GOING by the alarming proposal from telecom minister Kapil Sibal calling on global internet companies to block some content from their sites, it seems that the dirty tricks department of the UPA is once again alive and kicking to divert the people’s attention from all its failures. It is more than obvious that the UPA government, which is of late suffering from a paralysis of sorts, has picked up a random issue in its desperation to grab headlines any which way. Congress cheerleaders and admirers are welcome to believe that Mr. Sibal’s internet monitoring move was a political master stroke to create a sense of functioning within the govt. But the reality is that such juvenile antics with potentially dangerous consequences will turn out to be a political misadventure. If anything, it will further alienate people from the govt. which is already in dire straits. It is high time the govt. focused on serious issues like inflation, governance, political and economic reforms rather than indulge in cheep tama has.
There can be little question that the internet has opened up new commons for the exchange of ideas and information. It is a medium that has helped foster greater political transparency. It has provided a forum to people to voice their concerns and register their protests on issues affecting their lives. This has in turn strengthened the democratic process. The demand by the Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology to police the online content on social media sites has come at a time the country is seeing a growth in the number of internet users. India has close to 10 crore internet users, a sizable section of who are on Facebook and other sites. Mr. Sible’s proposal to monitor “objectionable content” is therefore impractical and unacceptable. More than anything else, such authoritarian measures will undermine one of our most cherished freedoms. This strengthens the widespread suspicion that such initiatives will aim to push the dirt under the carpet rather than allow for its exposure. We could perhaps come up with a more convincing analysis of what causes people to use abusive language rather than make preposterous demands. Social network screening is not just pointless. It is bad policy. The argument that offensive content could lead to social discord in the country is just a ruse.
As it is, offensive comments should not give the state the right to override the people’s legitimate needs for privacy. Mr. Sibal’s call to internet intermediaries to remove content that offend Indian sensibilities is a clear violation of privacy. The US Supreme Court has declared that social networking is a free speech zone which cannot be controlled or censored. Other High Courts have also reiterated the same. Also, India is a democratic country where people have a right to freedom of expression. Such an effort could have dangerous consequences for a democracy. Yet, the telecom minister is pressurizing companies to implement his diktat, notwithstanding the fact that the courts and the constitutions are barring him from doing so. Banning these sites is akin to stabbing the democratic spine of the country. This is of course in keeping with Congress tradition of clamping down on freedom of expression to muzzle criticism. In the name of controlling hate speech and inflammatory content, it is trying to build boundaries in the global world of internet.
Mr.Sibal should know that over the years the medium has become a powerful tool to galvanize and shape public opinion against the govt. These sites offer a flat field where people express their emotions against a govt. that does not heed their concerns. Indeed, these network sites are a mirror to the society they are a part of. The positive role played by these media sites in promoting popular agitations in Egypt, Serbia and Libya is quite well known. Incidentally, this is not the first time that the UPA govt. has come up with the idea of censoring content on the Internet, RIM, which provides blackberry services in India was embroiled in a similar row over access to encrypted email and instant message services. Anna Hazare movement which drew tens of thousands of people to the streets this summer and brought the present govt. to its knees was indeed propelled by the social media. Experts believe that ministers like Sibal are more worried about these online protests spilling on to the streets that have made them wary of the Internet. But they should know that networking sites are not weapons against the govt. We are witnesses to the chilling effects of censorship in dictatorial regimes like China and North Korea where popular resentment is peaking. Speaking at an Internet freedom meeting in the Hague, the US Secretary of state Hillary Clinton, recently said that “the countries that continue to censor the internet face long term economic and social costs, with oppression leading to civil unrest than security. “The Congress led UPA Govt. must learn lessons from America where social media sites are used by the U.S govt. as a tool to address the concerns of the nation.
If the timing of Mr. Sibal’s initiative is suspect, there is a reason for it. Congress has a track record of resorting to gag tactics whenever its political fortunes have dipped. In 1977 Indira Gandhi imposed a nationwide emergency and trained her guns on the media to gag the press. But the ploy did not work as the polls later proved. Later, Rajiv Gandhi tried to stifle criticism over Bofors scandal by trying to pass the infamous Anti Defamation bill. But he was forced to back off due to widespread protests. Now, the party that is struck by policy paralysis is creating irrelevant issues like moral censorship of social networking sites to arrest its declining popularity. It seems that the Congress is yet to learn from its mistakes.
One can understand that Mr. Sibal wants to please his bosses in the Congress. It is precisely this reason that the party loyals want the internet to be tamed so as to block criticism of the party’s first family. But on the practical side, given the enormity of internet users worldwide it will be humanly impossible to filter internet content, what the social media site can do is to remove the offensive content the moment it is brought to their notice and people aggrieved by online content should take legal recourse. There are laws that deal with defamation and obscenity and these can be invoked by the victims. Surely, there is no point in shooting the messenger.
Yet, Mr. Sibal’s approach is wrong headed and is reflective of tyrannies and dictatorships. Indeed, one man’s sense can be another’s nonsense. But it does not mean people’s views should be censored. What is nudity or hate speech to one may be art and political expression to others. Incidentally, why has the govt. suddenly awakened to controlling content on the internet? Is it because of the concern for the congress leaders who are being targeted by the social media? One would like to ask Mr. Sibal where this concern was when M.F. Hussian insulted Hindu goddesses. In fact, those objecting to the paintings were being denounced as intolerant fascists who have no eye for art. Given the context in which he spoke of putting limits on social media sites, his remarks and possible action smack at a diabolical conspiracy.
Having said that, social networks have self regulating mechanisms in place which take action, whenever, any offensive material comes to their notice. So it is not a matter for hyperventilation over a few lapses. Should Mr.Sibal’s diktat be implemented, the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution would remain only on paper. Therefore, the govt should desist from such efforts.