Bloggers are having a hard time wherever intolerant and domineering regimes exist. A ranking with regards to intolerance towards bloggers among the countries of world was discussed in CNN a few days ago. The first seven countries are as follows with Myanmar topping the list=>
1. Myanmar
2. Iran
3. Syria
4. Cuba
5. Saudi Arabia
6. Turkey
7. China
I thought if the CNN had added Kerala (state in south India, at present ruled by the Communists) among the first 10, it would have been better than fair. Offlate Kerala has become a minefield for bloggers and creative people in the web. The authorities have gone bananas on trifling issues on net. There have been many cases of people being arrested, last year and this year on the basis of cyber crime laws for trivial instances of critics pulling the legs of the ruling party of the state and its top brass, by the way of jokes or funnily written stories. The irony is that the same ideas, if created in Television or print media, do not invite any attention from the authorities. One can only say that the cyber laws formed in the state, concerning trivial issues like cartooning political leaders are unrealistic and demonizing, that in turn is being misused to their convenience by certain people- you know who!
There must be a revision of the present cyber laws that seems to be prehistoric and aboriginal. Democracy does not mean that accepting all the shit. India is a democratic country and not an autocracy like China/ Iran /Myanmar / Cuba. Freedom of expression is the right of every citizen! Here the people decide the fate of the political parties and the politicians unlike China, Iran or Cuba…so beware!
4 comments:
i think it's off the mark.has kerala got a different cyber law?what are these many cases?the only case where authorities seemed to be directly involved is that of pinarayis case and it is easy for anyone to see that it was a case of blatant misinformation campaign perhaps with vested interests.
Kerala doesn’t have a different cyber law! It is good that the cyber laws are stringent to help in preventing atrocities such as sexual harassment towards woman through internet. The laws, I presume, are not constituted in detail that the same is being misused by certain quarters. There have been cases of people hacking into Kerala Government’s official site and making fun of leaders of the stature of Achuthanandan and Vaikom Vishwan, however the police have been dormant on the same and seem to be keener in protecting certain people who call shots of the entire Government
nice topic.Sounds good..
I think before we chase these pinarai mail issue, we should have a look at those programs like "Politrics", "Thiruvaa Ethirvaa" etc that insults the political figures in kerala by using silly video editing techniques. What they doing is not jouranalism.
@jithin I agree totally, the criticism can be funny but defaming a politician with grotesque video techniques is absurdity.
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