If you or one of your friends threw a Friendship day bash and escaped scot free, consider yourself lucky! The four hundred and ninety odd students at the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies in Pune didn’t have luck on their side Sunday night. They would never have imagined a friendship day party would land them behind the bars! And what was their cardinal crime? That they consumed alcohol!
Well, we shall come to that later. At the moment I’m just wondering if more important things have stopped happening in this country! Or why would an important broadsheet like DNA have this as the prime story of the day- ‘Kids party hard, cops crack the whip’? The story clearly states that there was no evidence of drugs in the party. The students were booked under the ‘Bombay Prohibition Act’ for consuming alcohol. So, let’s have a look at the act then…
“In Maharashtra liquor permit is necessary for the purchase, possession transport, and consumption of liquor. Any person above the age of 25 years is eligible for obtaining the liquor permit for preservation and maintenance of his health. Purchase and drinking without a liquor permit is an offence under Bombay Prohibition Act 1949.” (http://mumbaicity.gov.in/htmldocs/liquor.htm)
Downright archaic and ridiculous! Are they trying to tell me that every person who consumes alcohol in the state of Maharashtra must and does have a liquor permit! What an impracticable and hypocritic piece of crap! If we really began taking this law seriously, half of Mumbai’s police force would have to be deployed to nab the offenders. And if I as a woman can choose my life partner at 18, I can definitely make a choice about consuming alcohol without the state’s interference.
I don’t see why then the news of students partying at a farmhouse in Pune is all over the media. What is so sensational about a big bunch of girls celebrating their friendship somewhere? Is partying illegal in India? When any incident of a rave party was totally ruled out, why did the national media have to play up the story? On what basis does it make a story anyway? What would it do to the future of these students if the college takes action against them, which is quite likely to happen. Or…is it just the brazen fact that girls in above-the-knee length dresses( as clear by the photographs) partying and consuming alcohol doesn’t go down well with the so-called sentinels of Indian culture ?!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Death sentence for Facebook founder !?
When I wrote the last post,I was totally unaware of this latest development and wouldn’t have even imagined it! It takes intolerance to such new levels that it sounds ridiculous! Apparently, Pakistan is now set to try Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder of Facebook under charges of blasphemy, the ultimate penalty for which could be death.
The law under which Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, may be charged by the Pakistani penal code is Section 295-C, and it reads thus: "Use of derogatory remark etc, in respect of the Holy Prophet, whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable for fine."
A friend wrote to me after reading the last post- “In Vietnam, Facebook has been banned for over a year with no explanation for why and the lawyers who argue for freedom of anything are jailed, but at least there they admit to their socialist regime and make no claim for the freedom of press .”
Facebook seems to have become emblematic of the freedom of free speech and expression in terms of new media! Waiting to see what’s in store for Facebook, its founder and its users!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Pulling the reins on new media
Internet has emerged as an ultra democratic medium of expression of late. The arena of free expression no longer belongs to a priviledged few; it is now a level playing field.
And… absolute freedom is never liked or tolerated. Censorship inevitably follows. So I thought it would be interesting to note the three recent incidents of censorship of the internet in three different countries and look at what their constitutions have to say about Freedom of Speech and Expression:
Pakistan recently banned the social networking site Facebook because of an application that allowed caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed which they found blasphemous. The site was restored two weeks after it was blocked by a court’s order. The interesting part is that after the incident, an official of the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan told a news agency that about 1,200 URLs continue to be blocked in Pakistan to prevent access to blasphemous and sacrilegious content. To me the startling figure comes across as severe violation and intolerance of people’s right to express themselves. Religious blasphemy is unacceptable but that doesn’t mean curtailing people’s right to choose and access information. And living without Facebook must be horrible!
Under Fundamental Rights 19, Pakistani Constitution says-
Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court,[commission of] or incitement to an offence.
Bangladesh was quick to follow suit and ban Facebook. Apart from the offensive depiction of the Prophet, there was apparently another reason for the ban. Some gutsy people uploaded caricatures of the Prime Minister and other political figures which deeply offended the government. Let’s look at what Article 39 of the Bangladeshi Constitution says-
Article 39: Freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech
1. Freedom or thought and conscience is guaranteed. Freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech.
2. Subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interests of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offense-
i. the right of every citizen of freedom of speech and expression; and
ii. freedom of the press, are guaranteed.
I’m wondering how they categorized the caricatures of the politicians! Did it pose a threat to the nation’s security or did it get restricted on the pretext of vague terms like decency and morality? Who gets to decide what is decent and moral is another question mark.
In a country of 900, 000 Facebook users, technology unquestioningly runs deep and wide. “What do you do without facebook,” I asked a friend. “Oh, We are smart you know. Everyone uses proxy servers,"came the answer. Despite the ban, Facebook was accessible through mobiles and servers like hidemyass.com. Most people think such bans are just power exercises to give out ‘Don’t mess with me’ messages.
I find the case in Bangladesh particularly interesting because of another reason. This is what some text on the Board of Investment, PMs office’s site reads:
“The democratic government has declared the “Vision 2021” in the election manifesto which targets establishment of a resourceful and modern country by 2021 through effective use of information and communication technology-a "Digital Bangladesh".
The philosophy of “Digital Bangladesh” comprises ensuring people’s democracy and rights, transparency, accountability, establishing justice and ensuring delivery of government services in each door through maximum use of technology-with the ultimate goal to improve the daily lifestyle of general people.”
So here they are, trying to establish a ‘Digital Bangladesh that ensures people’s democracy and rights’!
Another case in point is a censorship that is nongovernmental. James Joyce’s Ulysses is a book which in spite of being a classic is infamous for its explicitly sexual content. Recently while the book was being adapted into a comic book to sell as an iPad app, Apple insisted that any depiction of nudity be removed entirely. It didn’t even agree to a compromise offered by the artist of covering the offending body parts with a fig leaf or pixellation!
Interestingly, this is the second attempt of Apple at censorship. A few weeks back, Apple App store had banned an App called NewToons which featured the works of Pulitzer winning cartoonist Mark Fiore. These cartoons apparently poked fun at some public figures which didn’t go down too well with Apple.
It’s amazing that this kind of a censorship comes from a tech giant in the United States of America, a country which is most concerned about guaranteeing its citizens the right to Free Expression. The First Amendment in the US Constitution says- The Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or the press…..
This by far though is the most open ended statement made to assure citizens their rights and courts in the US have been struggling to interpret and reinterpret it.
It’s remarkable how the governments in several countries have now turned their attention towards new media. Democracy and censorship don’t go with each other and yet they have been inseparable since time immemorial. Time will tell whether new media will survive the ugly blow of censorship or give in. More power to Democracy and new media!
And… absolute freedom is never liked or tolerated. Censorship inevitably follows. So I thought it would be interesting to note the three recent incidents of censorship of the internet in three different countries and look at what their constitutions have to say about Freedom of Speech and Expression:
Pakistan recently banned the social networking site Facebook because of an application that allowed caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed which they found blasphemous. The site was restored two weeks after it was blocked by a court’s order. The interesting part is that after the incident, an official of the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan told a news agency that about 1,200 URLs continue to be blocked in Pakistan to prevent access to blasphemous and sacrilegious content. To me the startling figure comes across as severe violation and intolerance of people’s right to express themselves. Religious blasphemy is unacceptable but that doesn’t mean curtailing people’s right to choose and access information. And living without Facebook must be horrible!
Under Fundamental Rights 19, Pakistani Constitution says-
Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court,[commission of] or incitement to an offence.
Bangladesh was quick to follow suit and ban Facebook. Apart from the offensive depiction of the Prophet, there was apparently another reason for the ban. Some gutsy people uploaded caricatures of the Prime Minister and other political figures which deeply offended the government. Let’s look at what Article 39 of the Bangladeshi Constitution says-
Article 39: Freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech
1. Freedom or thought and conscience is guaranteed. Freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech.
2. Subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interests of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offense-
i. the right of every citizen of freedom of speech and expression; and
ii. freedom of the press, are guaranteed.
I’m wondering how they categorized the caricatures of the politicians! Did it pose a threat to the nation’s security or did it get restricted on the pretext of vague terms like decency and morality? Who gets to decide what is decent and moral is another question mark.
In a country of 900, 000 Facebook users, technology unquestioningly runs deep and wide. “What do you do without facebook,” I asked a friend. “Oh, We are smart you know. Everyone uses proxy servers,"came the answer. Despite the ban, Facebook was accessible through mobiles and servers like hidemyass.com. Most people think such bans are just power exercises to give out ‘Don’t mess with me’ messages.
I find the case in Bangladesh particularly interesting because of another reason. This is what some text on the Board of Investment, PMs office’s site reads:
“The democratic government has declared the “Vision 2021” in the election manifesto which targets establishment of a resourceful and modern country by 2021 through effective use of information and communication technology-a "Digital Bangladesh".
The philosophy of “Digital Bangladesh” comprises ensuring people’s democracy and rights, transparency, accountability, establishing justice and ensuring delivery of government services in each door through maximum use of technology-with the ultimate goal to improve the daily lifestyle of general people.”
So here they are, trying to establish a ‘Digital Bangladesh that ensures people’s democracy and rights’!
Another case in point is a censorship that is nongovernmental. James Joyce’s Ulysses is a book which in spite of being a classic is infamous for its explicitly sexual content. Recently while the book was being adapted into a comic book to sell as an iPad app, Apple insisted that any depiction of nudity be removed entirely. It didn’t even agree to a compromise offered by the artist of covering the offending body parts with a fig leaf or pixellation!
Interestingly, this is the second attempt of Apple at censorship. A few weeks back, Apple App store had banned an App called NewToons which featured the works of Pulitzer winning cartoonist Mark Fiore. These cartoons apparently poked fun at some public figures which didn’t go down too well with Apple.
It’s amazing that this kind of a censorship comes from a tech giant in the United States of America, a country which is most concerned about guaranteeing its citizens the right to Free Expression. The First Amendment in the US Constitution says- The Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or the press…..
This by far though is the most open ended statement made to assure citizens their rights and courts in the US have been struggling to interpret and reinterpret it.
It’s remarkable how the governments in several countries have now turned their attention towards new media. Democracy and censorship don’t go with each other and yet they have been inseparable since time immemorial. Time will tell whether new media will survive the ugly blow of censorship or give in. More power to Democracy and new media!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Class apart!
As I checked into a hotel in Washington DC, I heard people referring to the hotel cleaning staff as sir and ma’am and my ears suddenly took note of it. This was so unusual. As the day progressed, I was in for a pleasant surprise on my first visit to the United States. I might sound like any other Indian youngster smitten by the magic of America. To a certain extent I am- by a not so commonly talked about trait of this country.
I have grown up reading and hearing how college going Americans support themselves by working in restaurants, grocery stores etc. Whenever I have been to a Mc Donald’s in India, I have wondered if I would take up a summer job there and if my family would consent to it and the answer has always been in negative. Why? What is so different about the culture of America, I have often wondered. Now that I am here witnessing it, I have my answers in place.
In America, the lady waiting at your table gets the same amount of respect as the one teaching you in a classroom. I don’t know about the intricacies of the class system but I can say from what I have observed that people here are not discriminated against on the basis of their occupation.Whether or not you are at the receiving end, it's a wonderful feeling to be in a society where everyone is treated equally.It's like a slice of utopia!
America largely appears to be a classless society. Isn’t that a bit surprising, America being the hub of capitalism? Or is it about the dignity of labour, that we all learn in our classrooms and conveniently forget? I can’t think of many who would care to ask how I was doing or wish me a good day if I were standing behind a counter taking orders in India. Whereas an average American begins his/her conversation with “Hi, how are you?” regardless of who the other person is-a cabbie or someone sweeping the streets! I am not complaining. I am just super awed!
I think a lot of it has to do with caste system in India which held occupation as the premise for dividing people into the four varnas- the Brahmins (teachers, scholars and priests), the Kshatriyas (kings and warriors), the Vaishyas (agriculturists and traders), and Shudras (artisans, service providers). [reference: encyclopedia]. Much as we struggle to do away with the caste system, the occupational segregation that has been internalized for ages will take a long time to fade away from the Indian psyche. And till it stays, we won’t be able to treat everyone with equal respect and dignity. I understand that issues are far more complex than they appear but it’s worthwhile to appreciate a thing or two in other cultures. And this one sure deserves a thumbs up!
I have grown up reading and hearing how college going Americans support themselves by working in restaurants, grocery stores etc. Whenever I have been to a Mc Donald’s in India, I have wondered if I would take up a summer job there and if my family would consent to it and the answer has always been in negative. Why? What is so different about the culture of America, I have often wondered. Now that I am here witnessing it, I have my answers in place.
In America, the lady waiting at your table gets the same amount of respect as the one teaching you in a classroom. I don’t know about the intricacies of the class system but I can say from what I have observed that people here are not discriminated against on the basis of their occupation.Whether or not you are at the receiving end, it's a wonderful feeling to be in a society where everyone is treated equally.It's like a slice of utopia!
America largely appears to be a classless society. Isn’t that a bit surprising, America being the hub of capitalism? Or is it about the dignity of labour, that we all learn in our classrooms and conveniently forget? I can’t think of many who would care to ask how I was doing or wish me a good day if I were standing behind a counter taking orders in India. Whereas an average American begins his/her conversation with “Hi, how are you?” regardless of who the other person is-a cabbie or someone sweeping the streets! I am not complaining. I am just super awed!
I think a lot of it has to do with caste system in India which held occupation as the premise for dividing people into the four varnas- the Brahmins (teachers, scholars and priests), the Kshatriyas (kings and warriors), the Vaishyas (agriculturists and traders), and Shudras (artisans, service providers). [reference: encyclopedia]. Much as we struggle to do away with the caste system, the occupational segregation that has been internalized for ages will take a long time to fade away from the Indian psyche. And till it stays, we won’t be able to treat everyone with equal respect and dignity. I understand that issues are far more complex than they appear but it’s worthwhile to appreciate a thing or two in other cultures. And this one sure deserves a thumbs up!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
On the flipside..
“…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I can’t scan through these words enough number of times, each time I seem to find a new dimension to it. At times it just feels that the answers to the problems of the entire humankind are contained in these words. Relate it to the debate regarding caste census in India or the daunting khap panchayats, you might just find an answer here. These words seem to have been written with the loftiest of intentions but is equality really as easy and achievable as it appears in black and white? Well, this is an excerpt from The Declaration of Independence penned by Thomas Jefferson who went on to become the third president of the United States of America.
A few days back, I visited Monticello, an Italian word which means ‘little mountain’. Monticello is a beautiful little place on a hill top which was home to Jefferson (1743-1826) and his family. One is taken on a guided tour of a palatial mansion of 21 rooms where Jefferson once lived. This mansion, that he considered as his ‘essay in architecture’ took him 40 years to build. A blend of European and American architecture, this mansion is a sight to savor. Jefferson was a voracious reader who could read in 7 languages and owned a voluminous library. Owing to his meticulous record keeping, most of his belongings can be found in original or reproduced forms at his dwelling.
Now comes the most interesting part of Monticello- the mansion is surrounded by 5, 000 acres of plantation where lived and worked 140 men and women enslaved by Jefferson’s family for generations. Well, yes there is a striking contradiction and the Americans make no bones about it. Jefferson acknowledged slavery as one of the severe challenges of that time but he placed the onus of eradicating it on the generations to come. He didn’t know how his economy could function without those enslaved workers. They were the very foundation of Monticello. He couldn’t have built his house without their support. A matter of convenience, some would say. But only if these things were so simple…
I visited James Madison’s house in Montpelier as well. Madison was the fourth president of the United States. Well, just for the sake of information-Virginia, the state which I’m currently in has produced quite a few American Presidents. Madison and Jefferson were close friends and their friendship reflects in the architecture of their homes too.
Again, a remarkable feature of Montpelier was a one- room house of a slave in the vicinity of Madison’s mansion. As a matter of fact, Madison is the father of the American Constitution-one of its kind at that time which later the constitutions of many countries including India would draw upon. He knew that it was indispensable for a democracy to do away with slavery but how? He tried to release some of his slaves which gave rise to another grave practical problem. These slaves had been living in America for generations then. They had lost touch with their home country and spoke English. They had no skills other than the manual labour that they were used to. They couldn’t be sent home, nor could they be employed elsewhere. As a result, Madison too confined himself to acknowledging their plight and doing nothing about it. And slavery continued…
Virginia being one of the oldest states of America, one here comes across the traces of racism that once was or still exists at every other corner. Neither the Whites nor the Blacks vouch by the fact that America is a racism free nation. Once while walking down a street at a Black locality with a Black student at the University of Virginia, I discovered that it was a locality built down the slopes of the hilly town of Charlottesville so that the Blacks remain away from the sight and scrutiny of tourists. As I delve deeper into the layers of the American society, I see how the world has been grappling with different kinds of inequalities at various points in time. Now I understand fully why the world reveled at the victory of Barack Obama! He might just be an exceptional case in history but he sure represents the hopes and aspirations of countless others.
A few days back, I visited Monticello, an Italian word which means ‘little mountain’. Monticello is a beautiful little place on a hill top which was home to Jefferson (1743-1826) and his family. One is taken on a guided tour of a palatial mansion of 21 rooms where Jefferson once lived. This mansion, that he considered as his ‘essay in architecture’ took him 40 years to build. A blend of European and American architecture, this mansion is a sight to savor. Jefferson was a voracious reader who could read in 7 languages and owned a voluminous library. Owing to his meticulous record keeping, most of his belongings can be found in original or reproduced forms at his dwelling.
Now comes the most interesting part of Monticello- the mansion is surrounded by 5, 000 acres of plantation where lived and worked 140 men and women enslaved by Jefferson’s family for generations. Well, yes there is a striking contradiction and the Americans make no bones about it. Jefferson acknowledged slavery as one of the severe challenges of that time but he placed the onus of eradicating it on the generations to come. He didn’t know how his economy could function without those enslaved workers. They were the very foundation of Monticello. He couldn’t have built his house without their support. A matter of convenience, some would say. But only if these things were so simple…
I visited James Madison’s house in Montpelier as well. Madison was the fourth president of the United States. Well, just for the sake of information-Virginia, the state which I’m currently in has produced quite a few American Presidents. Madison and Jefferson were close friends and their friendship reflects in the architecture of their homes too.
Again, a remarkable feature of Montpelier was a one- room house of a slave in the vicinity of Madison’s mansion. As a matter of fact, Madison is the father of the American Constitution-one of its kind at that time which later the constitutions of many countries including India would draw upon. He knew that it was indispensable for a democracy to do away with slavery but how? He tried to release some of his slaves which gave rise to another grave practical problem. These slaves had been living in America for generations then. They had lost touch with their home country and spoke English. They had no skills other than the manual labour that they were used to. They couldn’t be sent home, nor could they be employed elsewhere. As a result, Madison too confined himself to acknowledging their plight and doing nothing about it. And slavery continued…
Virginia being one of the oldest states of America, one here comes across the traces of racism that once was or still exists at every other corner. Neither the Whites nor the Blacks vouch by the fact that America is a racism free nation. Once while walking down a street at a Black locality with a Black student at the University of Virginia, I discovered that it was a locality built down the slopes of the hilly town of Charlottesville so that the Blacks remain away from the sight and scrutiny of tourists. As I delve deeper into the layers of the American society, I see how the world has been grappling with different kinds of inequalities at various points in time. Now I understand fully why the world reveled at the victory of Barack Obama! He might just be an exceptional case in history but he sure represents the hopes and aspirations of countless others.
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