only some blogs with malicious content or communal content, then why innocent blogs at blogspot like ours. The govt certainly owe us an explaination. They can't simply say we haven't done anything as they are doing right now.

Also Blogger service provider(read Google) needs to do something about this or are they turning a blind eye to the plight of the people as they have done in China (purely on commercial consideration of course)?

Mr. Prime Minister please find another way to deal with the terrorist. Don't compromise our freedom. This simply is not the right way. It is better to die in the Mumbai blast than to live without freedom.


This makes my skin crawl.

PEACE.



It's so easy to take for granted the freedoms we have here and the fact that even tho our govt does some thing inappropriate, we certainly don't have it that bad. This is simply sad that they have been stripped of their voice. I hope that this ends for them. I would so sign a pettition to help, but I don't know that it would be taken seriously as anyone can submit several names on one pettition... this has always made me wonder if online pettitions are truly effective. But if it could be done successfully, I say go for it!

Oh yeah, and I explained the names on my blog for ya!

Mel: You're so right. Not only do we take them for granted, but we feel really comfortable criticizing what we have...which is as it should be. You're probably right about the petition. It was just the first thing that came to mind when I read this. I feel so helpless.

Evydense, Please come join the group, it is not only for Indians but also for people like you. It's BloggersCollective at Google Groups. I've also posted your blog post on the wiki at http://censorship.wikia.com/wiki/Protests_By_Bloggers_in_India#E

There are quite a few countries around the world that do not have the freedom to blog.

Global Voices is a wonderful site that allows bloggers from such countries a free voice. (I have their button on my site and you can too)

Here is their web address
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/

Below I am quoting from their site what they are about
"
Global Voices

seeks to amplify, curate and aggregate the global conversation online - with a focus on countries and communities outside the U.S. and Western Europe. We are committed to developing tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices everywhere to be heard."

Do check out the site and also let your friends from India know about them,

with best wishes, The Artist

Thank you very much for your support. I am glad to inform you all that the Indian govt. seems to have remove the ban, atleast I think so as I can now access blogspot blogs. It could have been a great embarasment for India after all the praises it bestowed upon itself for being a great and vibrant democracy unlike Pakistan. I am happy that better sense seems to have prevailed.
But I am not totally sure whether they will reimpose the ban. I guess I have to wait and watch.
Evydense, I can't thank you enough for spreading the message so fast. I am really proud to be part of this blogging world.
I'll do some research and post the reasons and details of what really happened.

I provided a copy of your post to Shiv Reddy, who is from India. He left me the following comment:

"gary, the indian government will restore access to blogs and other 'objectionable' meterial within 48 hours. i was ready to get all roiled up about that when i read a bbc article that listed the websites being blocked, and softened up a bit when i saw hinduunity.org on the list. that website is just nasty! but then again, to quote what has often been misattributed to voltaire, 'i may not agree with what you have to say, but i will defend to the death your right to say it'.

i think the government heard, and they are acting."

July 19, 2006 7:47 PM

Publia and The Artist: Thank you for coming by to visit, and thank you for the information. I'll check it all out---I appreciate it.

Imphaldiary: I appreciate the update. Things like that make me feel utterly helpless, but I'm so pleased for your and your fellow contrymen that your government reacted as quickly as it did. I hope that's a true indication of the "power of the people" at work in a democracy. I'd like to think so anyway.

Gary: The report I read at first had given no indication that it was intending to target certain individuals and groups. It's beginning to sound now like a policy that went wrong because the net was thrown too wide. Sort of like tapping citizens phones without appropriate checks and balances.

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  • I'm Evydense
  • From Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • And I'm tired of living in the shadow of narrow-mindedness and ignorance. So here's the fax, Jack! "The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and three hundred and sixty-two admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision." - Lynne Lavner*** I'm confused; curious; satisfied; realistically resigned to being a frustrated idealist; usually at peace with myself, but not always. Amazed at how little I know, and wondering how much I need to understand.
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