Wth!!

What's happening!! I found it so unbelievable when I first heard about it. I thought it was probably a joke. Turns out the joke is on us, all of us, and our rights.. our freedoms! are we living in a democracy or a dictatorship??

12 sites on Govt gag list

2 sites on Govt gag listThe government has instructed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block 12 websites. The order has come in the wake of the Mumbai bomb blasts, and these websites are perceived to be anti-India. Unfortunately, one of these is blogger or blogspot.com, a Google affiliated site which hosts millions of blogs worldwide.

Sources in the government said that a circular was issued by the Home Affairs Ministry three days back asking the Ministry of Information and Technology to block the 12 websites which posted content maligning India. Hundreds of netizens tried unsuccessfully to log on to blogger.com on Monday. These bloggers exchanged flash messages to discover that none of them were being able to log on to the website.

Officials defended the decision saying, "We would like those people to come forward who access these (the 12) radical websites and please explain to us what are they missing from their lives in the absence of these sites."

More information here

And make sure you check this out. Ways to bypass the ban.

I still don't believe it. Does freedom of speech and expression really even exist in this country? I'm a lawyer, and right now I feel like the law is just a puppet in the hands of this government. We could probably say this is a violation of our fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression, this is total censorship.. Yes, the government can restrict this freedom. (Read this article of the constitution for details.) The government can basically put 'reasonable restrictions' on this right. Reasonable Restrictions! what on earth made them do this..

Right to Freedom

19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.-

(1) All citizens shall have the right-

(a) to freedom of speech and expression;

[(2) Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of [the sovereignty and integrity of India,] 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 offence.]

Today they have blogged blogspot, tomorrow they'll block news, email.. what not!! are we going to let this happen?

And I don't understand.. y just blogger? there r so many other blog sites..and so many other ways to bypass these bans.. it's just totally absurd!! Blogs r public sites..anyone can access them.. how could the terrorists use them!!