#goiblocks

India lifts blocks on GitHub, Vimeo, Dailymotion and Weebly but others remain banned

The Indian government’s block of websites alleged to have hosted terrorist content has been lifted for gist.github, Vimeo, Dailymotion and Weebly – but 28 sites remain inaccessible thanks to the order, according…

Read More

For the unaware, let me share the good news first up-

In the name of secular India, an institution called Indian Institute of Planning and Management which was de-recognized by the University Grant's Commission (UGC) as early as July '12 manages to file a case on slander possibly (false charges) and guess what the government does?  The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India ends up directing ISPs across the country to block 73 web links which show this particular institution as to being a big fraud thereby protecting the scamster's interests. 

This is the order in question here: http://www.medianama.com/wp-content/uploads/blocking-instruction-II-14-Feb-2013.pdf

Two things deserve a special mention here:

The fact that a de-recognized institution managed to arm-twist the Government of India into protecting their interests tells me how easy things really are, in this country.  

That the government would go forward and block their own website which has given out a notification in the interest of the general public of this country is beyond disgusting.

This can only be the beginning, ladies and gentlemen. Now the Muslim and Hindu fringe elements will be ready-ing their own block lists against media which show them in bad light, UPA will re-impose the blocks they had on certain twitter handles, films made in this country will have to go through multiple filtering layers despite the presence of a central body entrusted with this responsibility, minorities could see themselves reserving upto 75% in colleges and universities in the name of a secular nation, chopper and fodder scams go unscathed because all the blame game has gone into people who are either immune under the constitution or have expired, rape issues and ordinances will go un-addressed to protect the rapist's interest (some of whom are serving in the government as well).

And by all these, we will officially surpass China, Pakistan, North Korea and a few of their colleagues to constitute a fourth world where we will be the sole occupants. Countries will lose their faith in our system, travel advisories will follow (some have already started as of now - http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-14/india/37099591_1_travel-advisories-travel-plans-travel-advice), social and global exclusion as well.

The administration in this country will continue to sit haughtily in its perch and like all things will have an inglorious fall one day. And all hell will officially break loose then. Yes, the optimist will surely call me cynical because he prefers his rose tinted view over mine. Governments generally try to save their face beyond of a point of constant falls, this one just seems to find that extra inch to fall down all the time.

We have stooped down to a new low today as well.