After the recent Mumbai blasts, a Government of India order had directed all ISPs to block access to certain websites which were spreading “extreme views” using their blogs. [IBNLive: 'Are we heading towards another Emergency?']. But the ISPs have gone a step ahead and blocked all the blogs in India, giving technical reasons about their inability to selectively block few blogs. Bloggers in India have not taken kindly to the government's high-handedness in trying to muzzle their right to freedom of expression and have been exchanging angry mails about this incident.
In my opinion this knee jerk reaction is not going to yield desired result. Do we ban books just because some writers try to incite communal passions? Democratic governments don't, can't and shouldn't control citizens' right to think and express. Internet is a wonderful medium of communication and by trying to manipulate it Indian govt. is only following the footprints of totalitarian states. I pray it soon realizes the futility of its authoritarian attitude and quash the order given to ISPs.
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