Comments on: Thoughts and disagreements over India’s blog block

By: Bilal Sarwari

Bilal Sarwari — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:10:03 +0000

Don’t know when Pak indo stress will end, their relation was very excellent in last year, may be there are some person who don’t want to see us in high spirits and they are creating troubles in our way, if you look at history everything is going fine they start local buses, business, exchanging other business and even sports, and now …?? Just think what should be duty of one individual it does not matter its Pakistan or Indian; everyone wants peace and fantastic life, I will request to all give don’t make it big issue, think about the result, may be then we will find any good way
Thanks

By: Are we ready for Blogblock 2? « Just an opinion…

Are we ready for Blogblock 2? « Just an opinion… — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 04:06:51 +0000

[...] Does anybody remember the infamous blogblocks that happened around July this year? It seems to have generated a lot of heat at that time, but is not on ‘anti-censorship’ radars any more, i think. One of the most interesting and thoughtful discussions that I read on this topic is on Ethan Zuckerman’s blog. [...]

By: Ethan

Ethan — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:18:38 +0000

You might note my opening comment, Gayathri – my point in comparing India with Pakistan and China was to suggest that, in this one narrow sense, India was making a decision more consistent with some more repressive nations. I understand the statement is very provocative to my Indian readers – it was intended to be so, because I, like many others around the world, was surprised and dismayed that India would choose to block content rather than debate about it.

By: gayathri

gayathri — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 06:02:09 +0000

Hi,
Ooops. It is obviously not ‘terrorist blasts raving our nation”, but ‘ravaging” our nation.
By the way, equating India with nations such as China and Pakistan is totally unjustified. There might be political apathy and a fractured bureaucratic system in India, but, for that matter, is any nation perfect? In any case, there is absolutely no lack of freedom (except for very very rare ocassions such as the blogspot issue) or potential for growth in this country. India does not perpetuate cross border terrorism and does not rule her people with an iron hand. I am not blindly defending this nation, but the fact that one can breathe, laugh, love and live life freely in the Indian soil is true.

By: gayathri

gayathri — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:05:13 +0000

Ethan,
I do agree with you that anything that is forbidden or deemed unattainable becomes all the more desirable. Similarly, the propaganda regarding imposing a ban on the 17 blog sites can eventually be very counter productive and can heighten the interest and curiosity of people to access and read them at any cost. Well, again that’s the irony of it, considering the fact that the Indian Government decided to block only a few sites they felt would incite communal violence and hatred and perpetuate an already boiling political and human rights situation. Instead of imposing an outright ban in an attempt to curtail freedom of expression, the Government should resort to effective diplomatic and peace-keeping measures.
Again, please understand that India is inherently a very tolerant country that has since time immemorial welcomed and housed a plethora of diverse religions, cultures and traditions, living upto the immortal Sanskrit saying “Athithi Devo Bhava” (Treat guests as equivalent to God ). Hence, it is only natural for people like Mihir, who has been a sad and helpless witness to many bomb blasts in Mumbai since the early 90′s to be angered and disturbed by the frequent communal tensions and terrorist blasts raving our nation. It is one thing to experience a lone terrorist attack and another, to feel horribly empty and helplessly broken by many more. Well, in whichever way we condemn/categorise/classify/term India’s anti-terrorist actions and measures, unfortunately the same sad facts are soon becoming a reality in this eternally tolerant nation – the brutal continuation of terror, silencing hundreds of innocent lives and maiming and disabling a thousand more. And, all for what???
Gayathri

By: Ethan

Ethan — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 02:20:03 +0000

Thanks for the response, Mihir. The prohibitions you list within the US are, for the most part, bans on expression I disagree with. The ban on cameras within US military prison facilities is especially disturbing – without the terrible photos from Abu Ghraib, there would not have been pressure for the US to change how we are treating prisoners.

I think our difference of opinion has to do with our various experiences. I didn’t live through the strife in Mumbai in the early 90s – I can understand how that experience would make you concerned about the power of incindiery speech. I tend to believe that speech that’s banned and hidden is even more powerful than that which is out in the open, but I can understand how your experience could shape your thinking.

Thanks for engaging on the topic.

By: Mihir

Mihir — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 22:30:14 +0000

Ethan -

No, I sm not advocating that they are equivalent, but the U.S. government seems to do so.

Doesn’t U.S. ban words and photos too. After the abu-ghraib prison photos, they banned cameras and cell phones with cameras (http://www.newmediamusings.com/blog/2004/05/us_bans_camera_.html).
Isn’t that against freedom of speech?

A majority of U.S. press bans live telecase of Al-Qaida tapes (http://english.people.com.cn/english/200110/11/eng20011011_82022.html).

Are these bans bad? No – I think they are for a good purpose. It takes one bad apple to make a group of apples bad. If one person from a million watching these pictures or tapes become a al-qaeda sympathizer, that can have HUGE impact. I do not agree with that statement, that “for the most part” let people ignore it – its not enough.

Online gambling ban bill, bill to ban burning of flag, etc are all in the talks. I support them wholly – words and expression are not always the best way to curb violence.

Again, my views may be very biased, simply because I have lived through the riots that happened in Mumbai in early 90s. I have seen people die in front of my because they were of a certain community, and I am in favor of anything that an be done to avoid that.

By: Teeth Maestro - » Links for 2006-07-22

Teeth Maestro - » Links for 2006-07-22 — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 08:39:24 +0000

[...] …My heart’s in Accra » Thoughts and disagreements over India’s blog block Yet again, Ethan supports the Dont Block the Blog campaign (tags: activism pakistan) [...]

By: Ethan

Ethan — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 03:17:15 +0000

I don’t think I accept the analogy between weapons and words, Mihir. Are you suggesting that you’d like to start arresting and detaining people who use words you deem dangerous, in the same way we’d arrest someone who assaults someone else with a weapon? That sounds like something out of Orwell.

I believe the best response to bad speech is more speech. I believe the best way to respond to people saying things hateful and stupid is to point out that those things are hateful and stupid. And I believe that hiding that speech gives it power that it otherwise wouldn’t have… which is extremely counterproductive.

By: Mihir Gandhi

Mihir Gandhi — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 22:38:11 +0000

The best way to deal with offensive crap like this isn’t to hide it – it’s to let people see it, make their judgements about it, and, for the most part, ignore it.

If that is the case, why not make it legal for everyone to carry guns and weapons and board aircrafts with them (last I heard, even scissors were not allowed on airplanes!) – let people make judements, and for most part ignore it! Do you HONESTLY think it will work, or are you just making arguments to support your theory here?