Gujarat internet ban: Government sits pretty, says there are "no representations" against the decision

By Our Representative
The Gujarat government appears to sit pretty, and is happy, that there is virtually “no protest” against its ban on mobile internet, continuing across the state since August 26, when violence broke out following the five-lakh-strong Patel rally for reservation in Ahmedabad. A senior Sachivalaya official told Counterview that there has been “no representation” against the ban, despite isolated voices regarding e-business having been “adversely affected”, hence “why worry?”
In all likelihood, the ban would be lifted on midnight of August 31-September 1. A decision to this effect is learnt to have been taken at a meeting taken by chief secretary GR Aloria. “There was no violence on August 30, during the funeral of those killed in the violence, which we had to watch closely”, he told the meeting, “Hence, time has come to end the ban.”
A section of the state government officials, strongly supporting the ban, said it was “necessitated” because social media, especially WhatsApp and Facebook, spread violence across Gujarat, and WhatsApp groups like “Burn Police Station” were formed, which was “dangerous”.
A few other officials were more concerned about their children not being able to “study” with the help of internet as a result of the ban, and approached state home secretary PK Taneja to know when it was ending. Yet others said, the top cops of Gujarat fear riots would again erupt once social media sites begin functioning normally.
When contacted, former state IT secretary Ravi Saxena, a retired IAS bureaucrat, who has formed NGO Removing Ignorance for Social Empowerment (RISE), meant to advocate the concept of internet as a fundamental right, said he is in the “midst of studying the whole issue”, but refused to comment on the state government decision.
“Several countries”, said Saxena, “have sought to formally engage people through social media as one of the prime objectives. These formal engagements help them solve issues of violence, as and when they appear to raise their head. There is a need to explore this option.”
The only statement against the ban is by the Computer Education Association, the apex body of computer education organizations of Gujarat, which said, such banning steps cannot help curb protests. “There was no social media, yet protests erupted in the fight to independence, or against reservation in 1985. Students are unable to continue their studies, even fill up their forms online for admission”, the statement, issued by association chief Hemang Raval, said.
Well-known Delhi-based human rights activist John Dayal, a former journalist who has been with the National Commission of Minorities, did not know, even six days after the ban, that the state government has gone so far as to prohibit mobile internet in the wake of the Patel protests.
He told Counterview, “Forward me any story, if it has appeared”. He put a comment on Facebook, which reads, “Did the Gujarat government announce they had clamped on mobile internet, and Apps such as WhatsApp? My friends wonder why civil society has not made any noise about it so far, protested this censorship, which sometimes is imposed in the Kashmir valley.”
Except the lone voice of Father Cedric Prakash, a Gujarat-based human rights activist, who called the ban a “clear step towards Emergency”, the civil society as a whole did object to the ban. Damini Shah, who is with the Movement for Secular Democracy said, “For a few days it was necessary for peace, but after that it was curtailment to our freedom of expression.”
The business in Gujarat, dependent on e-commerce, is said to be losing heavily because of the ban. Yet, there is no protest from such bodies like Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) or the Gujarat chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
The telecom industry in Gujarat alone is said to be suffering a loss of about Rs 5 crore per day, yet director of Department of Telecom (DoT), Gujarat, Rajeev Kushwah has been quoted as saying that he “supports” the ban. "We would like to contribute in every possible way to maintain peace in the state. It is more important than worrying over any loss incurred in the process," he said.
Interestingly, executives of mobile phone have been quoted as saying that no legal cover was provided while banning internet in Gujarat. The companies received notices asking for the suspension of mobile services from the district collector, Ahmedabad, and the district superintendent of police.
Last year, there were over 98 lakh internet users, and banking, trading, travel, manufacturing and other services are depend on internet connectivity. Minister of State for Home Rajnikant Patel told the state assembly that the government had imposed a ban on mobile Internet services “to contain rumour mongering”.

Comments

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra* The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas* In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam* The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”

Search This Blog