tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19649274.post1587002912460435658..comments2024-03-29T12:03:50.891+05:30Comments on The Leap Blog: Freedom of speech in IndiaAjay Shahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03835842741008200034noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19649274.post-33198805199688316832010-04-04T20:43:00.834+05:302010-04-04T20:43:00.834+05:30yes..ids at cyber cafe are a mandatory requirement...yes..ids at cyber cafe are a mandatory requirement..it was strictly enforced after the mumbai attacks..i was in kolkata then and getting into a cyber cafe without id was all but impossible.<br />i dont know how seriously is it being implemented now (havent been to a cyber cafe recently).<br /><br />for the record of websites..it is relatively easy to trace. and it is always used when one is trying to determine what was someone using the computer for..Piyushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11876222083243475800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19649274.post-4049716736609955352010-04-04T00:15:55.112+05:302010-04-04T00:15:55.112+05:30Do we do similar things in India?
The cyber cafe ...<i>Do we do similar things in India?</i><br /><br />The cyber cafe near my home (Delhi NCR) required a copy of my PAN card to open a user account. I believe ID cards have been required in most cyber cafes after the 2008 series of terrorist attacks.<br /><br />Monitoring software could be used by cyber cafes for nefarious reasons so safeguards where possible are anyway recommended (using online virtual keyboards, etc).<br /><br />Some blogs are abuzz with the freedom of speech issue recently. Came across this recent post: <a href="http://www.deeshaa.org/2010/04/01/philip-pullman-on-being-offended-and-free-speech/" rel="nofollow">Philip Pullman on free speech</a><br /><br />In Rajdeep Sardesai's recent <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/rajdeepsardesai/1/61699/the-politics-of-victimhood.html" rel="nofollow"><br />article</a> it was very surprising to hear him say:<br /><br /><i>"Where once the media thrived on its anti-establishment image, a number of influential journalists are now footsoldiers of the political class. Facts have been replaced by propaganda even as the creeping power of the public relations machine threatens the core of journalism. Unfortunately, the changing nature of the politician-journalist relationship means that the space for independent journalism that can hold the politician accountable is shrinking. Access is now strictly regulated, determined not by professional integrity, but individual loyalties. Asking uncomfortable questions of our netas, or expressing a strong opinion is confused with media hyper-activism, or worse, bias. "</i><br /><br />So not only do we have to worry about 1) laws being passed restricting privacy (and there are a couple of efforts underway specifically on the Internet privacy issue) but also 2) being in an uneven developed country where freedom of speech is not appreciated/understood by large swathes of people, 3) politicians capturing media. <br /><br />India's record perhaps could be better. Someone being offended seems to be a valid reason to shut someone up. The US <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" rel="nofollow">first amendment</a> is bullet proof in the sense that it disallows creating any future law which would infringe on Freedom of speech. But <a href="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_India/Part_III#Article_19_.7BProtection_of_certain_rights_regarding_freedom_of_speech.2C_etc..7D" rel="nofollow">India's law</a> allows restrictions if "necessary".<br /><br />I spent over an hour earlier today watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is71zKEiMdk" rel="nofollow">Hitchens debate Tharoor</a> on the freedom of speech issue (it was primarily about the Islamic extremism issue is Europe, Danish cartoon controversy, etc). Hitchens is a fascinating person to say the least.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com